JONES, Oliver

Oliver Jones was born in Richmond in 1891.  He was the son of John Jones and his wife, May Matilda.  By 1909 the family had moved to East Melbourne, initially renting at 90 George Street, then moving to 1105 Hoddle Street, and then, in 1916, back to 88 George Street.  The Jones later bought 88 George Street after the death of the owner and remained there until their own deaths: John in 1938 and May in 1943.  John was a paper ruler.

Oliver was still living with his parents when he enlisted on 18 September 1916 and working as a clerk.  He was 5ft 4ins tall.  He was appointed to the 5th Battalion, 23rd Reinforcements as a private.

He embarked on 23 November 1916 aboard the Hororata and arrived at Plymouth on 29 January 1917.  He was sent to training camp at Tidworth where he qualified 2nd class at the School of Musketry and ‘has a fair knowledge of Lewis Gun.'  He was appointed lance corporal on 30 July 1917 and acting corporal on 18 December 1917 while at Sutton Veny, but reverted to private on proceeding overseas on 6 March 1918.  He was taken on strength of the 5th Battalion on 16 March.  His battalion ‘participated in the great Allied offensive launched near Amiens on 8 August 1918. The advance by British and empire troops was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, one that German General Erich Ludendorff described as “the black day of the German Army in this war”’.  Oliver was killed in action at Harbonnieres on 11 August 1918.