British War Medal 1939-45, Brigadier Frederick Theodore Jones, Army Staff India and Chief Engineer to the Government of India, 1911-1945

Circular, cupro-nickel campaign medal with, on the obverse. crowned head of King George VI, with the inscription, 'Georgivs VI D: G: BR: Omn: Rex et Indiae Imp:'; on the reverse, a lion standing on the body of a double-headed beast with the heads of a dragon and eagle, representing Germany and Japan, with the dates '1939' and '1945'. The reverse also bears the initials, 'ECRP', for the designer, Edward Carter Preston. The ribbon has a central narrow red stripe, flanked by narrow white stripes, broad red stripes at either edge with two intervening blue stripes.

The British War Medal 1939-45 was awarded to all full time service personnel of the Commonwealth Armed Forces wherever their service during World War Two (1939-1945) was rendered, provided they had completed 28 days service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.

Frederick Jones was born in 1885 in Byculla, Bombay, India. He entered the Indian Service of Engineers in 1907 and joined the Indian Defence Force as a Lieutenant the following year. He served with the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles, the Mussoorie Volunteer Rifles and the 9th Mussoorie Battalion, rising to Captain in 1919. In recognition of this service, Jones received the Royal Victorian Order, Fifth class in 1911, and the Volunteer Officers Decoration in 1920 to honour 20 years commissioned service in the Volunteer Force.

Jones built his career as an engineer, working with the Imperial Works Department, Government of India, before moving to the Central Public Works Department, Delhi. He was twice honoured for his distinguished work for the Empire in the New Years Honours List; in 1931 he was admitted as Companion to the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire and in 1936 he was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal.

In 1940 Jones became the Consulting Chief Engineer for the Government of India, and from 1942 the acting Deputy Assistant Master-General of Ordnance. During the Second World War he was promoted through several War Substantive ranks, rising to Colonel in 1944. He died in 1968.

From a medal group awarded to Brigadier Frederick Theodore Jones, Army Staff India and Chief Engineer to the Government of India, 1911-1945.