Colvill-Jones, T
(1897 - 1918)
Key Facts
DATE OF BIRTH:
1st November 1897
YEARS ATTENDED THE COLLEGE:
1910 - 1910
HOME ADDRESS WHEN AT THE COLLEGE:
Ashdown Park, Coulsdon, Surrey
REGIMENT
Royal Air Force
FINAL RANK:
Captain
DATE OF DEATH:
24th May 1918
AGE AT DEATH:
20
WHERE HE DIED (or was wounded)
Germany
LOCATION OF GRAVE OR MEMORIAL:
Berlin South-Western Cemetery. VI G 4
Captain Thomas Colvill-Jones
Thomas was born on November 1st 1897 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the second son of a British couple, Abbie and Robert Colvill-Jones. In April of 1910 the family came to England and he, along with his elder brother Robert, came to Dulwich, where they spent around nine months as pupils at the College, boarding in The Orchard. Following this they both went on to spend time at Victoria College, Jersey before, in the summer of 1912, the family returned once more to South America. Upon their return Thomas took up a position with the Central Argentine Railway, at first in their drawing office before being transferred to the position of Assistant Engineer in the San Martin section. He was also an accomplished tennis player, being champion of the Villa Devoto club and a regular in many of the annual tournaments in Buenos Aires.
In early 1917 he returned once more to England, upon arrival joining up as a member of the Artists Rifles, before subsequently being gazetted to a temporary position in the Royal Engineers; Thomas was fascinated by the idea of flight however, and as a result was able to request a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps, where he trained as a pilot. After going over to the front in late 1917, being stationed near Ypres, he soon acquired a distinguished reputation for his prowess in aerial combat, and by the time the R.F.C. was reformed into the Royal Air Force he had already officially become an ace, having successfully downed nine German aircraft. During the month of April he recorded another two victories, for a total of eleven, making him the joint most successful South American born pilot of the War, before, in late April 1918, he was reported as missing. For a time his fate was uncertain, however it was later confirmed that he had been heavily wounded and captured by the Germans on April 25th, and, having never recovered from his injuries, passed away at Limburg in the Netherlands, whilst still a German captive, on May 24th. His elder brother Thomas, a fellow OA and R.A.F. member, would go on to pass away later in 1918.
