Pte 31166 Edward Henry Evans

• Age: 21
• From: Penmaenmawr, Merioneth
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 2nd November 1916
• Commemorated at: Etaples Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: XII.C.18

Edward Henry Evans was born in 1895 in Penmaenmawr and resided in Seacombe. He was the son of Robert Charles and Margaret Elizabeth Evans (nee Jeffrey), of Compton House, Penmaenmawr. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Compton House, Dwygyfylchi, Conway, Caernarvonshire.

His Father Robert Charles is aged 42, born 1859 and is a Fancy Goods Merchant and was born in Conway. His mother Margaret Elizabeth is aged 41, born 1860 in Dover, Kent. They have four children, who were all born in Penmaenmawr. Harold Jeffrey is aged 15, born 1886, Newman Edgar aged 13, born 1888, Edward Henry aged 6, born 1895 and Mag Edith aged 4, born 1897.

The 1911 Census shows Edward Henry living as a Boarder at 14 Columbia Road Walton-On-The-Hill Liverpool.

The Head of the Household was James Johnson aged 33, born 1878 and occupation General Merchants Clerk and was born in Liverpool. His wife Edith Annie is aged 35, born 1876 in Oswestry, Shropshire, and they have one child Edith May aged 1, born 1910. It would appear Edward was living at the address of a work colleague.

He enlisted in Prescot, Knowsley and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 31166 when he died of wounds on the 02nd November 1916 aged 21 during the Somme Offensive. 

A newspaper report noted:

DIED OF WOUNDS

Pte Edward Henry Evans, of the King's Liverpool Regiment, joined the colours in August of last year, and was drafted to France in December. He took part in the "big push"on July 1st, and came out unscathed. Later he was transferred to another part of the line, and while in the trenches was seriously wounded by shrapnelin the elbow. From the base hospital in France he wrote a most cheery letter, in which he said that he had been “ticketed to Blighty,” but this was not to be. Though every attention was bestowed on him, the wound took a bad turn; amputation had to be resorted to but he passed away on November 2. His parents went over to see him, but arrived just after he had been interred and had the only consolation of visiting the military cemetery, where he was laid to rest. The brave soldier who was a keen footballer and enthusiastic golfer, was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs R. C. Evans of Penmaenmawr, and his brother C.P. Evans resides at “Hilary,” Harrow Road, Wallasey. Two other sons are serving with the colours.   

Edward now lies in Etaples Military Cemetery, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“AT REST”

During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained.

The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. It is the largest CWGC cemetery in France, and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Soldiers Effects to his father Robert Charles. 

We currently have no further information on Edward Henry Evans, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.