Background
He was born at Chester Street in Edinburgh the son of Charles Digby Jones and his wife, Aimee Susanna.
engineer association football player
He was born at Chester Street in Edinburgh the son of Charles Digby Jones and his wife, Aimee Susanna.
He was educated at Alnmouth and then Sedburgh School.
In 1894 he was sent to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and trained as an officer in the Royal Engineers. He is recorded as a keen and popular sportsman, both in golf and rugby. When he was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army during the South African War (Boer War) when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Venture capital. On 6 January 1900 during the attack on Wagon Hill (Ladysmith), South Africa, Lieutenant Digby-Jones and a trooper (Herman Albrecht) of the Imperial Light Horse led the force which re-occupied the top of the hill at a critical moment, but both were killed in the ensuing mêléest
Foreign their actions they cited jointly:
Lieutenant R. J. T. Digby Jones, Royal Engineers, and Number.
Digby-Jones is buried in Ladysmith Cemetery. A memorial to Digby-Jones stands in his old school, Sedbergh, commemorating his brave deeds.
A brass plaque to Digby-Jones lies on the south aisle of Street Mary"s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh. A cairn was erected at Waggon Hill at the spot where he died
A memorial plaque to his memory also stands in Alnmouth Parish Church.
459 Trooper H. Albrecht, Imperial Light Horse, Would have been recommended for the Victoria Cross had they survived, on account of their having during the attack on Waggon Hill (Ladysmith) of 6th January, 1900, displayed conspicuous bravery, and gallant conduct in leading the force which re-occupied the top of the hill at a critical moment just as the three foremost attacking Boers reached it, the leader being shot by Lieutenant Jones, and the two others by Trooper Albrecht. Digby-Jones"s Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum (Chatham, England). He came from a long line of military personnel and another cousin, Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken had already won a Victoria Cross.
