Died: Lancaster I DV280 shot down by a night-fighter over Holland
Address / Local links: 16 Northdown Road, Welling
Family / Relatives: Son of Humphrey and Hilda Alice Jones, of Welling.
Other Information: He grew up in Abergele, Wales, before moving to Welling with his mother. A wireless apprentice.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18429605/percival-henry_minton-jones
Percival Henry Minton Jones
It appears that although Percival Henry Minton Jones’ name is to be found on the St. Michael’s East Wickham Church Memorial Tablet , it’s likely that he himself had only a limited connection to the area – “He grew up in Abergele, Wales, before moving to Welling with his mother” one article tells us… it was through his mother and brother (Ronald Gordon M Jones) that his name must have been included.
Their tribute is also to be found inscribed on his headstone in a cemetery in Holland; THE SHOCK WAS GREAT THE PAIN SEVERE TO PART WITH ONE WE LOVED SO DEAR. MUM & RON.
Percival’s father was Humphrey Jones (1894-1956) a Council Labourer in Wales. We know very little about Humphrey, or why he did not move to Welling with his family. He had served in the Great War with the Welsh Guards and married in Llanddulas, Denbighshire in January 1920.
His wife was Hilde Alice (nee Minton 1896 – 1983). From what we can tell, Hilda was born in London but had lots of family links with Welling and the local areas around Bexley…
Their son Percival was born in Wales on 13 Nov 1920. The 1939 Register has them all living in Abergele (along with another younger son, Ronald). Percival was listed as “Apprentice & Wireless” worker…(He soon became a wireless operator in the RAF).
There is no trace of Humphrey in Welling – he died in Wales in 1956. Hilda and her younger son Ronald, however, seem to have settled locally after the war. CWGC records state their address at the time of collecting Percival’s details was16 Northdown Road, Welling.
In 1949 they were at 94 upper Wickham Lane – Ronald later lived at Edison Road with his wife Eileen.
Hilda appears to have had various residencies in and around Welling – the last record we have of her is in 1963 at 18 Denton Road. She died in 1983.
We do know more about Percival’s RAF background, and have also found a copy of a letter (pictured) sent to his mother from the one survivor of the plane crash. “Apparently the aircraft exploded because I gained consciousness and found myself in mid-air..,.That was the last I saw of your son” – (Navigator : Pilot Officer Kenneth Forth RAF)
The Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force below commissioned rank, for “exceptional valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy“…Our Flight Sergeant Percival Jones had been awarded the DFM only a few days before his death…(See the citation, pictured)
No. 463 Squadron RAAF “was a Royal Australian
War II. The squadron was formed in the United Kingdom in late 1943 from personnel and aircraft allocated from No. 467 Squadron RAAF. The squadron was equipped with Avro Lancaster bombers and flew its first raids on Germany immediately after being formed. Operating as part of RAF Bomber Command No. 463 Squadron conducted raids against cities, industrial facilities and military targets in Germany, France and Norway throughout 1944 and until the end of the war in May 1945.
Following the war, the squadron evacuated Allied prisoners of war from Europe until it was disbanded in late 1945”.
They flew from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
Military records report the following details for Percival’s final flight;
Aircraft Name: Lancaster I DV280 Date of Crash: 22 Jun 44 Unit 463 Sqdn RAAF Airfield /Crash Location , Netherlands
Aircrew details
Pilot : Flight Lieutenant Eric Alfred Leith Smith RAAF Aus/415280 [Killed]
2nd Pilot : Flying Officer Arthur Bennett Gossip RAAF Aus/411262 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Derek Colin Sykes RAFVR 1653469 [Killed]
Navigator : Pilot Officer Kenneth Forth RAF 171196 (NCO:1506932 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 07 March, 1944) [Injured]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer Harry Frederick Raynham RAFVR 151064 (NCO:1399294 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 06 April, 1943) [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Flight Sergeant Percival Henry Minton Jones DFM RAFVR 1390870 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant John Henry Hollis RAFVR 1866571 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Ronald Ernest Fittall RAFVR 1897158 [Killed]
Details Took off 2305 21 June 1944 from Waddington. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed in the Polder De Meer between Bergham (Noord-Brabant) and Macheren some 5 km NNE of Oss.
Took off from RAF Waddington at 23:03 hrs for a bombing operation against the synthetic oil plant at Scholven-Buer in Germany.
Outward-bound, intercepted by night fighter Unteroffizier Johann Werthner of the 7./NJG 2, who had taken off from Volkel airfield in a Junkers Ju 88 G-1; causing its tanks to blow up and crash in the Polder van Macharen.
https://aircrewremembered.com/smith-eric-alfred.html
On 25 January 1946, the London Gazette published details of the DFM awarded to Flt Sgt Jones. It is reported that Plt Off Forth was admitted to hospital having landed heavily, breaking his pelvis.
Percival and his colleagues from Lancaster I DV280 are buried in the Uden War Cemetery in Holland.
The town of Uden lies in the south east of the Netherlands, approx 33kms to the north east of Eindhoven.
History information
Uden was occupied by the Germans until its liberation in September 1944. In the earlier years of the war Commonwealth and Allied servicemen were buried in the garden of the parish priest which adjoined the Roman Catholic Cemetery. Later it became necessary to provide another burial ground for them and in 1943 the municipality acquired the Roman Catholic Cemetery, unused since about 1918, for this purpose. After the war more than 100 graves from the garden of the parish priest, and also a number of isolated graves from various parts of the commune, were moved into this cemetery.
Uden War Cemetery now contains 701 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War (two of them unidentified) and two Polish war graves.
In addition to Percival’s name on the St. Michael’s East Wickham Church Memorial Tablet, he is also remembered on the Llanddulas War Memorial in north Wales.
Pictured, along with the letter from Pilot Officer Kenneth Forth and Percival’s DFM award, are his headstone, some of comrades, the Llanddulas War Memorial and the East Wickham Church Memorial Tablet.
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If anyone is able to add any extra information, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
Commemorated
- St. Michael’s East Wickham Church Memorial Tablet
- Uden War Cemetery, Holland
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Percival Henry Minton Jones, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.