PRIVATE PO/60(S)

Portsmouth Bn. R.N. Div. Royal Marine Light Infantry

Died Friday 30th July 1915, Aged 28

Buried: Port Said War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

Grave Ref:  D.11.

William Leonard Jones was a native of Selston, born in 1887. A 'Selston Roll of Honour' published in 1916, mentions Private Jones as follows:-

'The following are the names of the Selston men who have fallen in the service of their country, and for whom a memorial service was conducted at the Parish Church as mentioned last week:-

Private William Leonard Jones, Marine Brigade, R.N., died of wounds July 29th 1915, aged 28 years.'

(Date discrepancies are not uncommon in newspaper articles of the day)

A local newspaper report of 1915 headed 'SELSTON' carried Leonard's story:-

'From the Royal Navy Enquiry Bureau at Alexandra, Mrs Jones, Union Street, Selston has received the following intimation of the death of her husband:-  "Dear Madam, - I deeply regret to tell you that your husband , Private L. Jones, B60 Portsmouth Battalion, R.M.L.I.,  died at the Government School Hospital, Port Said, Egypt on July 27th, having been admitted with a bullet wound in the abdomen.  Please accept sincere sympathy in your great loss.  Yours truly, (Lady) Agnes Peel, Hon. Secretary."

Leonard was the husband of Mary Ann Jones (nee Kirk, daughter of James Clark Kirk and Lucy Ann nee Scothern). Leonard and Mary were married in 1911 and they had a son named James born later that year. After William's death, Mary moved to join her parents who had bought a plot of land in Recreation Street, Selston.

 Leonard is buried at Port Said which was an important hospital centre during World War One.  During May to August 1915 it received the wounded from Gallipoli.  There are 544 Commonwealth Burials in the cemetery from the First World War.