AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR CELEBRATES HIS 100TH
WHEN Ron Jones was writing to his wife Gwladys from Auschwitz during the darkest days of World War II, he probably never imagined celebrating his 100th birthday.
But today the former prisoner of war will do just that, surrounded by friends and family.
Mr Jones, of Bassaleg, Newport, was a 23-year-old lance corporal in the 1st Battalion Welch Regiment when he was captured in Benghazi in 1942.
He was shipped to Italy and was eventually taken to work at Camp Stalag E715, alongside the Auschwitz concentration camp in Germanoccupied Poland.
The now-retired Newport dock worker worked alongside Jewish slave labourers at IG Farben’s infamous chemical factory.
Speaking about his experiences at the camp, Ron said: “The way the Nazis treated the Jews was horrible.
“It was like they were less than human.
“The first thing you would notice was the smell. If the wind was in your direction the smell was terrible.
“We did not know what would happen to us. We thought at one time they would stick us in the gas chamber, the same as the Jews, because it was not just Jews going in, it was Poles, political prisoners, homosexuals. We were always frightened we would be next.”
After two years being held at Auschwitz, Ron was forced to join the “death march” of prisoners across Eu- rope in 1945. Thin and exhausted, the men headed off through deep snow as temperatures dipped to -200C.
For 17 weeks they trudged over the Carpathian Mountains through Czechoslovakia to Austria, eating whatever they could find.
Of the 280 PoWs who started the march, only 150 survived.
Eventually liberated by the Allies, Ron was sent home to Wales but was left too traumatised to talk about what he had been through.
“I was 13 stone when I left for war and seven stone when I returned five years later,” he said.
“I remember when I finally got home and my wife Gwladys put me in the bath. I looked into her eyes and saw tears rolling down her cheek.
“I said, ‘Don’t cry my love. I’ve come home. I’ve left men out there who will never come home.’”
After many years of working at the docks Ron retired in 1980 and a year later began collecting for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
He is believed to be the oldest poppy seller in the country.
He also wrote and published a book about his experiences during the war, called The Auschwitz Goalkeeper, named after the position he played when PoWs played football on Sundays at the camp.
Speaking about collecting for the Poppy Appeal, Ron said: “The poppy means everything to me.
“The Legion was there for all my mates who returned from the Second World War and needed help.
“And today the Legion is still there to help all the boys and girls who come back from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“It’s important everyone wears a poppy to remember what other generations went through for them.”
He added: “People need to remember what has gone before them and the sacrifices made.
“I’ve been collecting the Poppy Appeal for more than 30 years. It’s not just about remembering my generation, the Legion is here for all generations of the Armed Forces community, and it’s important to remember there’s a new generation that needs our support.
“I love helping the Poppy Appeal and I’ll be doing it for the next two weeks. It’s a good chance to have a natter and share a yarn with people.
“They love hearing our stories.” for Ron celebrates his 100th today and will be surrounded by friends and family at Tredegar Park Golf Club, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Newport. Speaking about how it feels to be 100 years old, the father of one and grandfather of two said: “It feels all right, it’s not a problem. “I’ve no idea what the secret is, I don’t drink or smoke, so maybe that’s done something towards it.”