David Rhys Geraint Jones
David Rhys Geraint Jones | |
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| Born | April 22, 1922 Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire |
| Died | June 28, 1944 (aged 22) near Caen, Normandy. German-occupied France |
| Resting place | Saint-Manvieu War Cemetery, Plot VII. G. 13 |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Citizenship | Welsh |
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| Occupation | Poet |
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David Rhys Geraint Jones (22 April 1922 – 28 June 1944[1]) was a Welsh poet [2]noted for his poetry during the Second World War. He was killed in action during the invasion of Normandy at the start of Operation Epsom in June 1944.
Poetry
Geraint wrote verse almost daily[3]. It was, he thought, like keeping a diary. He wrote them more because he felt he ought to. He wished to show the war exactly as though he were painting a landscape or a portrait. He wanted people to find in his poetry what it had been like to be a soldier at war. Most of Geraint's poems reflected a period rather than a talent and that's what makes them so special.
Without doubt, the writings of Geraint were never a 'Protest' against war. Instead, like others, he had a strong sense of some remnant to the binding powers of a frontier tradition.
Early life
Geraint was born Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, the son of First World War veteran William Emlyn David Jones[4] and Mary Ceinwen Jones. His father worked as an agricultural organiser and specialised in the cultivation of potatoes, of which he would receive an MBE for in later life. Geraint was educated at Haverfordwest Grammar School where he excelled as a keen cross country runner. Later he attended Cheltenham college in the late 1930s. In 1941 Geraint read law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge but was unable to finish his studies and sit his final exams before he was called up for service in the British Army.[5]
Military service
In 1942 Geraint left his studies to answer the call to service. He commissioned into the Royal Armoured Corps as a Lieutenant before transferring to the 3rd Monmouthshire regiment in late 1942. The 3rd Monmouthshire regiment was at this point part of The 159th Infantry brigade, 11th Armoured Division. In February 1944 Geraint took up the position of Liaison Officer to the Headquarters of the 159th Infantry brigade. On June 15th 1944 Geraint landed in Normandy, France to take part in the invasion of northwestern France. His first taste of combat would come in late June at the start of Operation Epsom.[6]
Death
On June 28th 1944 Geraint was operating out of the village of Mondrainville, southwest of the city of Caen. 159th Brigade tactical HQ had been established in an orchard alongside the Église Saint Denis. Sometime on June 28th he had left Mondrainville in his Daimler armored car to make contact with elements of the 3rd Monmouthshires in the vicinity of Mouen and Tourmauville. He was struck by a snipers bullet fired from a large wooded area to the south of the main Caen road, he later died of his wounds. He was buried in St Manvieu and today rests in Saint-Manvieu War Cemetery (VII. G. 13.)[7]
Bibliography
- For your tomorrow : an anthology of poetry written by young men from English public schools who fell in the world war 1939-1945 - R.W. Moore 1950[8]
References
- ↑ "Fallen Heroes of Normandy | Detail". www.fallenheroesofnormandy.org. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "Four Pieces review". www.editiondb.com. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "Four Pieces review". www.editiondb.com. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "Ancestry - Sign Up". www.ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "Pembrokeshire WW2 Heroes". www.wwwmp.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "Pembrokeshire WW2 Heroes". www.wwwmp.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "Lt D R Geraint Jones, 3rd Mons, KIA 28 Jun 44". Army Rumour Service. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ↑ "For your tomorrow : an anthology of poetry written by young men from English public schools who fell in the world war 1939-1945". The Morgan Library & Museum. 2017-07-25. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
External links
- Poems - David Rhys Geraint Jones - Google Books
- David Rhys - Ancestry.com
- Four Pieces review
- D. R. Geraint Jones, ‘Let Me Not See Old Age’
- Let Me Not See Old Age ~ David Rhys Geraint Jones
- 247467 Lt. David Rhys Geraint Jones, 3rd Mon | WW2Talk
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