Lieut Thomas George Evans (MID)

• Age: 28
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: S LANC REGT
• Died on Thursday 20th September 1917
• Commemorated at: Vlamertinghe New Mc
  Panel Ref: V.G.10

Whilst his parents took out a message of Condolence in the Liverpool Echo on 06th October 1917:

EVANS - Mr and Mrs John Evans of Gardner road, Tuebrook, sincerely thank all friends for their most appreciated sympathy upon the death of their son, Second Lieutenant Thomas George Evans, in action on the 20th ult. 

"And there shall be no more death, neither shall they learn war any more" 

The extract below gives greater detail on his life and was taken from Liverpool's Scroll of Fame.

The teaching profession gave many splendid young lives to the cause of freedom, and many Liverpool schools are the poorer for the loss of those who, at their country's call exchanged the scholastic gown for the King's uniform. The teachers as a class made capital officers, and proved the could lead men as well as instruct youth. Their personal bravery, too, shines out gloriously in the annals of the war. Themselves disciplinarians, they set an example in submission to authority ;  they questioned no orders and shirked no danger.

Of this profession and type was Sec.-Lieut. Thomas George Evans, of the 4th South Lancashires, formerly of the 19th King's Liverpool Regiment, who in civil life was assistant master of St Anne's Church Schools, Stanley. He was the eldest son of Mr John Evans, an official of the Telegragh Department of the Post Office and of Mrs. Mary Evans, 8, Gardener Road, and was married to Miss Annie Hinds, of Stoneycroft only a short time before his death, namely, in February 1917. Many contemporaries will remember him as a student of great promise at Clarence Street College.

He was one of the multitude of eager young Liverpool patriots who heard and heeded Lord Derby's call in the early days of the war. Just a month after commencement of hostilities- September 3rd - 1914 - he enlisted in the 19th (City) Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, and became a Corporal during training. He did his bit well and truly in the Somme Battle of 1916, and was twice promoted on the field - first to Sergeant, and afterwards to Quartermaster. He also had the honour of being mentioned in despatches for valorous devotion to duty.

Being recommended for a commission, he came home in January, 1917, and having undergone a course at Cadet School, Berkhamsted, was gazetted to the 3rd South Lancashires as Second Liuetenant in the following July.

He was serving with the South Lancashires, with whom he had spent a month, when he met his death. The circumstances under which he made the great sacrifice were unusually thrilling, and ought to make Liverpool proud of owning such a gallant son. The day before his death, which occurred on the 20th September 1917, he wrote to his wife:

"This time tomorrow I shall have attempted a dangerous piece of work. Think of me tonight, as I am about to be tried by fire, and will, I trust, not to be found wanting, Well, well, its the war, and I am cheerful and hopeful only asking for strength and courage to do what is expected of me, and the consequences I do not fear. If you never hear from me more, know that I died in the cause of duty."

Lieut. Rees, second in command of the Company tells the story of what happened:

"The Battalion went forward from billets at midnight on the 19th, and took up its fighting position an hour later. At 6 a.m. we received our orders to advance, and for each one of us the agony of the Battle of Ypres had commenced. Lieut. Evans went forward at the head of No.14 Platoon, bravely and without hesitation. He led his men through intense enemy barrage fire, and by 6.15 we had reached our objective. I had left him only a few minutes when a high velocity shell exploded nearby and caused his instantaneous death. To the great credit of the N.C.O.'s and men who were left from No. 14 Platoon, my request for volunteers to carry the body away with us met with instant response. The men had been in battle 48 hours, and they were weak and exhausted, yet under my command they carried him through a heavily shelled area, a distance of five miles. It was a wonderful tribute the men paid to the memory of so gallant a  leader. This morning (the 22nd) Lieut. Evans was buried in a peaceful cemetery some miles in the rear of the battlefield, the roaring of the guns still being audible, and providing a singularly appropriare requiem".

In such a short time therefore, Lieut. Evans had won the hearts of the men who served under him and the admiration and the esteem of his fellow officers, but if this is what ws thought of him in his military life it was equally so in civilian circles, and the bereaved widow and parents were the recipients of much sympathy, mingled with expressions of admiration of the late officer's unflinching heroism. Lieut. Evans had three brothers with the colours, and at the time of his death which took place in his 29th year, two of them were in hospital.

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