George Jones (RAAF Officer) - Inter-war Years

Inter-war Years

Jones remained with the Australian Flying Corps until June 1919, as part of the British Occupation forces in Germany. After returning to Australia he worked as a turner in Melbourne. He married Muriel Cronan, a clerk who also played piano professionally, on 15 November 1919. They had met prior to the war and kept in touch throughout Jones' overseas postings. The couple's first child, Ronald, arrived on 2 October 1920. A second son, Ian, would be born on 26 June 1934. Jones was described by family members as being a somewhat distant husband and father, dedicated to his career and rarely given to obvious displays of emotion.

Encouraged by a fellow No. 4 Squadron veteran, Harry Cobby, Jones applied to join the new Australian Air Force on 22 March 1921 (the prefix "Royal" was added that August). His rank was flying officer, one below the equivalent of his AFC rank of captain. Another Australian pilot joining the fledgling Air Force was William (Bill) Bostock, a lieutenant in World War I. The pair became firm friends, Bostock acting as something of a mentor to the younger officer. Jones was promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 July 1923. Nicknamed "Jonah", he was also known as "Yellow Jones" in his early days with the RAAF, not through any perceived lack of moral fibre but due to the lingering effects on his skin of jaundice, contracted while a soldier at Gallipoli.

Posted to RAAF Point Cook, Jones was put in charge of the Motor Transport Repair Section and made acting (later permanent) Officer Commanding Workshops. He was highly regarded for his technical and administrative ability but rated only "average" in command and dealing with personnel. In 1926 he took up flight instruction and within a year had been graded a 1A Flying Instructor. He was promoted to squadron leader on 31 March 1927 and given command of Flying Squadron at No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS). Jones spent two years in Britain from 1928, attending the Royal Air Force Staff College, Andover, and graduating top of his class at the RAF's Central Flying School. He later recalled of this posting, "The social life was new to me, as was the etiquette... I learned as fast as I could, but I have no doubt that I unwittingly committed many a social blunder." As the RAAF's senior officer in the UK, Jones had expected to be invited to accompany the airship R101 on its maiden flight to India. Instead another Australian officer was nominated to make the trip, and Jones avoided the disaster which followed.

Returning to Australia in October 1930, Jones was made Chief Flying Instructor at Point Cook and Officer Commanding No. 1 FTS. He became Director of Training at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in November 1931. On 2 April 1932, he was taking off from Mascot, New South Wales, in a De Havilland Moth when he struck the perimeter fence and crashed, resulting in major damage to the aircraft and injuries to himself and his passenger. His performance in the early 1930s was highly regarded by his superiors, regularly being assessed as "above average" or "exceptional". From late 1934 to early 1935, he collaborated with the Director of Equipment, George Mackinolty, on an investigation into the state of aircraft production in Australia to highlight shortfalls in local defence in the face of possible future conflict with Japan. Though the report was reviewed enthusiastically by the Air Member for Personnel, Bill Anderson, it apparently went no further in the chain of command and thus was effectively ignored. In January 1936, Jones was promoted to wing commander and appointed Director of Personnel Services.