- Contributed by听
- Anna Jones, Learning Project Manager
- People in story:听
- Lt. Owen Meurig Jones, Sgt. Eustace, Gunner Deans
- Location of story:听
- Tebourba, near Tunis, Tunisia
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A7639013
- Contributed on:听
- 09 December 2005
Lieutenant Owen Meurig Jones
These are two accounts of one event in my father's (Owen Meurig Jones) war experiences which took place on 27th November 1942, just outside Tunis.
The first description of the events that took place on that day are from the Book of Remembrance and War Record of Mill Hill School, London:
Lieutenant Jones was Gun Position Officer with his troop which was attacked by tanks. He continued, however, to carry out his duties and controlled the fire of his guns throughout the heavy fighting which continued until 15.30 hrs. During the latter stages he helped to make up the detachment on the last gun to remain in action. His courage and coolness were an inspiration to his men.
The second account comes from the history of the 78 Division:
At mid-morning on November 27th, seventeen German tanks approached through the olive groves surrounding the town and engaged our infantry and guns at the closest range all that day until dusk. The East Surreys had not had time to dig in and withdrew through the guns; the twenty-five pounders of 322/132 Field Battery knocked out fourteen of the seventeen tanks, but the German crews that escaped from them fought on from the cactus clumps, and enemy aircraft repeatedly dive-bombed the town itself, barely a mile to the rear. At the end of the action seven out of 322 Battery's eight guns were out of action - the one remaining gun had been manned for the greater part of the day by Sgt. Eustace alone. The knocked-out tanks were in a ring around the battery, one of them only three yards from the muzzle of the gun that had destroyed it. Sgt. Eustace won a D.C.M. that day, Lt. Owen Jones, a gun-position officer of the same battery, an M.C., and Gunner Deans, who had, from an unarmoured truck, kept up communications though under fire throughout, an M.M.
However, the town was held, and the Northamptons pushed on towards Djedeida, the one sizeable place between Tebourba and Tunis.
My father became Captain of the 132 Welsh Field Regiment, R.A., 78th Infantry Division and served for 7 years. He was in the UK between 1939-1942; North Africa 1942-43; Sicily, Italy, Egypt 1943-44; Italy, Austria 1944-46.
During his army service he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star and the Military Cross (an Immediate Award following the events of the 27th November).
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