Air Marshal George Jones

Service number 1074
Ranks Held Acting Captain, Lieutenant, Private, Acting Air Commodore, Air Marshal, Air Vice Marshal
Birth Date 1896-11-22
Birth Place Australia: Victoria, Rushworth
Death Date 1992-08-24
Death Place Australia: Victoria, Melbourne
Final Rank Air Marshal
Service Australian Imperial Force
Units
  • Australian Flying Corps
  • No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
  • Royal Australian Air Force
Places
Conflicts/Operations
  • First World War, 1914-1918
  • Second World War, 1939-1945
Gazettes Biographical information The Oxford companion to Australian military history in 1995
Published in London Gazette in 1942-01-01
Published in London Gazette in 1953-01-01
Published in London Gazette in 1943-06-02
Published in London Gazette in 1919-04-05
Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1919-07-23
Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1943-06-03
Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1953-01-08
Description

George Jones rose from being a private in the First World War to Chief of the Air Staff in the Second World War. He was born in Rushworth, Victoria, on 22 November 1896 to a farming family. Having left school at 14, Jones became a motor mechanic. He enlisted in the AIF in 1914, sailed for Egypt in July 1915 with the 9th Light Horse Regiment, and reached Gallipoli in September.

After Gallipoli, Jones joined the Imperial Camel Corps but transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in October 1916. He arrived in France in December 1916 and applied to become a pilot, graduating on 22 November 1917. He was badly wounded in March 1918 but by the end of the war had shot down seven German aircraft, reached the rank of captain, and been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After a period in occupied Germany with No. 4 Squadron, Jones returned to Australia in June 1919.

Jones worked as a mechanic and a pilot before receiving a short service commission in the Royal Australian Air Force. For much of the next five years he was in charge of the Point Cook workshops and was responsible for air testing newly repaired aircraft. On 1 July 1923 he was promoted to flight lieutenant and was made a squadron leader. In 1926 he transferred to the Flying Training School where he was an instructor and in charge of stores. Two years later he sailed for England to attend the Royal Air Force Staff College. Jones then attended - and graduated at the top of - the flying instructor's course at the Central Flying School in Yorkshire.

He returned to Australia in October 1930 and was given command of the Flying Training Squadron at Point Cook, a job that also carried the position of Chief Flying Instructor. After two years in this position, Jones was promoted to the position of Director of Training at RAAF Headquarters. On 1 January 1936 he was promoted to wing commander and appointed Director of Personnel Services. When the Second World War began, Jones was Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. He was involved in the establishment of the Empire Air Training Scheme before gaining further promotion, to group captain. Along with this promotion came his appointment as Director of Training.

In May 1942, Jones was appointed Chief of the Air Staff and promoted to air vice marshal. At the end of the war he represented the RAAF at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. He continued to oversee RAAF operations during the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and in Malaya.

Jones retired from the RAAF in 1952 and was knighted in March 1954. Upon retiring he took up the position of Director of Coordination with the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. He retired, aged 60, in 1957 but continued to serve on the board of Ansett Transport Industries, a position he held for almost twenty years from 1951. He died in Melbourne in August 1992.

Rolls

  • Honours and Awards:

    Unit
    Royal Australian Air Force
    Conflict
    Second World War, 1939-1945
    Rank
    Air Vice Marshal
    London Gazette
    02 June 1943 on page 2420 at position 1
    Commonwealth Gazette
    03 June 1943 on page 1149 at position 1
  • First World War Embarkation Roll:

    Conflict
    First World War, 1914-1918
    Rank
    Private
  • Honours and Awards:

    Conflict
    First World War, 1914-1918
    Rank
    Acting Captain
    London Gazette
    05 April 1919 on page 4512 at position 1
    Commonwealth Gazette
    23 July 1919 on page 1169 at position 6
  • Honours and Awards (Recommendation):

    Unit
    No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
    Conflict
    First World War, 1914-1918
    Rank
    Lieutenant
  • Honours and Awards:

    Unit
    Royal Australian Air Force
    Conflict
    Second World War, 1939-1945
    Rank
    Acting Air Commodore
    London Gazette
    01 January 1942 on page 13 at position 1
  • Honours and Awards:

    Unit
    Royal Australian Air Force
    Conflict
    Period 1950-1959
    Rank
    Air Marshal
    London Gazette
    01 January 1953 on page 40 at position 13
    Commonwealth Gazette
    08 January 1953 on page 1 at position 2

Timeline

Date of birth 22 November 1896 Rushworth, VIC.
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs) 1914 Enlisted with the AIF.
Date of embarkation 1915-07 Sailed for Eygpt with the 9th Light Horse Regiment.
Date of embarkation 20 August 1915
Other 1915-09 Arrived at Gallipoli.
Other 1916-10 Transferred to Australian Flying Corps.
Other 1916-12 Arrived in France and applied to become a pilot.
Other 22 November 1917 Graduated as a pilot.
Date wounded 1918-03 Wounded.
Date of recommendation honour or award 1919
Date of honour or award 05 April 1919 Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).
Date and unit at appointment (Officers) 24 August 1921 Enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Date promoted 1923-07 Promoted to flight lieutenant and and was made a squadron leader.
Other 1926 Transferred to the Flying Training School where he was in charge of stores and an instructor.
Other 1928 Sailed for England to attend the Royal Air Force Staff College.
Date returned to Australia 1930 Appointed in command of the Flying Training Squadron at Point Cook and given the position of Chief Flying Instructor.
Other 1932 Appointed Director of Training at RAAF Headquarters.
Date promoted 01 January 1936 Promoted to wing commander and appointed Director of Personnel Services.
Date of honour or award 01 January 1942 Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Date promoted 1942-05 Appointed Chief of Air Staff and promoted to air vice marshal, later air marshal.
Date of honour or award 02 June 1943 Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Other 1952 Appointed as Director of Coordination with the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.
Other 1952 Retired from the RAAF.
Date of honour or award 01 January 1953 Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).
Other 1957 Retired as Director of Coordination with the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.
Date of death 24 August 1992 Melbourne, VIC.