BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / St Oswald’s Church / Christ Church
JOB – Fellmonger
UNIT – 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
RANK – Private 12369
THEATRE – Somme / Transloy Ridge. 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, 9-12 October 1916.
DIED – KIA 12 October 1916. Aged 35.
BURIED – Thiepval Memorial (grave unknown). (CWGC)
Alfred Evans was born in 1881 at Oswestry. He was the middle of three children with elder sister Lily and younger brother Wilfred. His father and mother were Gins and Elizabeth Evans. His father was a fellmonger – a dealer and tanner of animal skins, he ran the tannery that used to be on Oak Street. His father was also a local Councillor. In 1891 they lived at (3 Mount Terrace) 80 Park Avenue, Oswestry and later moved to Oak House next to the tannery. He would follow in his father’s trade and become a fellmonger. Alfred was a churchgoer; he was a member of Christ Church Choir and Sunday School and the Christian Endeavour Society and at one time was honorary secretary of Oswestry Liberal Club. He was popular and had a large circle of friends.
Alfred enlisted in September 1914 joining 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, Oswestry Pals and was in the first draft to leave Oswestry. He went over to France with 6 Bn KSLI on 24 July 1915. In February 1916 he was wounded when the battalion was at Pilkem Ridge, Ypres. When he returned to duty he was posted to 1 Bn KSLI. He had also been on leave a few weeks before he was killed. Alfred was KIA on 12 October 1916 at Transloy during the Somme Offensive. His body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. He is also commemorated at St Oswald’s Church and Christ Church, Oswestry.
Acknowledgements.
END