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Home Men On The Gates EVANS, Rowland. Corporal 1590.
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T V W
Ea Ed El Em Ev
Evans, A Evans, E Evans, G Evans, H Evans, R Evans, T Evans, W

EVANS, Rowland. Corporal 1590.

May 11, 2017Published By Joan Zorn

BORN – Wrexham
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation 

JOB – Joiner / Coach Builder, Cambrian Railways
UNIT – 4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
RANK – Corporal 1590
THEATRE – Died at Home / Far East – 4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
DIED – 2 March 1917. Aged 23
BURIED – Seion Chapel Oswestry. (CWGC)

Rowland Evans was born at Wrexham in 1893. His parents were Rowland and Jane Evans. Rowland was the eldest of 5 brothers – Thomas, who died in 1902, Ogwen, Idwal and Rhodes. The family lived at 72a Albert Road, Oswestry. Rowland worked at the Cambrian Railway works as a joiner / coach builder. He was also a territorial soldier in 4 Bn Kings Shropshire Light infantry joining in April 1912. At the outbreak of war he was promoted Corporal and then went with the battalion to Rangoon, India, arriving on 10 December 1914. (His Sergeant was Henry Tudor)

In January 1915, the battalion was called out to quell a mutiny in a Native Infantry Battalion. The mutiny was quickly suppressed but unrest among the native troops continued. In February native troops in Singapore mutinied and the KSLI was quickly despatched to there. Again the uprising was put down and the ringleaders executed. Tensions remained with other mutinies quickly beng put down. In March 1915 part of the battalion, including Rowland and other Oswestry men, was posted to garrison Hong Kong to guard against unrest and protect British civilians. The battalion remained in Singapore and Hong Kong until January 1917 when they transferred back to Europe and the Western Front.

Whilst at Hong Kong, in October 1916, Rowland was admitted to hospital diagnosed with TB. There had been a history of TB in his family, his father having died of it circa 1905. He was evacuated to England and, following a medical examination in January 1917 an Army Medical Board discharged him under King’s Regulations Para. 392. Rowland died a few weeks later on 2 March 1917. He is buried at Seion Chapel, Park Avenue, Oswestry – also interred is his younger brother, Thomas. Rowland  was awarded the Territorial Forces Medal

 

 

Rowland, seated left, with unidentified colleagues from 4 Bn KSLI, Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

END


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Qube is a registered charity in England and Wales | Charity No: 1063319 | Company Reg. No: 3390138

Tuberculosis - a contagious infection much associated with poor social conditions of overcrowding and bad environments. In 1914 the only treatment was isolation of patients in Sanatoriums. In Shropshire the King Edward VII Memorial Sanatorium at Shirlett was opened in 1910. The sanatorium was run by Shropshire County Council specifically for TB patients and . It closed in 1960, many of the buildings still remain, semi derelict and unused.
King's Regulation Paragraph 392 allowed for the discharge, refusal or rejection for army service. There were 30 possible reasons for rejection covering 3 basic categories: - medical grounds as 'not likely to be an efficient soldier' or 'no longer physically fit', - irregularly enlisted such as making any false declarations as to age, criminal record or other untruths, - surplus to military requirements, at the end of period of service and retirement.
The Territorial Force War Medal was approved in April 1920. The medal was awarded to all members of the Territorial Force who volunteered for overseas service not later than 30 September 1914. Recipients had to be serving in the Territorial Force on 4 August 1914 or must have completed four years Territorial Force service before that date and rejoined not later than 30 September 1914.