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Remembered Today:

Henry John Evans - b 1878 - A/Bdr 14925 - DoW 30/6/1915


wandererpaul

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A Great, Great Uncle of mine..........a bit of a long post but hope people can assist.... :)  (All links inserted are to Ancestry)

 

Henry John Evans: birth reg'd. 1878 Brentford Middlesex. Father; Richard. Mother; Sophia.

 

I have his Census records for; 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911.

 

I have his marriage to Elizabeth Butcher on 18 Nov. 1907. Henry is noted as a "soldier".

 

His service number suggests a December 1900 to February 1901 enlistment.

 

Numbers 14940 to 14990 are - mostly - dated from 8 Feb 1901 to 21 Feb 1901. No records seem to have survive for numbers 14900 to 14930..... oddly. Any assistance as to when he enlisted..... thanks.

 

He served in the Boer War as Gunner 14925 H J Evans, 21st Battery RFA. Receiving the South Africa Medal (King or Queen?) and clasp for Defence of Ladysmith.

 

14925 Evans entered the War in France on 19/8/1914. In 107th Battery RFA. (3rd Division, 23rd Brigade).

 

He received the 1914 Star (Gunner), BW and V medals (A/L Bdr.). He also received the L.S.G.C. Medal too.

 

The 107th Battery were SE of Ypres in June 1915. (Via the WD of the 23rd Brigade). Brigade HQ was situated at Zillebeke.

 

Also noted in the WD; On 30th June 1915; The wagon line of the 107th Battery was hit."6 killed and 3 wounded".

 

It is noted in the Soldier Effects record that H J Evans "Died of Wounds". Widow Elizabeth. Children; Gwendolene and Adeline (sp?). War Gratuity paid suggests enlistment when? January 1901? I've seen his Pension Card on Fold3 too. Nothing extra to add.

 

To which Field Ambulance or CCS would H J Evans have gone to? I believe the 7th, 8th and 9th Field Ambulance were attached to the Brigade. Noted as being around Brandhoek. Are there any documents surviving which could add more? I've not found anything on FMP or Ancestry, as yet.

 

14925 H. J. Evans is buried in plot I.C.11. Brandhoek Military Cemetery Belgium.

 

I'm hoping someone could assist in noting who the other five men were who died the same day? I know of four, so far, and they're shown below. Who was the sixth? Was it the RAMC man in plot I.C.10 in the same cemetery?

 

The four known; I.C.8 Reuben Day 44062 (KIA), I.C.9 William C Holding 52522 (KIA), I.C.12 Frederick T Hill 73174 (KIA) and I.C.13 Thomas West 15283 (KIA).

 

I did read in the 14th FIeld Ambulance Register of a Gunner (E) D Edmonds 13591 noted as being from 107th Bty RFA. Admitted on 30/6/1915. Would this be correct? Other sources, ie CWGC and Soldier Effects, suggest 109th Bty.....confused but could be an error in the register.

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

Paul

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19 hours ago, wandererpaul said:

He served in the Boer War as Gunner 14925 H J Evans, 21st Battery RFA. Receiving the South Africa Medal (King or Queen?) and clasp for Defence of Ladysmith.

The clasp is to the Queens SA Medal. There were only 2 clasps to the Kings - 1901 and 1902

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2 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

Does it? Looks to me it says "in action" or am I missing something?

It says 'In Action'.

 

Craig

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The war gratuity in this case only really tells us he has 12 months or less war time service(it was flat rate for 12 months or less).


Craig

 

 

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23 hours ago, wandererpaul said:

Was it the RAMC man in plot I.C.10 in the same cemetery?

Quite possible

Anderson was 8th Field Ambulance per CWGC, son of James and Jane of Elrig village.

 

Findmypast tells us this in Liverpool Echo 29/6/16 edition 'In Memoriam'. He was RAMC attached to RFA.

2029301401_GWFEvansJHRFAAndersonRAMC.JPG.6997475738c1f19543af4308c98da78a.JPG

 

Charlie

 

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Anderson has a Medal Index card as Frank Anderson RAMC. a/Sjt for the 14 Star but 'reverts to Private on change of unit' for BWM VM.

SDGW also under Frank whereas CWGC under Robert Francis. What does Effects add for unit?

