Frederick ‘Fred’ Robert Jones was born in Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, Wales, in 1885, the son of Peter and Margaret Jones (née Roberts). The family home was at 52. Portland Street, Aberystwyth. His father owned an enamel slate manufacturing business, and was also a local Justice of the Peace. Fred was one of eight children – two boys and six girls; however, his brother who was the eldest in the family, had died in 1884, the year before his birth.
Fred Jones was a qualified engineer; having served his apprenticeship at Green’s Foundry in Aberystwyth, after which he took up a position in Metcalf’s engineering works in Manchester, before joining The Great Western Railway Company in Swindon, Wiltshire.
In March 1912, seeking better career opportunities, he left his native town and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Canada to commence construction work for the Canadian Northern and Canadian Pacific Railway Companies. Two years later, he was able to take a three month holiday back home, after which he returned to Canada and settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he found employment in land surveying and engineering for a Winnipeg firm.
However, by the spring of 1915, realising that the Great War was not going to end quickly, he and a friend and fellow expatriate engineer, Christopher Griffiths, decided to return home to offer their services in the armaments industry, to aid the war effort.
Thus they took the fateful step of booking second cabin passage on the Lusitania
from New York to Liverpool and at the end of April 1915, they left Winnipeg by rail and travelled to New York in time to board the liner for her last ever exit from the port, which was scheduled to leave at 10.00 a.m. on the morning of 1st May 1915.
This was then postponed until the early afternoon whilst the liner took on board passengers, cargo and some crew from the Anchor Liner
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned as a troop ship.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed by the German submarine
U-20, twelve miles off The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland and sank only eighteen minutes later. At that stage of her voyage, she was a mere twelve or fourteen hours away from the safety of her home port.
As reported in the South Wales newspaper The Western Mail
for Monday 10th May 1915: -
On Sunday morning, Mr. Peter Jones received a telegram from the Cunard Company stating his son was one of those on the Lusitania, and that his name did not appear in the list of survivors.
It is now feared that he is amongst those who have perished.
Unfortunately the contents of the telegram were all too true and as no trace of his body was ever found afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 30 years. Christopher Griffiths managed to survive, however and eventually made it back to his Newport home.
In an Aberystwyth newspaper article written not long after Fred Jones’ death, it was stated that: -
The news of his death caused a shock throughout the town, where he was universally beloved. His genial sunny disposition had endeared him to all who knew him, and his manly conduct and unrighteousness had won for him the respect and trust of his friends.
The deepest sympathy is felt for Mr. Peter Jones and all the members of the family in their deep sorrow by friends from far and near.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, Aberystwyth War Book Vol. II, Manchester Guardian. Western Mail, PRO BT 100/345, Graham Maddocks, Clive Hughes, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.