First Tank Crews

What wonderful sleuthing Thank you for confirming all of this information which pulls everything together

Forum members were very kind in helping me find a couple of the First Tank Crewmen; that is Coventry men who joined the Motor Machine Gun Service and fought on the Somme on 15 September 1916. Yesterday I was able to confirm that William Jones of 31 Freeth Street was wounded fighting in the tank "Cordon Rouge" at Thiepval in September 1916. He was educated at Wheatley Street School and worked as a wages clerk for Courtaulds. I think his father must have died when he was a young man as his mother was known as Mrs J Ingram. Having recovered from his injuries, William fought with G Battalion Tank Corps during the Third Battle of Ypres and at Cambrai. He was then selected for officer training and, after marrying on 1st July 1918, served as an officer in 21st Tank Battalion. His wife lived at 21 Windsor Street but other than her first name starting with "J", I have no other details William, who was born on 10 December 1893 at 13 Freeth St, transferred to the Z Reserve in January 1919 and served on until 1921, when he relinquished his commission as the Army no longer had a requirement for his service. Sadly William Jones is a reasonably common name and I am having trouble trying to find out where he went after the war. His address in 1925 was 18 St Georges Street which I believe is in Gosford. Any help you can provide in tracking down this crewman would be greatly appreciated

One little snippet of information. I cannot find anything about William jnr but there is a William Jones buried in London Road cemetery. His address is 31 Freeth Street and he died 12th April 1911. I believe this would be William senior. He is buried with a John Ingram aged 78 who died 20th April 1949 whose address is given as 16 St Georges Road and Mary Elizabeth Ingram aged 71 who died 27th April 1944 address Exhall Lodge. I hope these people might fit in somewhere.

When Mary died in 1944 she left £2234 10s 8d in probate to her husband John Ingram and son Charles Jones, a radical driller, William's younger brother. I wonder if this means that William had died before 1944. I have also found the marriage for William who married Elsie E Blackford. Also William senior was from Dublin.

I certainly couldn't locate him in the 1939 Register

Anne - you are a star. I think you are correct. I have found out this morning, from another source that, after William senior's death in 1911, Mary married John Ingram on 12 May 1913. Stephen

Just out of interest, Charles and his wife lived at 8 Red Lane in 1939 - and his occupation was a radial (not radical) driller, tank & car work

William & Elsie emigrated to Canada! They travelled back several times, Elsie travelled several times alone or accompanied by Robert Jones a teenager who I would think was their son. She gave her address as 40 Wyley Road. That is in Radford (next road to the one I lived in)

And William's death

Ann is amazing.

The son Robert Jones was born in Coventry in 1920. He went to Canada with his mother in 1924 (there is another entry form like his mother's). On his travels back and forth to Canada he always seems to be a "Student".

This is part of an article from the Montreal Gazette 24th October 1936, so William was Courtaulds accountant in Canada. There is another article in a newspaper for subscription! But I can see that he retired as Secretary, treasurer & director of Courtaulds (Canada) in October 1941.

Anne I cannot describe how thankful I am for your support - your sleuthing is remarkable. Stephen

No problem Stephen I enjoy doing it.

Yes - on behalf of the "team", thanks and "well done", Anne