The Airmen's Stories - P/O R L Jones

Richard Leoline Jones was born on 28th December 1918 at Grazeley, near Reading. He attended Christ Church Cathedral Choir School, Oxford and then a school in Moseley, Birmingham.

On 1st January 1936 Jones began an apprenticeship in the furniture trade. He joined the RAFVR in early July 1938, as an Airman u/t Pilot and carried out his flying training at 8 E&RFTS Woodley.

Called up on 1st September 1939, Jones completed his training at 10 FTS Ternhill on No. 18 Course, which ran from 1st February to 6th July 1940. He was commissioned at the end of the course.

Jones was at 5 OTU Aston Down from 6th July, converting to Spitfires, before joining 64 Squadron at Kenley on the 27th. On 13th August he damaged a Do17 and on the 16th he shared in damaging two He111's.

On 12th September 1940 Jones moved to 19 Squadron at Fowlmere. On the 28th he was shot down but was unable to bale out because his hood was jammed. He made a crash-landing at Hawkhurst in Spitfire P7432. He was rescued by the Army and treated by a local doctor for a flesh wound in the leg. After lunch at an Army mess he was taken back to Fowlmere.

In November 1940 Jones rejoined 64 Squadron, then at Hornchurch, and remained with it until April 1941, when he went to the De Havilland Aircraft Company as a test pilot. In 1944 he was awarded a Kings Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.

Jones remained on test duties until his release from the RAF in January 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant. He rejoined the RAFVR in January 1948 as a Flying Officer and served until 1950.

After release from the RAF he worked at a car dealership in Oxford and after retiring from that he became a Court Usher in the Magistrates Court in Oxford, from 1982 to 1994.

He died in Oxford on 7th March 2012.