Royal Welch Fusiliers

[megans grandad]

I am currently researching all of the fallen in the village of Glan Conwy in North Wales.

I have come across Private Arthur Evans of 8th Battalion service number 12396 who died 17 August 1915 aged 22. He is buried at ALEXANDRIA (CHATBY) MILITARY AND WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY K. 99. I am trying to establish which battle he might have been fighting in. Can you help?

I believe he may have had a brother Thomas Owen Evans, also a private, who was 'lost' January 1915 aged 25 in East Africa as a member of the 2nd Loyal North Lancs Regiment. I do not have a service number however.

Both are commemorated in the churchyard at Llansanffraid Glan Conwy and on their respective stones are the words of Bryn Rhys shop which I have located albeit it is no longer a shop.

[tipperary]

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1422307

This could be Thomas although not jan 15.john

I see 8th Bat served in galipoli i wonder did arthur die of wounds in hospital after evacuation from galipoli just a thought.john

[megans grandad]

http://www.cwgc.org/...asualty=1422307

This could be Thomas although not jan 15.john

I see 8th Bat served in galipoli i wonder did arthur die of wounds in hospital after evacuation from galipoli just a thought.john

Thanks for the response however so far as Thomas is concerned the memorial clearly states January 1915. Please see http://www.geograph....k/photo/2688515

[ss002d6252]

Thanks for the response however so far as Thomas is concerned the memorial clearly states January 1915

I wouldn't always take memorial details as gospel, there are numerous posts on here where memorial details have been proven to be incorrect (although believed correct at the time).

[ss002d6252]

SDGW appears to only show 1 suitable man

Name: Thomas Evans

Birth Place: Llandudno, Carnarvon

Residence: Holyhead, Anglesey

Death Date: 4 Nov 1914

Death Location: East Africa

Enlistment Location: Preston

Rank: Private

Regiment: Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Battalion: 2nd Battalion

Number: 9679

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theatre of War: African Theatre

[megans grandad]

Excellent - many thanks.

[clive_hughes]

According to the casualty list Soldiers Died in the Great War Arthur Evans was born at Llangwstennin, Carnarvonshire and his next of kin was resident at Glan Conway. He enlisted at Colwyn Bay. He "Died" at Gallipoli 17 August 1915 (in this context, Died = of accident, disease, sickness or some other cause than wounds/in action).

The 8th battalion was a unit of 13th (Western) Division which had reached Alexandria in June 1915, and Mudros by July. the Division's infantry landed at Cape Helles, Gallipoli between 6 and 16 July, then returned to Mudros at the end of the month. The Division then landed at ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, between 3-5 August and remained in that sector.

It may be that Arthur Evans was evacuated sick from Gallipoli/Mudros to Alexandria, and died after reaching Egypt. It is most unlikely that he died at Gallipoli and his body transported to Egypt. Local newspapers of the period might be able to add more information about his death.

The Thomas Evans who is shown as Pte. 9679 2nd Battn. LN Lancs. Regt. was born at Llandudno and enlisted at Preston, Lancs. His next of kin was resident at Holyhead, Anglesey (though he isn't commemorated there). He was killed in action in the disastrous landings at Tanga, Tanzania on 4 November 1914 and has no known grave (Tanga Memorial). There is a Thomas Evans on the main Llandudno War Memorial on the promenade, but of course it need not be this man.

No family details are given by CWGC or elsewhere, so I can't confirm that the chap above is the T.O.Evans you are after (no T.O.Evans is listed as a fatality by the CWGC during 1914-15, but lots of men dropped their middle names on enlistment so one can't say either way).

Clive

PS - The North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch at Bangor shows both an A.Evans and a T.O.Evans on the panel for Llansantffraid Glan Conwy.

Edited 3 December , 2011 by LST_164

[Hywyn]

Arthur Evans did go to Gallipoli with the 8th Battalion. His medal card and the Sodiers Died Great War database shows him as Died. The latter differentiates between Killed in Action, Died of Wounds and Died where the Died would mean from disease etc. Many men on the Gallipoli campaign died of dysentery and given that his papers do not seem to have survived it is fair to say that this is highly likely to be the case here. One way of being more sure is to look up the contemprary newspapers around the date of death. I don't know if any are held at Conwy Archives but they certainly are at the County Archives at Caernarfon or in the Stacks at the University Library, Bangor.

In the 1911 census Arthur only has one brother who is a William Henry Evans. He volunteered for the 5th Bn RWF in 1915 but was discharged within the month, because he was under age. He was called up in Dec 1916 and spent time in the South Wales borderers based in the UK to 15/4/1918.

I'll have another look for Thomas

Hywyn

edit: Must type faster!

[bushfighter]

TANGA MEMORIAL CEMETERY