The 40th Pathans also took part in Third Afghan

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear GWF enthusiasts,

CAPT. E. A. EVANS, 40 PATHANS. is impressed on the IGS medal with Afghanistan NWF 1919 clasp, which is part of a court-mounted and cased group of five to the Rev. Eryk Agard Evans (1896-1974). The tailor's tag on the back has his name inked in and the date (1937).

Educated at King Edward's School, plans for studying medicine were cut abruptly short by the outbreak of war. Commissioned in 1914, Eryk Agard Evans was with the 2/5 Warwicks in France and survived a bayonet wound.

Unfit, he was shunted off to India to join the 1st Garrison Battalion, Ox and Bucks Light Infantry in 1917 - but joined the Indian Army in 1918, attached 40th Pathans. He was subsequently Assistant Recruiting Officer, Peshawar, 1920-21 (Capt.).

Following his military service, Evans went up to Cambridge (M.A.) and took Holy Orders. He was married in 1926 (3 s. and 1 d.). Amongst other things, Rev. E. A. Evans was the 9th Principal of Lawrence Royal Military School, Sanawar (near Simla), and was awarded the 1935 Jubilee and 1937 Coronation medals. He died in 1974, in his 79th year.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Kimberley John Lindsay.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear GWF Members,

Here is the naming on his IGS.

Any comment would be more than welcome!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Kimberley John Lindsay

Edited 7 August , 2015 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[MaureenE]

Interesting that he ended up back in India as the Principal of what is now the Lawrence School, at Sanawar, which was originally founded in 1847 by Sir Henry Lawrence, who was killed during the Indian Mutiny.

This school was originally called the Lawrence Military Asylum, and was for the education of orphan and other children of soldiers of British background, who had served in India. From the beginning, both boys and girls were included.

Cheers

Maureen

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Maureen,

Thanks for that.

Evans had been wounded as a Lieutenant in France, by Friendly Fire, and was shunted off to a Garrison Battalion in India. There, he joined the Indian Army and was latterly a Recruiting Officer on the Frontier.

He returned to England to take Holy Orders (MA), and was later selected to rapidly replace the late Sanawar Principal: an athletic fellow who had suffered a fatal heart attack in the school swimming pool.

The erudite Rev. Eryk Agard Evans, assisted by his able and highly-intelligent wife (she had a degree and worked at Bletchley Park during the Second War), raised the intellectual level of Sanawar, encouraged music and did away with beating - against Establishment opposition.

After Evans had left the school rather hurriedly, during the war (partly due to the aforementioned opposition), beating and a more military regime were re-introduced!

Kindest regards,

Kim.