Benjamin James Sainsbury Jones – Royal Garrison Artillery, 494th Siege Battery

Gunner Benjamin James Sainsbury Jones – Royal Garrison Artillery, 494^th Siege Battery

Family Background

Benjamin James Sainsbury Jones

John Jones and Matilda Sainsbury
marriage certificate
All Saint's Church, Oystermouth

Benjamin James Sainsbury Jones was born in 1881 in Oystermouth, the son of John Jones and Matilda Sainsbury, who were married in 1872 at All Saints Church, Oystermouth.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, the Jones family were living at Castleton House, Oystermouth.
John (45) worked as a Baker, and his wife Matilda (45), originally from Wiltshire, managed the home. Their children present were Robert (18) and William (15), both working as Bakers; Eunice (12); Benjamin (10); Gladys (6); and Keith (4). Also residing with them was their niece, Fanny Newcombe (18), born in Bristol.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family remained at Castleton House.
John (56) continued working as a Baker on his own account, and Matilda (57) managed the household. Their children at home were Robert (29) and William (25), both Bakers; Emeil (22); Benjamin (18), now a Carpenter; Gladys (16); and Kenneth (14).

1911 Census

The 1911 Census again records the family at Castleton House, Oystermouth.
John (68) was listed as a Baker & Confectioner, while Matilda (67) kept the home. Their children present were Ben (28), a Carpenter; Kenneth (24), a Mason; and Gladys Mary (26), who assisted in the family business. Also present were a granddaughter, Ethel (6), recorded as an Assistant, and Beatrice James (25) of Somerset, who also assisted in the business.

Military Service and Death

Benjamin Jones served as a Gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery, 494^th Siege Battery, a unit equipped with heavy guns designed to destroy fortified positions, enemy artillery, and strategic targets far behind the lines.

Gunner Benjamin Jones died on 12^th December 1918, a month after the Armistice.
By this time, the 494th Siege Battery—like many artillery units—was no longer engaged in combat but was instead involved in the immense task of post-war demobilisation. This included standing down their guns, recovering equipment, clearing ammunition, and supporting the Lines of Communication as the British Army began withdrawing its forces from France.

Benjamin James Sainsbury Jones
St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France
credit - findagrave

December 1918 was also a period marked by widespread illness, most notably the Influenza Pandemic (“Spanish Flu”), which caused heavy casualties among troops still overseas. The burial of Benjamin at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, a major cemetery serving the vast hospitals in the Rouen area, indicates that he died in hospital, likely from illness, complications from earlier wounds, or infection during this final phase of military service. Many soldiers who had survived the fighting tragically died during this period before they could be repatriated.