Herbert Jones, VC, OBE, also known as Colonel H. or H. Jones, (May 14, 1940 - May 28, 1982) was a British solider who served in the Falklands War. He was killed while single-handedly assaulting an enemy position during the Battle of Goose Green, but his sacrifice is credited with turning the tide of the battle in favour of the British.
Biography[]
Jones was born in London in 1940 to a wealthy American artist (also called Herbert) and his Welsh wife Olwen, a nurse. He was the eldest of three brothers, all three of whom were educated at Tower House private school. When Jones was eight years old, he was sent to a school in Sussex where he excelled academically. This allowed Jones to attend Eton College, one of the most prestigious schools in England, in 1953.
Jones's father died in 1957. The next year Jones, having finished his formal education, passed the British Army entrance exam and began attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He graduated from Sandhurst on 23 July 1960 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Devon and Dorset infantry regiment. Jones was later promoted to lieutenant in 1962. In 1964 he married a woman named Sara, and they had two children together. He was later promoted to captain in 1966, and major in 1972.
At the time of his promotion to major, Jones was stationed in Northern Ireland. He was a good friend of controversial officer Robert Nairac, and Nairac would often visit the Jones house for supper. Following Nairac's disappearance in 1977, Jones was heavily involved in the four-day investigation that eventually concluded Nairac had been kidnapped and murdered by Republican terrorists. Four people were eventually imprisoned for Nairac's murder. For his service in Ireland, Jones was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in December 1977. He was later promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1979 and transferred to the Parachute Regiment.
In 1981, Jones was included in the New Year Honours , which appointed him an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). The next year in May 1982, the Falkland Islands, a British territory, were invaded and occupied by the military dictatorship that controlled Argentina. Jones was in France when war broke out, but returned to the UK and was deployed to fight in the Falklands.
On May 28, the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment, commanded by Jones, was deployed to assault entrenched Argentine positions at Goose Green, which was within striking distance of British forces. Shortly before the assault, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported on the imminent attack, angering Jones who believed the Argentines would be tipped off.
When battle commenced, Jones led the 2nd Battalion in an offensive against the invaders. During the battle, the 2nd Battalion was pinned down by heavy fire from "a particularly well-prepared and resilient enemy position of at least eleven trenches" and several men were killed. Knowing that if they could not neutralise the enemy position then the attack could fail, Jones took a reconnaissance party closer to the enemy and fired on them with mortars. Despite this attempt, the Argentines continued to hold up the advance, which had by now been delayed for over an hour and was in danger of being stopped completely.
Jones decided that desperate measures were needed to overcome the Argentines and continue the attack. He grabbed a machine gun and personally charged towards the enemy position. He was under heavy fire and tripped partway up the slope, but continued charging. Jones managed to get within a few feet of the enemy before being shot and killed. Despite his death, his actions demoralised the Argentine soldiers, who surrendered shortly afterwards. Command of the 2nd Battalion passed to Major Chris Keeble, who was able to win the battle and liberate Darwin and Goose Green. This resulted in 1,200 Argentines being captured and the release of hundreds of civilians who had been imprisoned by the occupiers.
Jones was initially buried where he had fallen, but was later re-interred at Blue Beach War Cemetery. For his actions during the battle he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery in the British Armed Forces, while Major Keeble received the lesser decoration of the Distinguished Service Order.
Trivia[]
- The identity of the Argentine soldier who shot Jones has been given as either Corporal José Luis Ríos, who was killed five minutes after Jones, or Corporal Osvaldo Olmos.
- His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, London.
- Military theorist Spencer Fitz-Gibbon suggested that Jones actually did more harm than good for the 2nd Battalion at Goose Green, losing sight of the overall battle picture and failing to allow his sub-unit commanders to exercise mission command