Grave of unknown airman to be re-dedicated alone as appeals to find family fall short
A brave young airman's grave is to be re-dedicated later this month without any surviving family present as urgent appeals to trace relatives have so far failed.
Aircraftsman John Charles Jones died in 1941 and was buried in Shrewsbury Cemetery.
However, a tombstone on the grave was damaged when storms raged in December last year, bringing down part of a tree. Now it has been replaced.
Peter Easton, a retired dentist and volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Deputy Lieutenant of Shropshire, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Ian Sawers, had hoped to trace any remaining family who might still live in the area and a re-dedication service was arranged to take place in September.
The date for the re-dedication had to be rearranged following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
All that is known of John Jones is that he was born on January 14, 1909 in Atcham.
In 1911 he was living in New Park Road, Shrewsbury, and in 1938 he was still there and unmarried and working as a railway porter.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force and died in 1941 while on a gunners' course at RAF Penbrey.
His grave is registered at Shrewsbury Cemetery but little else is known about him.
Deputy Lieutenant of Shropshire, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Ian Sawers, said: "Unfortunately despite appeals in the Shropshire Star, on radio and through the internet, we have drawn a blank on tracing relatives and have had absolutely no success in urging any remaining family to come forward.
"Unfortunately it seems that young Airman John Jones is a forgotten casualty of the Second World War.
"However, thanks to the efforts of Peter Easton, a volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the old broken headstone has been replaced and a private re-dedication ceremony will take place at 11.15am on October 19.
"Staff at the cemetery have helped enormously in preparing the ground, and Wing Commander Alistair Bissell, a chaplain with the RAF, with a small gathering of serving airmen, standard bearers from the RAF Association and the Royal British Legion and members of The Rifles and Light Division Buglers Association.
"There is still time for any family members to come forward and attend the private re-dedication service which will be a solemn occasion."
Mr Easton, from Shrewsbury, said: "There are 274 war graves around the Shrewsbury area and about 70 per cent of these have Commonwealth headstones.
"There are 15 other cemeteries around and about and I inspect them and take photographs and report any damage and also clean them.
"Around December 20 last year I heard about a tree having come down and damaged a headstone.
"I reported the damage and an order was made for a new stone which came from Romania and then went over to France for cutting before arriving here and being put in place."
If you can help with further information about John Jones, contact reporters@shropshirestar.co.uk
