Pte 21492 Griffith Lloyd Evans

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: IV.M.8

Griffith Lloyd Evans was born in Liverpool in May or June 1890 the son of Griffith Evans and his wife Ann Catherine (nee Griffith) of 2, Glanydon, Barmouth, Merioneth. Both parents were born in Merioneth, Wales, his father in Bryncrug and his mother in Dolgellau. They married in 1883 in Liverpool and also had an older son William Arthur who was born in 1884.

At the time of the 1891 census the family were living at 9 Edith Road, Anfield, Liverpool. Griffith senior is aged 35, a freight clerk, mother Anne is aged 34, children William Arthur aged 6 a scholar, and Griffith Lloyd aged 15mths. Boarding with the family is brother in law Hugh Lloyd Griffith, aged 26, a Post Office sorting clerk and Louisa Ellen Griffith, 22, living on her own means, both born in Dolgellau. 

The family are at the same address in the 1901 census where the 16 year old William is now a bank clerk. His father is aged 45, still a freight clerk, and mother 44. His uncle Hugh still boards with the family, as does his widowed grandmother Ann Griffith, who lives on her own means.  

In September 1904, at the age of 14 years and 3 months, Griff was admitted to Liverpool Collegiate School, his father's occupation given as freight clerk. 

The 1911 Census finds the family are still at the same address. His father, 55, is a shipping clerk, and his mother is 54. William Arthur, 26, is a bank clerk, while 20 year old Griffith is working as a compositors merchants clerk.

Griff enlisted on the 11th September 1914 at Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21492. He gave his age as 24 years and four months and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet six and three quarter inches tall, weighed 138lbs, 36” chest, with a brown complexion,brown eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Wesleyan, and NOK father Griffith Evans, 9 Edith Rd. 

Formed on 7^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

His service records show:

05.5.15: At Belton Park: Absence from church parade. Admonished.

12.7.15: At Belton Park: Late for fatigues. Admonished.

07.11.15: Embarked for France from Folkestone with his battalion.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 26, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone. 

An entry on his Casualty Form dated 05th August 1916 records, Wounded, to Field Ambulance, but on the 13th, "above report cancelled, Killed in Action".

Griff was buried close to where he fell as an Unknown Soldier of the K.L.R. After the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was identified, removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery where he now rests. 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.  

His headstone bears the epitaph:

"CU IAWN FUOST GENNYM"

This translates to:

"HE WAS VERY DEAR TO US"

His father made enquiries with the International Red Cross in Geneva but was notified on 18th September 1916 that they held no information on his son.

However, a report was later received from Corporal 11423 George Pryer 1st K.L.R., a prisoner at Langensalza POW camp, stating that Griffith had been killed. This was communicated to the family on 15th December 1916. George had arrived in France on 12/08/1914 and had been awarded the Military Medal. He was captured on 08th August 1916 at the Somme, wounded in the head and torso. George survived internment and was discharged in December 1919.

Griff's personal effects were sent to his mother in January 1917, but in February 1918 she received his Identity Disc, and wrote a poignant letter on 14th February 1918 to Infantry Records -

"Dear Sir,

We are very upset receiving [illegible] part of the Disc in this state after 18 months, can you relieve us by letting us know how and were (sic) it was found and when as you reported my son G Ll Evans 21492 wounded and the end of the week killed on the 30 July 1916.  We heard from other sources that there was no disc or little book on him the 1st of August 1916. The book we received last year in a good condition, quite new, [illeg] accounts for the Disc coming now in the state it is in.

My son willingly joined the Pals in 1914 and laid down his life for his country and we should like to know more fully what did happen to him. No officer or anyone in his 14th platoon or the 4th Com have sent us a word, it would be a great relief if you can let us know all, and oblige,

His broken-hearted mother,

C. Ann Evans"

Griff earned his three medals.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his mother, who was granted probate in 1917.

Probate 1917:- 

EVANS Griffith Lloyd of 9 Edith Road, Anfield Liverpool private 19th K.L.R. died 30 July 1916 in France Probate Liverpool 26th January to Catherine Evans (wife of Griffith Evans). Effects £242 8s 4d. 

In the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont, his family paid tribute to Griff:

“In loving remembrance of Private G.L. Evans (Griff), 19th King’s Liverpool Regiment (“Pals”) killed in action near Guillemont on the morning of July 30, 1916. God was with him, he did not blench. Mam, Dad, and Arthur.”

Griff is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 1. 

Liverpool Collegiate School Memorial

His brother, Arthur served in the Royal Engineers, as 2nd (Lance) Corporal 434598, 47th Anti-Aircraft Coy.  No medal roll has been found, indicating that he did not serve overseas. Tragedy struck the parents again on 28th March 1918 when Arthur, their only surviving child, died at 2nd Western General Hospital (Royal Infirmary) in Manchester. The Graves Registration Form indicates that he was "killed in accident at Manchester".  Arthur was 33 years old, and was buried with a CWGC headstone in Dolgellau Nonconformist Cemetery.  [Reported Liverpool Echo - Wednesday 03 April 1918] 

The pension cards do not show the amount awarded for both sons.

On the 1921 census  his parents were still living in Edith Road.  They later moved to Barmouth on the Welsh coast, 10 miles from Dolgellau. The Commonweath War Graves Commission records his parents address as 2 Glanydon, Barmouth, Merioneth. It is not known when they died.

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