War Letters of a Public-School BoyJones, Henry Paul Mainwaring
History
War Letters of a Public-School Boy
Jones, Henry Paul Mainwaring
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British
personal touch with the Boches. I told Major Haslam that whenever Paul
would be in battle it would be a case of the V.C. or death; for him
there could be no medium course. On the morning of 31st July, when he
was thrilling at the prospect of the coming attack, I said to him
before we set out: 'Now, don't be too rash; remember that the lives of
your crew are in your keeping.' Unfortunately he was killed quite
early in the fight by a sniper's bullet. His death cast a gloom over
the whole company. In our own mess we shall miss him dreadfully."
On New Year's Day, 1918, Gunner Phillips, of "C" Battalion, Tank
Corps, called at our house in London, and told us a great deal about
Paul from the standpoint of the men in the battalion. Mr. Phillips, a
young craftsman of high intelligence, spoke with intense affection of
our son, whom he knew almost from the first day Paul joined the Tanks.
He said: "Lieutenant Paul Jones was sociable and most considerate. He
was a grand officer and treated his men like brothers. He would never
ask the men to do what he would not do himself. The result was that we
would all have done anything for him. There are a few rough chaps in
our battalion--men who know the guard-room--but even these yielded
gladly to his influence, and liked him very much. No officer in the
battalion was so loved and respected by the men. One day last summer,
when a number of Tanks had assembled in a wood, our whereabouts were
discovered by the Germans, who at daybreak simply peppered the place
with shells. The order was given to go to the dug-outs. Lieut. Jones,
aroused from sleep, came out half-dressed, but he was as cool as if he
was on parade, and insisted on every man going into the dug-outs
before he himself would take shelter. His merry spirits made him a
great favourite with us all. My own relations with him were
particularly cordial, because I was a Welshman and an athlete."
It was comforting to have these accounts at first-hand of our son's
unalloyed happiness in the last seven months of his life. Countless
brave men, gifted and simple, eminent and obscure, have sacrificed
their lives in this War, none with more complete self-surrender than
Paul Jones. In War as in Peace, he bore himself like Wordsworth's
"Happy Warrior."
Whose powers shed round him in the common strife,
Or mild concerns of ordinary life,
A constant influence, a peculiar grace;
But who, if he be called upon to face
Some awful moment to which Heaven has joined
Great issues, good or bad for humankind,
Is happy as a Lover; and attired
With sudden brightness, like a man inspired.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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