|
Gareth Richard Vaughan Jones
Introduction
1905 –1935
J.L. Garvin; Editor of The Observer wrote:
“Gareth Jones was a journalist who won every step
of his way by personal force; he has perished on one of the horizons
he was always questing.”
On August 13th 1905, a son was born to
Edgar and Annie Gwen Jones in their home, Eryl, Barry and his proud
parents gave him the name, Gareth Richard Vaughan Jones. The child
blossomed into manhood living his life to the full; a man true to
himself. Tragically, his life was cut short on the eve of his 30th
birthday. He was to achieve more in his short life than most men who
are fortunate enough to live to a ripe old age.
In 1899 Edgar Jones was appointed headmaster of the
recently established Barry County School for both boys and girls.
Though a schoolmaster he was known always as the ‘Major’ following
his service as Commander of the Glamorgan Fortress during World War
One. He was loved and highly esteemed by his pupils and regarded as
“The Mathew Arnold” of Wales.
Gareth’s mother was an accomplished and interesting
woman in her own right. She had spent three years as tutor to the
two daughters of Arthur Hughes from 1889 to 1892 in Hughesovka
leaving with the whole family to flee from the town on account of
Cholera riots. Arthur Hughes was the son of the Welshman, John
Hughes the steel industrialist who founded the town of Hughesovka,
later the tragic town of Stalino in World War II and today known as
the city of Donetsk.
The
stories of her wonderful experiences instilled in Gareth a desire to
visit the Soviet Union and Ukraine. With this goal in mind he
studied languages and had a brilliant academic career at University.
He first attended Aberystwyth College with two years between in
Strasburg University. In 1926 he gained an Entrance Exhibition to
Trinity College, Cambridge where he gained first-class honours in
French, in German and Russian in 1929. These languages he spoke so
fluently that he could easily pass for a native speaker.
Return to |