Lance Corporal 49094 William Arthur Jones of the 101st Field Company, Royal Engineers was the son of William, a wood turner and wife Ann and was born 1880 at Birmingham, where he was baptised on October the 17th at Ladywood, Birmingham by G S Walker. His parental address was St Mark’s Street, Ladywood, Birmingham. William became a Police Constable in Swansea.

The 1911 census records him and wife Elizabeth Laura living at 6, Rutland Street, Swansea. Elizabeth, aged 28, was born at Haverfordwest. The couple have been married for two years and have one child, Florence, Ena, aged 16 months.

When war broke out, William enlisted into the Royal Engineers and was posted to No.2 Section, 101st Field Company, billeted at Sellindge. He died as the result of a training accident on the 7th of May 1915, and was buried at Sellindge on the 11th.

His death and consequent inquest was reported with great detail in The Folkestone Express, Sandgate, Shorncliffe & Hythe Advertiser for the 15th of May 1915, under the title

"Royal Engineer Killed – bridge gave way"

The paper reports that "on Monday, the East Kent Coroner, Mr Rutley Mowll held an inquest at The Swan Inn, Sellindge, into the death of William through falling off of a temporary bridge. Arthur, it was noted, was a married man with five young children. The principal witness was 2nd Lieutenant Dugald Baird, Royal Engineers , who was in command of No.2 Section 101st Field Company, billeted at Sellindge."

"At about 3pm on the 3rd of May, the section had completed a bridge over the sandpit in Swan Lane, Stanford. The bridge, made of rope and timber, should have been capable of holding the weight of eighty men and when complete, 2nd Lieutenant Baird ordered the section of 42 men to stand on it, as was usual practice. However, an anchor gave way and the bridge collapsed with most of the men still on it. William suffered concussion and was taken back to his billet, where a doctor was called. William’s condition improved slightly and he regained consciousness through Tuesday and Wednesday. However, on Thursday his temperature rose rapidly and at 2pm a second haemorrhage occurred from which William could not recover and died about Midday on Friday the 7th."

The Coroner gave a verdict of accidental death.

The Western Mail 18 May 1915 in an article related to Police matters in Swansea briefly mentions that

“The death of Private W A Jones from injuries sustained at Surringe (sic), Kent , whilst with the Royal Engineers being reported, the Chief Constable was asked to report on the question of his pension”.