Jones was
commissioned into the
Scots Guards in 1866. He served in the
Suakin Expedition in 1885. After the outbreak of the
Second Boer War in late 1899, Colonel Jones was the officer in command of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment as 1120 officers and men left
Southampton for
South Africa on the SS
Britannic in March 1900. On arrival, the battalion was attached to the
16th Infantry Brigade serving as part of the
8th Division under Sir
Leslie Rundle. They took part in the
Battle of Paardeberg. Jones was appointed in command of the
Guards Brigade in April 1900. He was
mentioned in despatches by
Lord Kitchener dated 23 June 1902. For his service in the war he was appointed a Companion of the
Order of the Bath (CB) in the April 1901 South Africa Honours list (the award was dated to 29 November 1900; he only received the actual decoration from King
Edward VII at
Buckingham Palace on 24 October 1902). Following the end of the war in June 1902, Jones left Cape Town in the SS
Carisbrook Castle in September 1902, arriving at Southampton early the following month. He subsequently became
Commanding Officer of the Scots Guards and went on to become
General Officer Commanding the
Troops in the Straits Settlements in 1905 before retiring in 1907. He lived at
Kelston Park,
Somerset. ==Family==