This was published 7 years ago
Obituary: Another chapter closes in Australia’s war history
By Rick Bayne
Obituary
STAN JONES
The late Stan Jones, war veteran, ex-PoW
Veteran, lines foreman
3-5-1921 – 10-11-2016
Australia has lost one of its oldest war veterans with the death of Stan Jones, who has died in Stawell aged 95. He had survived the Battle of Crete, four years as a prisoner of war and the brutal long march with 100,000 fellow Allied forces prisoners.
Stanley Gordon Jones was born in Murtoa, one of 13 children of Bernie and Nellie Jones. After obtaining his merit certificate and leaving school at 13, he worked milking cows and on the railways. A fine sportsman, Stan played football for Murtoa and was a dab hand at billiards and target shooting.
After World War II started, Stan moved to Melbourne to enlist but was rejected as too young. He later said he wanted to join the war effort because there were "no bloody jobs" at the time.
He tried again and this time lied about his age, and was signed up on June 24, 1940. His service number was VX43961; just five above his older brother Norm. Stan and Norm were deployed to the 2/7th battalion and left on the same boat from Perth to Athens.
Tragedy stuck Stan aboard the Costa Rica, which was bombed and disabled off the coast of Crete. He escaped onto a destroyer that was pulled up alongside, but later bemoaned he didn't get time to retrieve his treasured Murtoa football jumper.
Stan made it to Crete as the Germans were launching a fully-fledged parachute invasion on Souda Bay and was part of a force charged with defending a strategic port. Despite the Germans suffering heavy losses, and Hitler calling the Australian troops "two bob a day murderers", Stan and Norm were captured.
Stan was sent to work in the silver mines outside of Breslau, and then spent the next four years as a prisoner of war, being moved through several camps.
Like many war veterans, Stan kept his memories private for much of his life but started to open up, particularly to his grandchildren, in later years.
He saw humanity in battle and in prison and never held a grudge against the German soldiers, saying they were just young men like him, following orders.
In one battle Stan helped an injured German soldier. Later, that soldier intervened to save Stan when he was threatened by a guard with a gun.
Stan learnt the German language and the skills he needed to survive. He had to deal with malnutrition, parasites and freezing conditions but realised the Germans respected strength and was determined to never show weakness.
He was particularly impressed by the resilience of Russian prisoners of war who bore the brunt of the German aggression.
He told of an amazing pickpocket who would get bashed by his German captors but emerge with food and a watch stolen from his attackers.
Stan was part of the long march to freedom as the Germans forced prisoners to retreat from liberating Russian forces. He wore the same clothes for three months and at times his shoes were frozen. Thousands died but Stan persisted.
He later escaped and flew to England where he reunited with Norm, travelling home together via the Panama Canal and New Zealand aboard the Stirling Castle.
After returning to Australia, Stan returned to Murtoa and worked for the PMG. He married Lily Corbett and they had three children, eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Stan became a lines foreman for PMG, transferring to Stawell. He bought a house for removal for the tidy sum of £1.
After divorcing and several years alone, Stan met and married Joan Beecroft. The two enjoyed almost 40 very happy years together. He would take part in Anzac Day and Remembrance Day events but found them difficult as they rekindled bad memories and survivor's guilt.
Stan was one of only four surviving Australian soldiers invited to a memorial service in Canberra last year for the Souda Bay attack during the Battle of Crete. Although he maintained good health until his final months, he was unable to attend. Others have claimed that battle deserved to be as well recognised as Gallipoli.
His death the day before Remembrance Day closes another chapter in Australia's war history.