Jones, James Ira Thomas 'Taffy'

Jones enlisted with the Army in 1913. With the outbreak of war the following year, he transferred to the RFC, where he joined No. 10 Squadron as an Air Mechanic. In July 1915, he was posted to France, and in January 1916, he began flying as an Observer on combat missions. The following year, in May 1917, Jones returned to England for pilot training. In August 1917, he received his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate. In early 1918, Jones was posted to No. 74 Squadron. Despite his unfortunate habit of crashing aircraft when attempting to land, Jones became a hugely successful fighter pilot, achieving 37 victories in just three months in the SE5. Throughout his service career, Jones had a reputation for crashing his aircraft when attempting to land, reportedly surviving (relatively unscathed) some 28 flying accidents of varying severity.