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768. Pensacola's October Loss 10-6-1944 WWII

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Updated: Feb 27, 2022

US Army PFC Felix (NMN) Jones was born in Alberta, Wilcox County, Alabama on November 6, 1915, the possible son of Laura (1894-1971) and James Thomas Jones (1894-1947). Laura was also married first to John Baldwin in 1910 or before. The connection between Felix and Laura centers around his headstone being shipped from the US Government to her at 1013 West Gadsden Street in Pensacola. Felix is also listed as a Florida casualty even though there is no known connection with Pensacola other than Laura.


Private Jones was born and raised in Alberta in Wilcox County, Alabama, and married his wife Bessie Mae there in February 1937. He is listed as having a grammar school education and was a driver by trade. In 1940, he was living in Rehoboth with Bessie Mae and his two children Arthur Lee and Mary Jones while he supported his family as a farmer.


After WWII began, Felix would enlist in the US Army on July 30, 1942, and was sent to Ft. Benning, Georgia for processing. He listed himself as a widower therefore Bessie Mae would have passed away sometime between 1940 and 1942. It appears that his two children may have been cared for by Laura Baldwin Jones due to the fact that her 1971 obituary lists Arthur L. Jones and Mary as hers.


In the meantime, Felix was assigned to the 25th Aviation Squadron as a private first class (PFC) stationed at Hendricks Airfield in Sebring, Florida. There, pilots were upgraded from single-engine to multi-engine aircraft preparing to fly B-17, B-24, and B-29 bombers. Classes for crew members were also conducted in navigation, meteorology, radio, and engineering.


On October 6, 1944, something happened to PFC Felix Jones that brought about his death. Most likely it was an accident of some sort in connection to his duties given the number of deaths throughout the war connected with aircraft. However, his death is listed as "DNB or Death Non-Battle" which encompasses anything from disease to accidents that are nonrelated to combat. His headstone application has his headstone shipped to Laura B. Jones in Pensacola even though it indicates he is buried in Alberta, Alabama. Twenty-seven years later Laura Baldwin Jones would pass away in June 1971 and was buried in Zion Cemetery, Pensacola, Florida.







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