John Treasure Jones
| John Treasure Jones | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
15 August 1905 Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire |
| Died | 12 May 1993 (aged 87) Chandlers Ford, Hampshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Merchant Marine Royal Navy Merchant Marine / RNR |
| Years of service | 1921–1968 (46½ years) |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Royal Naval Reserve Cunard-White Star Line |
| Commands held | as listed |
| Battles/wars | World War II • Battle of the Atlantic • Battle of the Mediterranean |
| Awards | as listed |
Captain John Treasure Jones RD, (15 August 1905 – 12 May 1993) was a British sea officer who became a well-known media figure in the mid-1960s following his appointment as the last master of the Cunard liner, RMS Queen Mary. He has been described as one of the 20th century's most distinguished mariners, in war and in peacetime. His forebears were men of the sea, who had captained sailing ships, and he elected to follow in their tradition.
John Treasure Jones was born on 18 August 1905, at Cuckoo Mill Farm at Pelcomb Cross, outside Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. His father, Shrewsbury Treasure Jones, was a hay & corn merchant and ran the small 45 acre farm as a side line.
In 1917 he gained a scholarship to Haverfordwest Grammar School, but did not complete his formal education as the possibility of employment on a ship came along, just a week before taking his final examinations.
In 1921, not yet 16, Jones signed on for a four years apprenticeship with J. C. Gould Steamship Co. Ltd. of Cardiff. He first joined the SS Grelgrant, a 4,785 ton tramp ship, and later transferred to SS Grelhead. Outward-bound they delivered coal from the South Wales coalfields to bunkering stations around the world and returned with cargoes of grain.
Having completed his apprenticeship as a bosun, he regularly attended nautical school in Cardiff in order to progress through the grades of his nautical qualifications. Jones joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a probationary midshipman in 1923. On completion of his apprenticeship in 1925, aged 20, he completed six months training as a midshipman in HMS Hood, followed by HMS Velox and HMS Ajax.
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