Lance Corporal James Evans

Lance Corporal James Evans, 1st/7th ( Territorial ) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. He died of wounds in France on 23rd October, 1915 aged 20 and is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, St Laurent Blangy. Somewhat strangely his Headstone is inscribed ” His Virtues Are Recorded Elsewhere”. His brother Sergeant George Henry Evans died of wounds in Belgium one month later with a similar unusual headstone inscription. They had been born in Berwick and were the sons of James and Isabella Evans of 7 Ness Street, Berwick -on-Tweed. At that time the Battalion was holding trenches in the Armentieres sector and suffered casualties from intermittent shelling. On 15th October Lance Corporal Evans had gallantly gone out into No Mans Land to try and bring in a wounded comrade. He was shot and severely wounded and died in a Dressing Station. The photo shows the impressive Memorial raised to commemorate the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Division of which the Battalion was part until February 1918 when it was transferred to the 42nd ( East Lancashire ) Division as the Pioneer Battalion. It was erected near the village of Weiltje in the Ypres Salient where nearby ,during the Battle of St Julien, the Division had fought its first action of the War only days after landing on the Continent.

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