Sergeant Ronald Sydney Jones

Ronald Jones was born in Romford, Essex and on 23 May 1939 he joined the Roayal Air Force, well before the outbreak of war. His enlistment was for 6 years.

14 July 1939        909 Balloon Squadron u/t balloon handler.

14 March 1940     952 Squadron Balloon Squadron.

He then volunteered for aircrew and was selected to train as an air gunner.

26 June 1941        No. 8 Air Gunnery School

6 August 1941       25 Operational Training Unit

685045 Sergeant R S Jones 61 Squadron

Posted in from 25 Operational Training Unit 16 December 1941

14/15 January 1942         F/Lt Page             Pilot               Attack on Hamburg Docks

Manchester                      P/O Atkinson       2^nd Pilot         Returned early with engine

R5785                              P/O Burt             Navigator       problems

                                       Sgt Turner          1^st W/Op                             

                                       Sgt Dann            2^nd W/Op

                                       Sgt Jones          2^nd A.G.

                                       Sgt McLean         1^st A.G.                                

25 January 1942                F/Lt Page          Pilot           Attack on battle cruisers at Brest

Manchester                       P/O Atkinson     2^nd Pilot     F/Lt Page circled the target for 40

L7497                               P/O Burt           Navigator   Minutes at 17000ft before dropping

                                        Sgt Jones         1^st W/Op    his bombs at 15000ft in intense

                                        Sgt Turner        2^nd W/Op    accurate flak opposition, his rear

                                        Sgt Dann         1^st A.G.     gunner being slightly wounded

       Sgt Jones      2^nd A.G.  during the run up and his tail turret

                                                                                Put u/s

31 January 1942                F/Lt Page           Pilot         Attack on battle cruisers at Brest

Manchester                        P/O Atkinson     2^nd Pilot    F/Lt Page sent out an SOS and was

L7396                               P/O Burt            Navigator  finally fixed 50 miles south of

                                        Sgt Turner         1^st W/Op   Plymouth. Two destroyers

                                        Sgt Dann           2^nd W/Op  despatched from channel convoy

                                        Sgt Evans          1^st A.G.     attempted to locate the crew in vain

                                        Sgt Jones         2^nd A.G.   And the search was given up the

                                        S/Ldr Burrough H.Q. 5 Group                     following morning.

Manchester L7396 took off from RAF North Luffenham at 18.50 hrs to attack the battle cruisers at Brest. Squadron Leader Burroughs was on board from 5 Groupo as an observer.

All the crew are remebered on the runnymede memorial.

Full details of him and the crew can be found in the losses database of the International Bomber Command Centre, Jones R - International Bomber Command Centre (internationalbcc.co.uk)