Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Evans was born in Upper Freestone, near Warwick in Queensland, on the 5th of September 1895. He was a natural born British citizen, since he was born in Australia, part of the British Empire at the time. He was born to Thomas and Annie Evans, who lived on Bunkers Hill Road, in Westbrook, Toowoomba.

He attended Bunkers Hill State School as a youth, which was very close to where his parents lived, so he may have also lived in Bunkers Hill as a child. After completing his schooling, he took up work as a farmer.

In 1915, Australians were being called up to serve in the war. For young Australian men, the prospect of serving their nation and empire, as well as going on the adventure of their lives was very desirable. This was no different for John Evans. He was called to serve on the 16th of August 1915, although only formally took the oath on the 21st of December. He enlisted as a private at Enoggera, about 150km from his birthplace. John was single at the time of his enlistment.

On the 3rd of January 1916, John left Brisbane for Egypt with other soldiers on board the HMAT A55 Kyarra. Little did he know, this would be the last time he ever saw his homeland. This journey would have been an incredibly scary, as the young soldiers were unaware of the atrocities they were about to face. However, there would have been feelings of excitement, since they were going on an adventure.

The Kyarra eventually reached Egypt in February. In locations such as Alexandria, Moasear and the Suez Canal, John spent around three months training, preparing to serve on the Western Front.

On the 27th of April 1916, John and his fellow soldiers arrived in Marseilles, France. He was called to fight on the 13th of July. He joined the 25th battalion on the frontline and took part in his first battle, the Battle of Pozieres. This battle saw the Allies as the offensive side, attempting to capture the village of Pozieres from the Germans. Like many other soldiers, John had never experienced anything like the horrors of war before, especially on the Western Front, where the Allies were facing German weapons, the most dangerous at the time.

On the 29th of July, the 25th battalion was still heavily involved in Pozieres. On that day, the battleground was under heavy fire from artillery and trench mortars. Many soldiers were killed or injured, including John Evans himself. He took a gunshot wound to the thigh. 

John was immediately sent to base hospital and to receive treatment for his injury. Thankfully, his wound was minor. Within four days of sustaining the injury, John was admitted to a convalescent depot, which is where soldiers recovered after suffering wounds. During this period of recuperation, John remained determined and persistent to recover quickly.

This he did, and on the 30th of September, less than three months after his injury in Pozieres, he re-joined his battalion. In early November, he became sick, likely because of the putrid, damp conditions of the trenches. He returned to service after about a week.

November of 1916 proved to the pivotal point in John’s life. That month saw him involved in the battle of Flers, taking place in Courcellete. The weather was poor at this time, with heavy rain, which made terrible conditions for the trenches and battlegrounds. This made it easy for Allied soldiers to be gunned down by Germans, since the mud slowed them down considerably.

The 14th of November 1916 proved to be a fateful day for the young soldier. The brief description in battalion unit diary corresponding to that day described an unsuccessful attack taking place at around 6:45 in the morning. The weather would have contributed to this attack being unsuccessful. During this failed advancement, John Evans was killed in action. He was twenty-one years old.

The possessions that were sent back to John’s family consisted of a wallet, photos, cards, letters, a diary, a lock of hair and a religious booklet.

The religious booklet reveals that he held the word of God close to him during his time in the war. It also proves that his faith was an important aspect of his personality. This faith driven motivation further contributed to the spirit he showed as a soldier.

Unfortunately, John Evans has no known resting place. Despite intensive searching by his battalion, his body was sadly never found. However, he is commemorated on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial in France. He was awarded the British War Medal, the 1914-15 Star and the Victory Medal for his contributions.

During his brief period as a soldier, John gave his all and refused to give up, showing bravery in an uncertain time. Despite sustaining an injury, he displayed determination and persistence to recover quickly.

Bibliography 

-        Darling Downs Gazette, 1915. The Call.

-        AIF Project. 2016. John Evans. [ONLINE] Available at: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=92865. [Accessed 18 March 2020].

-        AWM. 2020. Roll of Honour- John Evans. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1722849. [Accessed 3 March 2020].

-        Commonwealth War Graves Commission 2020. John Evans. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1460415/evans,-john/. [Accessed 24 March 2020].

-        Virtual War Memorial | John EVANS. 2020. Virtual War Memorial | John EVANS. [ONLINE] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/112896. [Accessed 24 March 2020].

-        National Archives. 1997. Item details for John Evans. [ONLINE] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=1909653&isAv=N. [Accessed 3 March 2020].

-        1916. 25th Battalion Unit Diaries. p.4.

-        Virtual War Memorial, 1915. Grenadier John Evans. [image] Available at: <https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/112896> [Accessed 25 March 2020].

-        Virtual War Memorial. n.d. Timeline. [online] Available at: <https://vwma.org.au/> [Accessed 25 March 2020].

-        Awmlondon.gov.au. 2020. Pozières: The Battle Of The Somme. [online] Available at: <http://www.awmlondon.gov.au/battles/pozieres> [Accessed 26 March 2020].

Awm.gov.au. 2020. Battle Of Flers. [online] Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84320> [Accessed 26 March 2020].