Harry (Henry) Evans was born in 1884 at Oswestry, the eldest son of John and Susan Evans. His father worked as a labourer in a tannery. In 1891 he had two sisters Gertrude and Kate. They lived at 9 Oak Street – their father possibly working at the tannery at the top of the road. By 1901 they had moved to 15 Oak Street, with 4 more children – John, Sarah, Gladys and Florence, – Harry was working as an apprentice plumber for a local builder.  In May 1907 Harry married Gertrude Jones, they too set up house on Oak Street, at number 23. They would have 2 children, Gertrude born in 1909 and Henry in 1910. By the time of the war they were living at 24 Castle Street.

His military career is difficult to trace. He enlisted at Shrewsbury probably in 1915 and possibly in 8 Bn King’s Shropshire light Infantry – given his age, rank and number he was very likely a Territorial soldier before the war. He did not serve overseas in 1915 and likely joined up with the battalion in Macedonia/Salonika. At some point he transferred to 2 Garrison Battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment. Garrison battalions were made up of men who, because of wounding or illness, were unfit for combat or frontline duties and served instead as garrison troops at base depots. It is possible that Harry was invalided out of the KSLI – possibly due to illness such as malaria or dysentery as unfit for combat and posted to garrison duties with the King’s Liverpool. Harry is recorded as ‘Died of Disease’ on 6 November 1918 and was buried at Dedeagatch British Cemetery, Greece. His widow chose the inscription ‘Thy way not mine O Lord’ for his headstone. He also commemorated at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry.

Dedeagatch, now called Alexandroupolis, is on the Aegean Sea in northern Greece near to the Turkey border. The town was first occupied by Commonwealth forces in October 1918 at the end of the Macedonia campaign.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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