BERTRAM E JONES
1886 – 1958
Bertram was born in Walshingham, Norfolk to Lawrence John Jones and Evelyn Mary Bevan in 1886. He was educated at various Royal Naval Colleges finishing at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.
Upon completion of his specialist training in submarine warfare in 1912, Bertram resigned from the Royal Navy. He married Gwendoline Mary Meyron, the widow of his best friend, and emigrated to Canada.
At the outbreak of the Great War, Bertram volunteered for service, the Admiralty permitted him to serve with the Canadian Navy. Bertram was responsible for the acquisition of Canada’s first submarines. He spent the first three years of the war on the west coast of Canada patrolling and training Canadian submariners.
In 1917 Bertram was in command of the three submarines following orders to sail from their west coast base to the Mediterranean Sea. Upon reaching Halifax on the east coast the vessels were declared unfit to make the Atlantic crossing and so remained based in Halifax until they were decommissioned in 1920.
Bertram returned to the UK, and took up residence in Widecombe, helping to establish the local branch of the Royal British Legion. He was active in many village activities.
Bertram moved from Widecombe in 1927. He lived in Norfolk and died whilst living in the New Forest in 1958 aged 72.
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