Reginald Jones
Died 15 Oct 1942
- Service number
- WWII 62285 AWMM
- WWII 64485 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Private AWMM New Zealand Infantry, 8 Brigade Group, Signals Corps, New Zealand Coastwatchers AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Reginald AWMM
- Surname
- Jones AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWII 62285 AWMM
- WWII 64485 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
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- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- WW2 14 Turakina Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW2 Mr L. Jones (brother), 14 Turakina Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Pacific Theatre of War AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 62285 AWMM
- WWII 64485 AWMM
- Military service
- Coastwatcher AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW2 Joiner/Military AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Private AWMM 30 Infantry Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed or died while a Prisoner of War, Cause of Death AWMM
Executed by Japanese AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Private AWMM
New Zealand Infantry, 8 Brigade Group, Signals Corps, New Zealand Coastwatchers AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Alfred Jones and of Mary Jones (nee McMahon), of Auckland City, New Zealand.
Letter to Miss C. Jones, 31 Harewood St., Hamilton; Reginald's sister.
C/o The Secretariat, Ocean Island, Nov. 2nd 1941.
Dear Clara,
Yours of the 21.7.41 to hand. It took quite a while to catch me up as the day on which it was written I moved on a bit further from home.
From that date on I was more or less travelling around the Pacific ocean. I thoroughly enjoyed it all, and finally almost a month to the day after sailing I arrived at my new location. I am on an island with two other N.Z. chaps and ours is a coast watching job. Of course I am unable to tell you just where it is, but at least I may give you some of my impressions.
We anchored outside the coral reef about midday. There was just a nice swell on the seas which is very deep quite close to the reef. Immediately the ship's crew began unloading our stores into open boats which when full were towed ashore with us sitting atop. We came through about a mile of the open sea, to an entrance into a kind of lagoon. We could see the sea bed fully thirty feet down, the water was so clear. Another remarkable thing is the colour of the sea which varies in patches from a deep purple in the deepest parts to the palest blues and greens according to the depth and the nature of the sea-bed. On arriving at the shore we were met by the native population of the island. They number between two and three hundred and for the most part clothed only in grass skirts, the men nearly all carrying huge knives about eighteen inches to two feet long. Gawd's truth thought I, where the heck have I landed.
The natives carried our stores up to the house we were to occupy and clustered around while we were busy unpacking and checking up. I thought them an infernal nuisance as when I wished to go from one part of the house I generally had to rush between half a dozen brown smelly bodies. Finally we got some sort of order out of the chaos and were able to get rid of the natives and get to bed about eleven o'clock. Next morning on waking up at 6.30 there they were again. This went on for weeks gradually diminishing in numbers until we had half a dozen or so about the place all the time. Finally I appealed to the native government which took immediate steps and now we have comparative privacy.
There are only three or four who speak english so consequently we have had quite a bit of fun trying to convey out conversation to them. They are treating us very well with fish and occasionally pork and poultry. We usually give something in return. They put an enormous value on tobacco but unfortunately we did not come prepared for that.
We came prepared to do all our own cooking and work, but could have a dozen servants if we wanted them. As it is we have two men who do most if the work under my supervision and they look after us like mothers.
There are tons of good fish here and rather good swimming facilities of which we avail ourselves to the fullest extent.
The climate is rather warm at times but now and again we get some decent breezes and as we live on the prevailing wind side of the island we receive the full benefit of them.
This island itself is not very big. We have been right around it several time. There is a kind of road extending almost the full length, but apart from a few bicycles the [sic] are no vehicles of any kind. The island is perfectly flat and for the most part is covered with coconut trees and a few other trees of not much value.
All the houses are built of thatch and do not have walls to them, but ours has walls constructed of sticks tied together. We have two rooms and there is a verandah running right around. Altogether we are quite comfortable and are doing well. We also have our washing done for us and it is brought back ironed and nicely finished, so you see we are not badly done by.
Well Clara I must close now as I have a lot more to write and not much time to catch the next mail out. Glad you are keeping busy and you seem very comfortable in your flat. Cheerio. Love from Reg.
Service number 64485 listed on the Nominal Roll AWMM
About death
- Death
- 15 Oct 1942 AWMM
Age 42 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed or died while a Prisoner of War AWMM
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Bourail Memorial, Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery, New Caledonia AWMM
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
- Betio Memorial, Tarawa, Kiribati AWMM
- Hamilton Memorial Park, Memorial Drive, Hamilton East 3216 AWMM
- Tarawa Coastwatchers Memorial AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Gillespie, O. (1952). The Pacific. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Paci.html
Sources Used - Hall, D.O.W. (1950). Coastwatchers. In New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939-1945 : episodes & studies Vol. 2. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2Epi-t1-g1-t7.html
Sources Used - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2187272
Sources Used - Warren, Geraldine and Pine, Madison. Our Coastwatchers. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 21 April 2020
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/coastwatchers
Further Reference
- Gillespie, O. (1952). The Pacific. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy
- References
- Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 4 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1941 to 30 June, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 4: WW2 184 - The New Zealand Herald
"Tarawa Outrage, Massacre by Japanese", 23 Oct 1944 (copy of article in ACF27569) - Information kindly provided by family
- Personnel - Medals and decorations - Awards to Pacific Coast watchers (1942-1946), Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R21465310)
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