Edward Gordon Jones
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Air Marshal Sir Edward ("Tap") Gordon Jones KCB, CBE, DSO, DFC (31 August 1914 - 20 February 2007) was an officer in the Royal Air Force for 34 years, from 1935 to 1969. He commanded a squadron of obsolescent biplane Gladiator fighters in Greece in the Second World War, where he shot down five modern Italian fighters. He served in mainly operational posts in Europe until he retired in 1969. Unusually, he never served a post in the Air Ministry or the UK Ministry of Defence.
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[edit] Early life
Jones was born in Widnes, the third of four sons of Lt.Col. Dr Albert Jones DSO, MC. His father was the borough medical officer. Jones spent time in India as a child, where his brothers nicknamed him "Doolally Tap" (meaning "slightly mad"). He retained the nickname "Tap" for the rest of his life.
After grammar school, he studied medicine at Liverpool University, where he met his future wife. His three brothers all became doctors, like their father, but Jones soon switched to veterinary science. He was a keen sportsman, representing Liverpool University and Lancashire at rugby. He also enjoyed shooting and the outdoor life, but he showed little interest in his studies, and joined the RAF in 1935. He trained as a pilot at Netheravon and joined "B" Flight of No. 17 Squadron in Kenley, flying Gauntlet fighters. His flight was detached to form No. 80 Squadron in March 1937, which flew the Gladiator, the RAF's last biplane fighter. As a Pilot Officer, he was its adjutant from May 1937. He also played rugby for the RAF
He married Margery Thurston Hatfield in 1938. Promoted to Flying Officer, his squadron deployed to Egypt in April 1938. He became commander of "A" Flight of No. 80 Squadron in March 1940, while he was based in Amriya in Egypt.
[edit] Second World War
Italy declared war on 10 June 1940, and he took charge of a flight armed with modern Hurricane fighters. He took charge of a flight of Gladiator when it moved to Trikala in central Greece in November 1940. He was in action within days, engaging a formation of more modern Fiat CR.42 fighters, also biplanes, of the Italian Regia Aeronautica to the north of Yanina. He shot down one on 27 November, then two more the next day over Delvinakion, but was injured in the dogfight and spent a month recovering from a bullet wound in his neck. He returned to duty on 21 December, and took command of No. 80 Squadron on 27 December, after its commander, Squadron Leader Bill Hickey, was killed in action.
Jones shot down two further Fiats on 28 February 1941, and was awarded an immediate DFC. He was also awarded a DFC by the Greek government.
After leave in Egypt, Jones returned to No. 80 Squadron. It had been re-equipped with modern Hurricane fighters shortly before Germany invaded Greece on 6 April 1941. His battered squadron withdrew to Crete, then back to Egypt. Finally, it moved to Aqir in Palestine to regroup, where it fought against the Vichy French in Syria. He left No. 80 Squadron in 1942, and was awarded the DSO.
He spent a year with the Rhodesian Air Training Group, then took command of the RAF fighter base at Hawkinge in Kent. He was promoted to group captain in July 1943, and joined the staff preparing tactical fighter operations for D-Day. His group, No. 83 Group, transferred to France shortly after D-Day, and moved eastwards with the front line. He was appointed OBE in December 1944, when he returned to operational duties, taking command of No. 121 Wing with its four squadrons of Typhoon fighters, based at Vokel in the Netherlands.
[edit] Post-war career
Jones had a succession of mainly operational appointments in Europe after the War. Unusually, he never served a post in the Air Ministry or the Ministry of Defence.
He served at the School of Land/Air Warfare, and then commanded a jet flying school. He was appointed CBE in 1956. He served at the Headquarters of the Second Tactical Air Force and with the Air Task Force during the Suez Crisis. He took command of RAF Wyton in 1957, the home base of the RAF's strategic reconnaissance forces.
He was promoted to Air Commodore in January 1959, and took command of the Central Reconnaissance Establishment. He was appointed CB in 1960. He commanded RAF forces in Germany from 1961 to 1963, then spent two years as Senior RAF Officer at the Imperial Defence College. He took command of air forces in Malta, and was Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Air) of Allied Forces in the Mediterranean.
He was promoted to Air Marshal in November 1966, and took up the position as commander of Near East Air Forces and Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. He was appointed KCB in 1967, and was commander of British Forces, Near East from 1967 to 1969. He retired from the RAF in August 1969.
[edit] Later life
He continued to enjoy sport in his retirement. His wife died in 2002. He was survived by their two sons.
