Pte. Robert Jones (716 B Co. 24th. Regiment).

Directions to Memorial

Buried in St. Peter's Church graveyard, Peterchurch, Herefordshire. Found by following the path from the main entrance in the village heading toards the church. Grave approx. 40 yards along, at the side of the path.

Faces opposite direction from other graves since he was thought to have committed suicide. He was also taken into the grave yard over the wall rather than through the gate. Died 6 September 1898. Peterchurch is close to Hereford on the A4348 signposted from the A438.

(N.B. His family are contesting the suicide verdict on the basis that the gun had a hair trigger and was an accident. They hope to reverse not only the verdict, but the headstone).

Rough location can be found on Google Earth at:

Read his account of the Battle

Read about the tragic story of his death here

Why was he awarded the Victoria Cross?

With William Jones, he defended one of the wards of the hospital until six of the seven patients had been removed. The seventh man was delirious, and all attempts to induce him to leave were in vain and he was stabbed to death by a Zulu. He was 21 at the time of the defence.

Further Information

Born at Raglan, Monmouthshire in August 1857. He enlisted into 2/24th on 10 January 1876 aged 19. After Rorke's Drift he continued his service in India with 2nd Battalion. He transferred to the army reserve in 1882. He subsequently returned to farm labouring at Peterchurch in Herefordshire. There he married at local girl - Elizabeth Hopkins in 1885 and they had five children.

In the summer of 1898, he complained of headaches. On 6 September that year, he was found dead with a shotgun wound. He received his VC from Sir Garnet Wolseley at Utrecht on 11th September 1879. (His VC, along with many others is thought to be in the hands of the wealthy industrialist, Michael Ashcroft).

Further Information supplied by the South Wales Borderers Museum, Brecon.

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