Falklands War H. Jones

memorial h. jones, outside darwin settlement, marking spot killed.

during falklands war in command of 2nd battalion parachute regiment (2 para). during battle of goose green, attack against entrenched argentinian positions, unit pinned down heavy fire mag machine guns , fal automatic rifles, led charge against nearest position. killed while doing argentinian unit surrendered shortly afterwards. actions posthumously awarded victoria cross.

command of 2 para passed major chris keeble, , jones buried @ ajax bay on 30 may. after war body exhumed , buried @ blue beach war cemetery in san carlos on 25 october.

ex-ta para officer , military theorist spencer fitz-gibbon wrote in 1995 despite undoubted courage h. did more hinder 2 para, losing sight of overall battle picture , failing allow sub-unit commanders exercise mission command, before fatal attempt lead company forward position had become bogged down.

margaret thatcher said life lost, death turning point in battle. battle demonstrated uk s increasingly unquestionable military superiority, quelling concerns possible defeat, , lead release of 112 civilians had been imprisoned in local community hall best part of month.

vc citation

on 28th may 1982 lieutenant colonel jones commanding 2nd battalion parachute regiment on operations on falkland islands. battalion ordered attack enemy positions in , around settlements of darwin , goose green. during attack against enemy dug in mutually supporting positions sited in depth, battalion held south of darwin particularly well-prepared , resilient enemy position of @ least eleven trenches on important ridge. number of casualties received. in order read battle , ensure momentum of attack not lost, colonel jones took forward reconnaissance party foot of re-entrant section of battalion had secured. despite persistent, heavy , accurate fire reconnaissance party gained top of re-entrant, @ approximately same height enemy positions. here colonel jones encouraged direction of battalion mortar fire, in effort neutralise enemy positions. however, these had been prepared , continued pour effective fire onto battalion advance, which, held on hour , under increasingly heavy artillery fire, in danger of faltering. in effort gain viewpoint, colonel jones @ front of battalion. clear him desperate measures needed in order overcome enemy position , rekindle attack, , unless these measures taken promptly battalion sustain increasing casualties , attack perhaps fail. time personal leadership , action. colonel jones seized sub-machine gun, and, calling on around him , total disregard own safety, charged nearest enemy position. action exposed him fire number of trenches. charged short slope @ enemy position seen fall , roll backward downhill. picked himself up, , again charged enemy trench, firing sub-machine gun , seemingly oblivious intense fire directed @ him. hit fire trench outflanked, , fell dying few feet enemy had assaulted. short time later company of battalion attacked enemy, surrendered. display of courage colonel jones had undermined fight further.

thereafter momentum of attack rapidly regained, darwin , goose green liberated, , battalion released local inhabitants unharmed , forced surrender of 1,200 of enemy.

the achievements of 2nd battalion parachute regiment @ darwin , goose green set tone subsequent land victory on falklands. british achieved such moral superiority on enemy in first battle that, despite advantages of numbers , selection of battle-ground, argentinian troops never thereafter doubted neither superior fighting qualities of british troops, nor own inevitable defeat.

this action of utmost gallantry commanding officer dashing leadership , courage throughout battle inspiration him.

his victoria cross displayed @ national army museum in chelsea, london.

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