Robert Rowland AKRILL-JONES (1894-1917)

Robert Rowland Akrill-Jones (1894-1917) was a pupil at Christ College, Brecon, from 1909-1910.  His name is mentioned in a letter written by Mela Brown Constable to her fiancé, Cyril Sladden, but Cyril would not have known him as he had left Brecon by then.

Robert Akrill-Jones was born at Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, the second of three children of the Reverend Canon David Akrill-Jones, an old Breconian, and his wife, Ellen.  He was gazetted in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 4th Battalion and was killed in action on 9th April 1917, aged 22.  Second Lieutenant Akrill-Jones was buried at Cojeul British Cemetery, St Martin-sur-Cojeul.  His father was Vicar of Bolsover, Derbyshire, at the time of his death.  At the east end of the north wall of the north aisle of St Mary and St Laurence Church, Bolsover, there is a plain oblong brass plaque with the inscription:

To the Glory of God,

And in loving memory of

Robert Rowland Akrill-Jones.

4th. K.O.Y.L.I.

who fell in action in France

on April 9th. 1917,

while in Command of his Company

R.I.P.

Robert’s brother, Lieutenant Edward Trevor Akrill-Jones of the Royal Flying Corps, was killed the following year on 18th March 1918.