Jonathan Gordon Spilsbury the son of Jonathan and Margaret Spilsbury, of Stoke-On-Trent and husband of Nellie Irene Spilsbury, of Stoke-On-Trent, enlisted in the Royal Engineers and later volunteered for airborne forces.

He attended parachute course 20 at Ringway from 27 July to 3 August 1942. And was posted to the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment and took part in Operation Torch in North Africa.

Pte Spilsbury was killed in action on 3 December 1942. He was originally buried in a battlefield grave and was re-interred to Medjez-El-Bab on 18 February 1944.