Pte 27513 William Evans

• Age: 24
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

27513 Private William EVANS 18^th Battalion KLR.

William was born in 1892 the son of John Evans and his wife Eliza Jane(nee Bradshaw), who were married on the 24th Sept 1883 at Our Lady and St. Nicholas and St. Anne, Liverpool. John was a 19 year old labourer, father William, whilst Eliza was aged 18, father Richard, both gave their residence as Virgil St. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 19 Lancaster Street, Kirkdale.

His father is 36 years of age and a dock labourer born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 35 years of age and also born in the city. William is 9 years of age and has five siblings in the household. All were born in Liverpool and are listed as; Lydia J. a stationery factor aged 17, Mary S. aged 16 and a machine minder in a tin works, Eliza aged 14, Benjamin aged 11, and Esther aged 6. Also listed is a boarder, Joseph Pinkett described as a second cousin, aged 50 and a widowed boiler maker. 

By 1911 his mother has died and William, Esther and his father are living with his married sister Elizabeth Clark aged 26 and her husband Edward aged 28 at 22 Orlando Street, Bootle.  Father John is aged 46 and a dock labourer, William is shown to be 19 years of age and is employed as a printer, Esther is aged 12 and at school. 

At the time of his enlistment in Liverpool on the 04th May 1915 William was living with his father John Evans at 66 Benedict Street, Bootle and was employed by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board in Liverpool. He joined the 18th Battalion of THe King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 27513.

William crossed to France on 22nd December 1915 as part of a reinforcement draft for the 18^th Battalion who had arrived in France on 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action  during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks. 

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

William has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. 

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

He was originally posted as Missing and was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 07th August 1916

"Private William Evans, whose home is at 66, Benedict street, Bootle, has been reported by the War Office as missing. He was twenty-four years of age, and worked for the Dock Board.  He joined the Army a little more than a year ago, and about three weeks ago news came from a comrade that he had been killed. Mr. Evans will be grateful for any information regarding his son."  

EVANS - July 1, aged 24 years, Private William Evans K.L.R., dearly loved youngest son of John and Eliza Evans, 66 Benedict Street, Bootle. (“Until the day dawns and the shadows flee away.”)  

William is also remembered on the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board War Memorial, Pier Head, Liverpool and on the Bootle Civic War Memorial, Stanley Road, Bootle.

CWGC shows him as the son of John Evans of 66 Benedict Street, Bootle. 

Soldiers Effects to sister Lydia J., Pension to father John. 

The father died aged 66 in 1931. 

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