Jones's attestation papers list him as being born at Evesham, Worcestershire.
 He may have been of the family of shoemakers by the name of Jones that lived in Cowl Street, Evesham in the mid-1840s,  but he was actually born on 16 August 1839 at 5 Lucas Street, Castle Precincts, Bristol.
He was approximately 39 years old and a private in the British Army's 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), during the Zulu War, when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in action.

On 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private 593 William Jones and Private 716 Robert Jones defended one of the wards in the field hospital, as described in their joint VC citation:
In another ward, facing the hill, Private William Jones and Private Robert Jones defended the post to the last, until six out of the seven patients it contained had been removed.
The seventh, Sergeant Maxfield, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, was delirious from fever.
Although they had previously dressed him, they were unable to induce him to move.
When Private Robert Jones returned to endeavour to carry him away, he found him being stabbed by the Zulus as he lay on his bed.
Jones's attestation papers list him as being born at Evesham, Worcestershire.  He may have been of the family of shoemakers by the name of Jones that lived in Cowl Street, Evesham in the mid-1840s,  but he was actually born on 16 August 1839 at 5 Lucas Street, Castle Precincts, Bristol. He was approximately 39 years old and a private in the British Army's 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), during the Zulu War, when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in action.
On 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private 593 William Jones and Private 716 Robert Jones defended one of the wards in the field hospital, as described in their joint VC citation:
In another ward, facing the hill, Private William Jones and Private Robert Jones defended the post to the last, until six out of the seven patients it contained had been removed. The seventh, Sergeant Maxfield, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, was delirious from fever. Although they had previously dressed him, they were unable to induce him to move. When Private Robert Jones returned to endeavour to carry him away, he found him being stabbed by the Zulus as he lay on his bed.
William Jones (VC)