202 Advanced Flying School at RAF Valley, Anglesey. 1 Initial Training School at RAF Jurby following which he commanded No. He served at the School of Land/Air Warfare and commanded No. Unusually, he never served a post in the Air Ministry or the Ministry of Defence. Jones had a succession of mainly operational appointments in Europe after the War. He was appointed a Commander of the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau in 1945. 121 Wing with its four squadrons of Typhoon fighters, based at Volkel in the Netherlands. He stayed with the Group during the whole campaign in Northwest Europe as Group Captain Operations and being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in December 1944, when he returned to operational duties, taking command of No. 83 Group, transferred to France shortly after D-Day, and moved eastwards with the front line. After qualifying at the Army Staff College he was promoted to Acting Group Captain in May 1943, and joined the staff preparing tactical fighter operations for D-Day.
He spent a year with the Rhodesian Air Training Group, then took command of the RAF Hawkinge in Kent. 80 Squadron in 1942, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Finally, it moved to RAF Aqir in Palestine to regroup, where it fought against the Vichy French in Syria. His battered squadron withdrew to Crete, then back to Egypt. It had been re-equipped with modern Hurricane fighters shortly before Germany invaded Greece on 6 April 1941. He also received a Flying Cross from the Greek government.Īfter leave in Egypt, Jones returned to No. Jones shot down two further Fiats on 28 February 1941, and was awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross. 80 Squadron on 27 December, after its commander, Squadron Leader Bill Hickey, was killed in action. He returned to duty on 21 December, and took command of No. He shot down one on 27 November, then two more the next day over Delvinakion, but was injured in the dogfight and spent a month recovering from a bullet wound in his neck. He was in action within days, engaging a formation of more modern Fiat CR.42 fighters, also biplanes, of the Italian Regia Aeronautica to the north of Ioannina. He took charge of a flight of Gladiator when it moved to Trikala in central Greece in November 1940. Second World War Īfter Italy declared war on the United Kingdom and France on 10 June 1940, Jones took charge of a flight armed with modern Hurricane fighters. 80 Squadron in March 1940, while he was based in Amriya in Egypt. Promoted to flying officer, his squadron deployed to Egypt in April 1938.
As a pilot officer, he was its adjutant from May 1937. 80 Squadron which flew the Gladiator, the RAF's last biplane fighter. In March 1937 the flight was detached to form No. 17 Squadron in Kenley, flying Gauntlet fighters. He trained as a pilot at Netheravon and joined "B" Flight of No. Royal Air Force Įdward joined the RAF in 1935. He also enjoyed shooting and the outdoor life, but he showed little interest in his studies. He was a keen sportsman, representing the university and Lancashire at rugby union. His three brothers all became doctors, like their father, but Jones soon switched to veterinary science. Īfter grammar school, he studied medicine at Liverpool University, where he met his future wife. He retained the nickname "Tap" for the rest of his life. Jones spent time in India as a child, where his brothers nicknamed him "Doolally Tap" (meaning "slightly mad"). His father was the borough medical officer. Jones was born in Widnes, Lancashire (now Cheshire), the third of four sons of Lieutenant Colonel Albert Jones. Unusually, he never served a post in the Air Ministry or the UK Ministry of Defence. He served in mainly operational posts in Europe until he retired. He commanded a squadron of obsolescent biplane Gladiator fighters during the Greek Campaign in the Second World War, where he shot down five Italian Fiat CR.42 fighters. Knight Commander of the Order of the BathĬommander of the Order of the British EmpireĬommander of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)Īir Marshal Sir Edward “Tap” Gordon Jones, KCB, CBE, DSO, DFC (31 August 1914 – 20 February 2007) was an officer in the Royal Air Force for 34 years, from 1935 to 1969. Central Reconnaissance Establishment (1959–60)