George Jones (RAAF Officer) - Early Life

Early Life

I didn't give myself any airs and it was very hard for me to think I was different from a lot of other people. I couldn't be seen to be different because I remembered my humble beginnings...

Jones was born near Rushworth, a rural community in Victoria. The date that appears on his birth certificate is 22 November 1896; however this was the date of registration and not of the birth itself, which occurred on 18 October. His father, a miner, had died three months earlier. Jones was brought up in a strict Methodist household and for the rest of his life rarely touched alcohol. He attended Rushworth State School, leaving at the age of 14 with a Certificate of Merit.

Following his schooling, Jones took an apprenticeship as a carpenter before moving to Melbourne, where he became a motor mechanic. He undertook three years part-time military service prior to World War I, firstly in cadets and later in a militia unit, the 29th Light Horse Regiment (also known as the Port Phillip Horse).