Havelock Jones was born in Ballarat and was a Warehouseman by trade when he enlisted in the 14th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement on 9 July 1915 at the age of 18. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A64 Demosthenes on 29 December 1915. . In April 1916 he was hospitalised briefly at Serapeum, suffering from influenza. In September he was transferred to the 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery in France. On April 11th 1917 he was wounded in action. He suffered a severe gunshot wound to his left shoulder, which fractured his humerus, and was evacuated to the Military Hospital at Devonport in England. He was then returned to Australia on the Karoola and disembarked at Melbourne on August 27th 1917.
Tree No. 3322