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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

A true 'Old Sweat'


Gunner 87

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I saw this photograph and accompanying information online and thought it may interest some.

Sergeant Evan Jones, pictured below, was a veteran of Rorke's Drift and served on through the Great War having the honour of being an 'Old Contemptible'.

Born Patrick Cosgrove in 1859 at Bedwellty, Wales, he joined up at eighteen using the name Evan Jones. 

On the 22nd January 1879 Jones was with 'B' Company, the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot at Rorke's Drift. Like many of his comrades on that day Jones remained in the British Army serving in India and fighting though the campaign against Burmese rebels between 1887 until 1889. By the outbreak of the Great War, Jones was serving with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 

Jones left the 'Colours' a Sergeant In 1920, and spent his last years with his wife Alice and four adopted children, passing away in 1931.

Sergeant Evan Jones.png

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Did he get any medals in ww1 or serve at home ?

Edited by Coldstreamer
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anyone confirm the 3rd medal ?

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1 hour ago, Coldstreamer said:

 

 

Did he get any medals in ww1 or serve at home ?

hi Coldstreamer, my understanding is that if he was an 'Old Contemptible' he would have been at the retreat from Mons and as such earned the 14 Star or at least the 14/15 Star. There has been quite a lot of interest in him online recently and I found the following........'Among his many campaign medals were the British War Medal, British Victory Medal, South Africa Medal (1877-8-9), India General Service Medal 1854, Burma 1887-89, and a Territorial Efficiency Medal'...... I'm far from an expert on medals but understand he would not have been awarded his WW1 medals yet when this picture was taken in 1918. 

 

Looking into Evan Jones may take some time as it appears he was also in the Monmouth Militia in 1874 making him 15/16 and South Wales Borderers. So he served in at least four regiments. I have found his attestation in 1877 and 1900 on Fold3.

Edited by Gunner 87
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He’s quite a well known character.  He did not serve overseas during WW1, but participated in the recruiting effort all around Wales.  In the photo he had just been drumming (hence the white drum suspension) whilst ‘beating-up’ for recruits (as per the very ancient tradition of raising troops by beat of drum).

Edited by FROGSMILE
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4 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

He’s quite a well known character.  He did not serve overseas during WW1, but participated in the recruiting effort all around Wales.  In the photo he had just been drumming (hence the white drum suspension) whilst ‘beating-up’ for recruits (as per the very ancient tradition of raising troops by beat of drum).

 

3 hours ago, T8HANTS said:

Lets add a little colour to him, done by Tom Marshall and put on FB.

Evan Jones.jpg

 

 

Thank you Frogsmile, I couldn't find his Medal Index Card when I looked.... Happy New Year to you, appreciate your advice.

 

T8HANTS, that is a great image, appreciated.

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Glad to help.

 

That’s an excellent job with the colourising.

 

Happy New Year to you both.

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1 hour ago, Gunner 87 said:

I couldn't find his Medal Index Card when I looked

There appears to have been only one Welshman ever to be born Patrick Cosgrove.

(In North Wales in 1934!)

And the Bedwellty registration district didn't come into being until 1861.

Previously, Bedwellty was part of the Abergavenny District, and it has to be said, there were several Cosgraves born here around that time.

But not in 1859, and no Patrick.

Likewise, he isn't easy to find in any early Monmouthshire  censuses, not 1861 or 1871.

I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation to his early invisibility.

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There was a huge Facebook thread about the photo in the last few weeks. Probably other mentions there and elsewhere I'm sure. 

 

He didn't stop in 1920 though as on 29 6 1920 he joined RWF TA (as 4178747).Discharged 28 6 1924.

I attach a write up that was put on the thread I saw.

131692722_4078657695497210_3117642886517043735_o.jpg

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Contradictory evidence then about ww1 medals but what I've read on here seems to point to none being awarded.

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3 hours ago, Hywyn said:

There was a huge Facebook thread about the photo in the last few weeks. Probably other mentions there and elsewhere I'm sure. 

 

He didn't stop in 1920 though as on 29 6 1920 he joined RWF TA (as 4178747).Discharged 28 6 1924.

I attach a write up that was put on the thread I saw.

131692722_4078657695497210_3117642886517043735_o.jpg

 

Thank you Hywyn, that seems pretty well researched. Interesting about France and Belgium claim although that would not have entitled him to either the VM or BWM as I had originally posted. Theft as well!! 

Edited by Gunner 87
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14 minutes ago, Gunner 87 said:

 

Thank you Hywyn, that seems pretty well researched. 

Not my research I hasten to say (apart from the post 1920 bit). It was posted on the thread I saw.

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It’s pretty clear that for the final years of his service he seems to have been enlisted more in the form of a human mascot given that he was well past the age for effective military service.  Such men were often used as totems for recruitment efforts and treated as rascally heroes.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

Such men were often used as totems for recruitment efforts and treated as rascally heroes.

Yes, though I don`t think this particular look is going to attract the waverers! (It`s a "`Ere, you, come `ere" look!

lkub.JPG

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10 minutes ago, PhilB said:

Yes, though I don`t think this particular look is going to attract the waverers! (It`s a "`Ere, you, come `ere" look!


Yes, he’s got what we used to call a ‘battalion boxer’s nose”, Phil.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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