Petronella Frances Snowball was born in 1902. In early 1917 her father, F.G. Snowball, Headmaster of Hele's School, Exeter, was asked to become Red Cross Visitor to the Australian wounded in the five hospitals in Exeter. He accepted the position, but found that his school duties prevented him from occupying the post; his wife and daughters therefore undertook the work. Miss Snowball assumed responsibility for clerical tasks, and took pleasure in linking up soldiers in different hospitals from the same unit or from the same parts of Australia. During this time she collected autograph albums of photographs, cards, sketches and other material. Later in life she married Roger Jones.