Offered is a medal group to Stoker 1st class Jones, who served in WW2 on HMS Mauritius 14/12/1940- 3/11/45. He served during the landings in Sicily, (Operation Husky) Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche) came under air attacks including FX1400 and Glider Bombs, the Anzio landings (Operation Shingle) D Day Normandy covered the landings as part of Force D off Sword Beach, Bombarded Houlgate and Merville Battery during assault on SWORD Beach & Hit by counter battery fire. He was also engaged in several naval actions sinking and damaging German Destroyers & Vorpostenboote.
1939 Star, Atlantic Star with France & Germany clasp, Pacific Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal 1939 -45 & Royal Fleet Reserve Long service & Good Conduct Medal (King George V) impressed named SS123197 (CH.B.19063) H.W.JONES. STO 1. R.F.R. Court mounted for display. Comes with copies service papers, medal rolls & extensive research on H.M.S. Mauritius.
Henry William Jones was born on the 7/3/1902 at Rotherhithe, London. He signed on to the Royal Navy as a Short service stoker on the 18/6/1919. He served on several ships and shore postings including: H.M.S Pembroke II, Yarmouth, H.M.S Tiger (Battlecruiser) H.M.S Lion (Battlecruiser) H.M.S Vindictive (Troop Transport) H.M.S Triad (A yacht hired for use by the Royal Navy used by Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf). On the 7/3/1925 he transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve.
Mobilised to H.M.S Valorous (V-class flotilla leader Destroyer) 24/8/1939 – 29/5/940. H.M.S Valorous took up convoy defence duties in the North Sea and Northwestern Approaches with Rosyth Force. In January 1940 her duties were expanded to include the defence of convoys along the east coast of Great Britain and in the English Channel.
H.M.S Mauritius (Colony Class light Cruiser) 14/12/1940- 13/11/45. She joined the Eastern Fleet in 1942, but was withdrawn in April 1943 to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet. Participated in the landings in Sicily, (Operation Husky), in July as a unit of Support Force East, when she carried out shore bombardment duties.
In September she was part of the covering force for the Salerno landings, but by the end of the year had been transferred to the Bay of Biscay to carry out anti-blockade-runner patrols, as part of Operation Stonewall. However, she soon returned to the Mediterranean, this time for Operation Shingle, the Anzio landings, in January 1944. In June 1944 she covered the landings in Normandy as part of Force D off Sword Beach, then carried out offensive patrols of the Brittany coast in August to mop up the remnants of the German shipping in the area. Operating with destroyers, she sank Sperrbrecher 157 on 14/15 August and during the battle of Battle of Audierne Bay sank five Vorpostenboote on 22/23 August. After this she returned to the Home Fleet, covering the carrier raids along the Norwegian coast and making anti-shipping strikes. On the night of 27/28 January 1945, in company with the cruiser Diadem, she fought the Action of 28 January 1945 with German destroyers in which Z31 was badly damaged. Following this action, she was refitted at Cammell-Laird's between February 1945 and March 1946. He was discharged 13/11/1945.