Edited by charlie962
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15 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

The clasp is to the Queens SA Medal. There were only 2 clasps to the Kings - 1901 and 1902

 

Thank you for that 👍

 

Always best to ask ;) 

 

15 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

Does it? Looks to me it says "in action" or am I missing something?

 

Ah, yes, I’ve got a note “D of W” also. As that is why I was asking regarding Field Ambulances and CCS stations.

I’ll need to go back and find that note!

 

13 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

The war gratuity in this case only really tells us he has 12 months or less war time service(it was flat rate for 12 months or less).


Craig

 

 

 

Thanks Craig. He must have rejoined? As he’s noted in the Census records for 1901 and 1911 as being in the RFA. Without his records, it’s difficult to know then.....Joined around January 1901, 12 year full service? No reserve? Out by 1913? Called up again as in reserves after discharge?

 

12 hours ago, charlie962 said:

Quite possible

Anderson was 8th Field Ambulance per CWGC, son of James and Jane of Elrig village.

 

Findmypast tells us this in Liverpool Echo 29/6/16 edition 'In Memoriam'. He was RAMC attached to RFA.

2029301401_GWFEvansJHRFAAndersonRAMC.JPG.6997475738c1f19543af4308c98da78a.JPG

 

Charlie

 

 

Thanks for the information. 👍

 

It certainly looks like the RAMC man, in plot I C 10, could well be the 6th man killed. 

 

11 hours ago, charlie962 said:

Anderson has a Medal Index card as Frank Anderson RAMC. a/Sjt for the 14 Star but 'reverts to Private on change of unit' for BWM VM.

SDGW also under Frank whereas CWGC under Robert Francis. What does Effects add for unit?

 

I’ll look that up....👍

Thank you for your help. All adds to the story as there’s nothing within the family as to his service.

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Ah yes, the medal roll has “died of wounds”.

 

therefore, my thinking was, if he “died of wounds” - to which ambulance or ccs would he have been taken too? He obviously received serious enough wounds that he may have died before or during his examination when at the station? So his records are also KIA?

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Anderson’s Soldier Effects has this;

 

(taken from ancestry.co.uk)

034AC686-9BAB-4743-8188-6FB0B40A91CE.jpeg

 

Now, another issue!!

 

CWGC has 30/6/1915.

 

Soldier effects and other records note 29/6/1915!!

 

mmmmmmmm..........more research ;)

Edited by wandererpaul
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Quote

Thanks Craig. He must have rejoined? As he’s noted in the Census records for 1901 and 1911 as being in the RFA. Without his records, it’s difficult to know then.....Joined around January 1901, 12 year full service? No reserve? Out by 1913? Called up again as in reserves after discharge? 

I suspect that he was still serving at the outbreak of war - the gratuity would suggest that was the case.

Craig

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22 minutes ago, wandererpaul said:

Anderson’s Soldier Effects has this;

 

(taken from ancestry.co.uk)

034AC686-9BAB-4743-8188-6FB0B40A91CE.jpeg

 

Now, another issue!!

 

CWGC has 30/6/1915.

 

Soldier effects and other records note 29/6/1915!!

 

mmmmmmmm..........more research ;)

 

When I looked a little while ago at the difference in records it seemed to creep in when records hit the AG branch and they dispatched the paperwork off to different departments, the records then forming the various data sets.


Craig

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Good. So Soldiers Effects I think confirms Anderson RAMC was your extra man.

LLT says this

1281585215_GWFEvansHJRFA23Bde107BtyLLT.JPG.a5d5001a44a1c990e07fbce53580818d.JPG

 

As to the 29th or 30th June, isn't there always a question of cut-off of the lists being done before the end of the day ? So if Evans etc died late afternoon of 29th they would probably be on the List that's called 30th.

 

Charlie

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34 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

Good. So Soldiers Effects I think confirms Anderson RAMC was your extra man.

LLT says this

1281585215_GWFEvansHJRFA23Bde107BtyLLT.JPG.a5d5001a44a1c990e07fbce53580818d.JPG

 

As to the 29th or 30th June, isn't there always a question of cut-off of the lists being done before the end of the day ? So if Evans etc died late afternoon of 29th they would probably be on the List that's called 30th.

 

Charlie

There is - the initial death report can be out by a day because of this but then the extra divergence in dates between the different record sets then seems to creep in at the AG Branch and after. Overall it goes to show that you can't 100% trust records in such a complicated administrative system.

Craig

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