The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. H D B Jones

Herbert Daniel Baynton Jones was born on 23rd October 1918 in Dover, the son of Herbert Linley Jones (1887-1918) and Violet Ethel Jones (nee Baynton 1884-1948).

2/Lt. Herbert Linley Jones died from pneumonia in King George Hospital, Dublin whist serving at the RN Sub Station, Malahide in Dublin and is buried in Battersea Rise Cemetery.

HDB Jones joined the RAF in September 1934 as an Aircrafthand.

He later applied for pilot training and was selected. He remustered as an Airman u/t Pilot on 12th June 1939. He was then a Corporal.

He carried out his elementary flying training at 2 E&RFTS Filton and went on to 2 FTS Brize Norton for No. 40 Course, which ran from 21st August 1939 to 17th February 1940. Jones passed out at the end of the course as a Sergeant-Pilot.

He converted to Hurricanes at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge after which he joined 504 Squadron at Debden on 1st May 1940. The squadron went to France on 12th May and returned to Debden on the 21st. It is not known whether or not Jones went with it.

On the evening of 18th August Jones took off from Wick on a weather test but after engine failure his Hurricane P2993 crash-landed at St. Fergus, Aberdeen. He was unhurt.

On 27th September he destroyed a Me110 which crashed at Haydon, near Radstock, Somerset and on the 30th he claimed two He111s destroyed.

He was posted to 85 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey in late October.

Jones was killed on 6th July 1941 when Magister N3812 of 5 EFTS dived into the ground near Wombourne, Staffs. LAC FC Golder was also killed.

Wombourne was the home of his wife Marjorie Oldfield Jones (nee Phillips).

Jones was 25. He is buried in St Philip’s churchyard, Pennfields, Wolverhampton.