Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

In July 1882, Reuben Thomas Evans was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He was born a protestant with brown eyes; dark hair and a dark complexion. He grew to be 6ft 2.5” and weighed 183 pounds at the time of enlistment. Before enlisting with the Australian Imperial Forces (A.I.F.), he worked as a labourer and was married to Grace Mary Evans, with whom he had five children. He had also previously served in the 9th Australian Commonwealth Horse in South Africa, which I assume encouraged him to join the A.I.F. during WWI.  

Reuben Thomas Evans enlisted with the A.I.F. on the 26th of March, 1915, at the age of 32 years and 8 months which seems quite old to be joining the A.I.F. compared to other soldiers volunteering. He enlisted at Keswick, South Australia, became Private Reuben Thomas Evans with service number 2365 and joined the 10th battalion. Three months after enlisting, Evans embarked from Adelaide on board the HMAT A61 Kanowna to Egypt where he began his war service. On the 17th of September, almost three months after embarking from Adelaide, Evans joined his unit on Gallipoli. 

However, after only a month and six days at the front, Evans was admitted to hospital in Gallipoli, Turkey and a day later transferred to a hospital ship called ‘Glenart Castle’. This tells you that Evans wasn’t likely to have been very fit or healthy to only manage such a short period on the battlefield before needing to go to hospital. Evans was on board the Glenart Castle for four days before being transferred to the No.2 Australian General Hospital, Egypt. While he was at the No.2 Australian General Hospital, Egypt, Evans was diagnosed with subacute rheumatism. Rheumatism is inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles, or fibrous tissue. His rheumatism started 2 weeks before being admitted to the hospital and it began with pain in all his joints. Evans also complained of a “rupture”. On examination, doctors found both his ankle joints were slightly swollen and tender, his knee joints were both tender to touch, but no redness or swelling. Doctors also found his right testicle atrophied and there were signs of an old operation in his right lower abdomen for an undescended testicle. Doctors noted that Evans’ right testicle rose up and stayed in the inguinal canal, it could be reduced into the scrotum, but then travelled back again into the canal. Evans’ illness looks to have been quite bad and I am confused as to how he passed the health test all soldiers have to take before enlisting for the A.I.F. 

On the 3rd of November Evans’ was said to be improving and three days later he started to get better. After another three days, there was further improvement, but two days later Evans’ was diagnosed with jaundice which means his skin or whites of his eyes started to become yellow. After four days, he started to get better and then after two days he was allowed to go out until 5 pm. I assume this was because they thought he was fit enough and felt he needed to get some fresh air and relief from hospital . At this point, Evans had been stuck in hospital for three weeks and would likely to have been struggling with the confinement. So, it wasn’t a complete surprise when Evans was reported to have gone out and returned drunk and unconscious on the 18th of November. Evans must have been very sad due the amount of time he spent in the hospital and may have felt the need to drown his sorrows with alcohol or was enjoying himself too much and got carried away. Four days after being reported to have returned drunk, Evans started to get better, and on the 24th of November Evans was discharged from hospital.

Four days after discharge Evans was transferred to Alexandria. Alexandria was a camp which soldiers were transferred to while recovering before being allowed to return to fighting on the battlefield. Evans remained in the camp at Alexandria, Egypt for almost 2 weeks before being taken on strength to the base in Ghezireh, Cairo, Egypt.

Evans was at Ghezireh for almost a month before being transferred back to the No. 2 Australian General Hospital, Egypt on the 14th of January. Evans was complaining of a lump in his right groin. It was made known that Evans had an operation 10 years ago for a rupture and varicose vein. He also had an operation for a right inguinal hernia when he was one and had four subsequent operations. Evans said his testicle was always in his scrotum until he went to Anzac where it became drawn up into his groin after carrying water and ammunitions and caused pain when walking and marching. On examination doctors also found scars of an old operation in both groins and his right testicle lay in the inguinal canal and was very tender. However, this testicle could easily be shifted down into his scrotum where it lay comfortably and didn’t appear to cause any tenderness  as it became retracted spontaneously. Seven days after being admitted to hospital he was discharged and ordered to return to duty. In summary, Evans was diagnosed with a retained testicle and I believe the doctors examined him, but didn’t feel his condition was serious enough to prevent him returning to the battlefield. A retained testicle is a condition males can be born with. It is when a testicle hasn’t moved into the bag of skin below the penis before birth. The testicle usually moves into a proper position on its own within a few months, but if it doesn’t, it can be relocated with surgery. Evans had multiple operations to relocate his testicle, but I assume these operations didn’t go to plan as he was still left with this problem as a 33 year old.

I don’t think Evans was fit for war if it was causing him pain just carrying water and ammunitions or marching. This again causes me to question the health test soldiers go through when enlisting with A.I.F. If Evans passed this test, then why did he have a condition requiring him to keep going to hospital and causing him pain when doing basic tasks involved in war life. 

For a second time, on 31st January, 2016 Evans was taken on strength to the overseas base in Ghezireh, Cairo, Egypt shortly after being discharged from hospital. I assume Evans retained testicle wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be otherwise, he would have needed an immediate operation. About a month later, he re-joined his unit at Zeitoun, Egypt and then 20 days later moved and re-joined his unit again from Details, Serapeum. Eight days after re-joining his unit in Serapeum, Evans marched out to Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt on the 18th of March. Tel-el-Kebir was a WWI training centre for the First A.I.F. reinforcements during the Gallipoli landings and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (a fight between the Arab Revolt and the British Empire, against the Ottoman Empire and its Imperial German allies, which went from 28 January 1915 – 30 October 1918).

The next day on the 19th of March 1916, Evans embarked at Suez for a return to Australia, for disciplinary reasons. Exactly a month after embarking at Suez, Evans disembarked in Adelaide and a day later was discharged from the A.I.F. due to his medical condition.

Evans was awarded with multiple medals for his service during WWI. He was the recipient of the 1914-15 Star Medal for serving against the Central European Powers in the Great War, the British Medal for serving a set amount of time during the war and the Victory medal which many ANZACs received for fighting in the British Imperial Force during WWI.

On the 21st of May 1925, Reuben Thomas Evans died at the age of 42 from unknown causes.

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