John William Bones

1895 - 1961

Jack Bones
By a member of his extended family
Jack(John) joined early in the war, managed to get posted to the Royal Army
Medical Corps, due to his member ship of the St Johns Ambulance Service. He was awarded a badge for attending
all the St Johns Parades during 1914. He spent some time in England
and then in October 1916,

Jack traveled to Mudros, Greece on board HMHS Britannic from 20th to 28th October 1916. Britannia, sister
ship to the Titanic, had been converted for use as a hospital ship. Jack was
accompanying medical supplies bound for Egyptian field hospitals. The Germans complained that Britannic
was being used as a transport ship, even though the personnel and packages were all medical. This was one of
their excuses used to justify their unrestricted submarine warfare later. Britannic
struck a mine on her next trip to Mudros, but the British preferred to believe
that she was purposely torpedoed. Jack was one of only two ordinary ranks bound for
Egypt, where the British were protecting the Suez Canal. Jack spent the rest of the war
as a RAMC Store man in military hospitals in Egypt and Palestine.

After Armistice in 1918, Jack and a few RAMC friends were given leave and made a small tour of
Jerusalem and the surrounding area. He sent a letter home to his family to explain some
of the impressions it had on him.