George Cross : Private R Jones, 22 Garrison Battalion

George Cross. Engraved reverse with recipient's details.

Ralph Jones was born at Gorleston, England on 26 September 1900 and emigrated to Australia in the 1920s. He was employed as a labourer when he enlisted at Goulburn, NSW, on 24 February 1942 as private N244527. He was posted to the 22nd Garrison Battalion stationed at the prisoner of war camp near Cowra, NSW.

At around 2am on the morning of 5 August, the Japanese internees of the camp staged a mass breakout and swarmed toward the Vickers Machine gun operated by Jones and Private Ben Hardy. Both men refused to retreat and manned their gun until overwhelmed by the prisoners and killed. For their conduct, both men were awarded posthumous George Crosses. The citation for Jones’s award reads:

'On the night of the 4th-5th August, 1944, [Private Ralph JONES] was on duty at the No. 12 Prisoner-of-War Camp, Cowra, as a member of a Vickers M.G. [Machine Gun] Crew, guarding the Compound in which were interned the Japanese Prisoners-of-War.

There were over 1,100 Japanese prisoners in the Compound at the time, and they staged a mass outbreak never before witnessed in the history of the British Empire.

Private JONES displayed outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty in his fight to death against an overwhelming onslaught of fanatical Japanese who stormed out over the perimeter armed with knives, baseball clubs and other weapons and bore down on the M.G. crew. Private JONES stood his ground and continued to work his gun until bashed to death by the Japanese who were worked up to a state of frenzy with the objective of either wiping out the Garrison or getting wiped out themselves.

This soldier met his death in the true British spirit of sacrifice for his country.'

The award of his George Cross was not announced until September 1950. It was accepted by his brother Walter, on behalf of his mother, from King George VI at Buckingham Palace on 14 February 1951.

Jones's George Cross is accompanied by service medals for the Second World War.