ANZAC - Herbert Clyde EVANS

ravenruis (58)in #anzac • 8 years ago

Lt-Comdr. Herbert Clyde Evans

(b. 26 Apr 1883, Oamaru; d. 5 Jun 1915, Gallipoli)
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When war broke out in 1914 he was in England, and joined the Nelson Battalion, of the Royal Naval Division.
This was a division that fought on land, and each battalion was given naval names (hence 'Nelson').
He rose up to become commander of Company D in the battalion.

Published in the Poverty Bay Herald newspaper, 26 Aug 1915, an eyewitness account of the last few hours of Herbert's life:

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Before the war, Herbert had begun his working life as a ship's crew member, eventually becoming Quartermaster before a bout of snow blindness stopped him from gaining his Master Mariner's certificate; so he reeducated himself and got a position as office manager of an engineering firm in England, whilst studying for a law degree. War broke out just as he was organising his career-switch. source

On the 25th of March 1913, Herbert had married, in Sussex, Constance Irene Whelpton Johnson (b. 1888, Walsall; d. 1976, Croydon).
Constance gave birth to twin girls in August 1915

Constance Joy Nelson and Grace Nina Clyde.
So, sadly, Herbert never got to meet his children before he was killed.

Notes:
His parents were John Thomas Evans (b. 20 Sep 1841, Gloucestershire; d. 5 Feb 1913, Gisborne) and Emma (nee Shacklock) (b. 4 Mar 1842, Kirkby in Ashfield; d. 17 Mar 1927, Gisborne).
They married in Oamaru, on the 24th of July 1863, after emigrating from Nottinghamshire. John became a 'prominent' flour miller.

Emma Shacklock was sister to Henry Ely Shacklock, manufacturer of the Shacklock range of ovens here in NZ. He had immigrated here in 1862.

Other children: