John Evans, First Hereford Regiment

[radnor1]

I have now confirmed that John Evans was not in the Hereford Regiment he was in the 1st/2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment.  He was killed in action on the 23 February 1917.  He was born in Hope Bowdler, Salop.  His army number was Private 266739.  If anyone has any more information about John Evans I would be very interested.

[jim1]

He didn't go overseas with the 1st. Batt. as they are not listed on his medal Roll.
Appears to have been a Territorial ( all Territorials were given a 6 digit number in 1917 )
Previously no. 4605.
Their war diary is on Ancestry if you have a sub.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01l3s/
The diary is excellent & states that on the 23rd. 3 men were killed & 2 wounded by shellfire all from A Coy.
This map in squares U.8. & U.14. digging trench mortar emplacements.
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101465176
The locations where A Coy. were working are marked in red.
Yellow is the road your man was on when the party were hit by an H.E. shell while on their way.

[radnor1]

Thank you Jim1
This is very interesting to me and my family.  I do not have a sub with Ancestry so cannot access the diary.

[jim1]

These are the relevant pages from the diary.
The Battalion had come up to relieve the 17th. Div. Pioneers on the 20th.
The 2nd. Monmouths were by this time also a Pioneer Battalion for the 29th. Div.
Just a bit of info re map.
Each square is 500 yds. The British trenches are blue & the Germans red.
You can see how close they are.
Today now the D1017:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01l3v/

[radnor1]

Thank you so much jim1, this is most interesting