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Daniel Evans
310581, Gunner, Welsh (Carnarvonshire) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorial Force)
Died of illness after exposure to poison gas, 2 October 1919, aged 25
Buried at Llanrhos (Ss. Eleri and Mary) Churchyard
CWGC registered (Son of Hugh and Mary Evans, of 2, Belle Vue Terrace, Great Orme’s Head, Llandudno)
Daniel Evans was born on 13 June 1894 at Llandudno. He was the son of Hugh Thomas Evans and his wife Mary Evans (née Evans). The 1901 Census of Wales records Hugh Evans as a cab driver and the family, which included six children, lived at 3 Penyffordd Terrace, Llandudno – Daniel (7) was recorded as a scholar. Daniel attended Bodarfon National School, Lloyd Street School, and Dyffryn Road School. The Census of Wales for 1911 records the family living at 2 Prospect Terrace, Great Orme’s Head, Daniel being described as a chemist’s errand boy.
Daniel later became a grocer’s carter as this was his description when he engaged on 5 November 1912 into the Royal Navy for an engagement of 12 years. His Royal Naval number was K16732. His first posting was to HMS Vivid II, the Stokers and Engine Room Artificers School at Devonport in the rank of stoker II. His first ship was HMS Amphion, an Active-class scout cruiser completed in 1913 and assigned to the First Fleet. Daniel joined the Amphion on 2 April 1913 and was promoted to stoker I on 14 February 1914. When the Great War began, Amphion was a flotilla leader based at Harwich but on 6 August 1914 it struck a mine in the Thames Estuary and was the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in that conflict. Though 132 crewmen were killed, Daniel Evans was rescued. Daniel Evans spent some time at Devonport and Portsmouth but on 16 January 1915, he was posted to HMS Milne, an M-class destroyer at Harwich. He was posted back to Devonport on 5 June 1915 and invalided out of the Navy on 4 August 1915 diagnosed with chorea.
Invalid or not, Daniel Evans proceeded to join the Royal Garrison Artillery, specifically the Welsh (Carnarvonshire) Battery of the Territorial Force. His service record no longer survives but it is elsewhere recorded that he enlisted on 25 October 1915 in the rank of gunner; his original regimental number is unknown but in 1917 it became 310581. He probably did his training with the 3/1st Battery and was later sent to France, probably joining the 1/1st Battery which had been in France since March 1916. His active service is unknown though Commonwealth War Grave Commission records state that he suffered a gas attack.
Daniel Evans was medically discharged on the 31 January 1919. He was awarded a Silver War Badge No B109421 on 19 February 1919. He died on 2 October 1919 at the Llandudno Cottage Hospital aged 25 having suffered mitral stenosis which had led to heart failure. His address given on his death certificate was 2 Belle Vue Terrace, Great Orme, Llandudno. He was buried in a family grave at Llanrhos (Ss. Eleri and Mary) Churchyard.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
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