LOFTUS JONES, V.C., OF H.M.S. SHARK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3073, 8 May 1917, Page 6

LOFTUS JONES, V.C., OF H.M.S. SHARK

A HERO OF JUTLAND DESTROYER THAT tOUCHT A GERMAN SQUADRON. 1 The King has approved of tho posthumous grant of the Victoria Cross to Commander Loftus William Jones, E.N. (killed in action), in recognition of his • conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in the course of the Battle of Jutland on May 31 last. The Distinguished Service Medal has been awarded to the following survivors of the Shark for their services during the aotion:— Stoker P.O. Charles Filleul; A.B. Charles C. Hope, A.B. Charles H. Smith, A.B. Joseph 0. G. Howell, Stokeiv Ist Class, Thomas W. Swan, P.O. William C. U. Griffin. Commander Loftus Jones's widow has been able to prepare a. full account of the last fight: About 5.30 p.m. the Invinciblo gave orders to open fire. The captain of the Shark, Commander Loftus Jones, R.N., left the Invincible and took his-division into action against the German battle-cruiser squadron. Directly he turned to attack a shell hit the engines, and another tho bridge, which took the steering wheel out of the coxswain's hands and wounded him in the right hand.

At the same time the coxswain, Griffin said, "The wheel has gone sir." The captain replied, "Man the other wheel." The coxswain obeyed and left the bridge, followed by the. captain, who helped to connect and man the wheel. At the foot of the bridge the coxswain was wounded in the face and thrown down. He picked himself up, and as ho was going aft ho met the torpedo instructor,/who said he Had fired two torpedoes and thought he had got a German cruiser; and Hammel, the chief stoker, who said that the engines and steering gear were out of action. Tho pipe which connected up steam was blown away.

The captain, on hearing this, gavo orders for all to come up on deck, go to their station, and put out the boats. The boats were blown away as they tried to put them, out. The Shark all this time was under very heavy fire. Three cruisers were firing on her at one time. She lay helpless between our own Fleet and that of the enemy, and so got as well the shots which fell short. A few minutes after the action started, the fo'c'sle and fo'c'slo gun, with gun's crew, including the officer, Sub-Lieutenant Irving Vance, were all blown away, except one man, who was badly wounded. The captain ordered the rafts and the collision mats out, assisting in everything as he gave the orders, and cheering his men all the time. He was seen about this time to drop the confidential books overboard. He had been wounded badly in the leg when leaving the bridge, and his leg was bound up by Hammel, and later on by Filleul. The captain noticed that Griffin,, was badly rounded in the eye and cheek, and s!> t'o him, "Get your eye dressed." Gimin said, "There is no doctor." The doctor must have been killed; the last time he was seen, lie was binding up the arm of a sea-' man-torpedoman, who had been hurt by the explosion of the third torpedo. All the men at this torpedo-tube, except Smith, had been killed or wounded by this explosion.

. Tho captain now went to the midship gun, the other, guns and everything else on the deck having, been blown away,'and he remained there till the end with Midshipman Smith, Petty-officer . Griffin, and Able-seamen Hope and Howell. The Ist Lieutenant Donnell, Smith, A.8., Stoker Swan, and Petty-officer Filleul were passing ammunition, of which there was' plenty. \

Ten German destroyers and light cruisers came up out of. the mist at close range, about 600 yards, and all fired on the Shark. Howell was badly wounded 'in the leg, and a few minutes afterwards the captain had his left leg shot away above the knee. Hope- rushed to him with a piece of wood, and Griffin with rope. He asked them to leave him, but Hope said: "We must do it for your good, sir," hoping they might stop the bleeding and save his life.'

As the captain was sitting on the deck he said: "What's wrong with the ensign ?" Hope answered: "It's shot down, sir." The captain cave the order: "Hoist another!" The midshipman cleared the way, and Hope hoisted another. (There were always spare flags kept for any emergency.) The captain then said: "That's goodi" and appeared content. Seeing the ship was beginning to sink very quickly and a German destroyer was coming quite close, the captain gave the order: "Save yourselves." The German destroyer came near, fired a torpedo in to her. there was an exnlosion, and sbo sank with her flag flying. The action lasted for about an hour and a half. There was no panic whatever, and all oheved orders promptly and calmly. Filleul, Griffin, Smith, and Howell saw-the captain in the water. He had his life-saving waistcoat on, which kept him afloat. Filleul saw the lifebelts floating awav. He gathered them up and gave them to the survivors. The cantain asked him wliat he was doing. Filleul told him and put a lifebelt round him and put him on one of the rafts. '"There - were two other men with him. The other survivors, with the Ist lieutenant, who had not been wounded, got on another raft. The eaptein said: "Let's liave a song, lads." The Ist lieutenant started "Npnrer, my Gnd to Thee." and they all sang until they wore exhausted.

The survivors remained in the water for several hours and were picked up hardlv conscious by a Danish steamer, the Vidar.