EVANS, Rees Tudor

“MERTHYR OFFICER BROTHERS KILLED IN THE SAME ACTION ON THE SAME DAY WITH THE 5th WELSH REGIMENT AT SUVLA BAY"

Second Lieutenant Richard Stanley Evans and Captain Rees Tudor Evans, 5th Battalion, Welsh Regiment

Both Killed in Action on 10th August 1915, at Suvla Bay. Richard was age 23, Rees was age 26

Both are commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey (Panel 140 - 144). Their final resting places are unfortunately unknown

Rees was born in 1887 and Richard in 1890. At the time of the 1891 census, they both lived at Llwyncelin House, with their parents William & Elizabeth, along with numerous siblings. Following the family's return to Merthyr (after a stint in Stockton due to William’s work), the family moved to Brynteg Villa House (which I believe is in Thomastown), and were still there at the time of the 1911 census.

Richard was educated at Shrewsbury School and Hertford College, with Rees being educated at Shrewsbury School and then Magdalen College, Oxford, where he obtained a law degree.

The below is an extract from the attack on 10th August 1915, which both Richard and Rees fell in (credit to Magdalen College);

“On 10 August 1915 the attack on the high ground to the east of Suvla Plain was repeated and 158th Brigade was ordered to start the day by acting as the Reserve 159th Brigade during the first phase of a combined assault on Scimitar Hill. 159th Brigade was to lead the advance, and 158th Brigade was to go through the 159th Brigade once a certain point had been reached in order to become the leading Brigade.

At first the attack was unopposed, but at 04.45 hours, while the Welsh battalions were crossing the dried-up Salt Lake, the Turks opened up with shrapnel, causing casualties. The formations opened out about 200 yards beyond the Salt Lake, but then came under rifle fire, and when 158th Brigade caught up with 159th Brigade in order to leap-frog, it found that the men of 159th Brigade were mainly entrenched or taking cover under ledges. But the advance continued, and when the Welsh battalions opened fire at c.11.30 hours, they were about 200 yards from the Turkish positions.

They then assaulted those positions and the enemy withdrew, but when the Welshmen reached the top of Scimitar Hill the Turks enfiladed them with machine-gun fire and shrapnel. So, “suffering severely”, the 158th Brigade was forced to pull back to the line held by the 159th Brigade, having lost 168 ORs and 12 officers killed, wounded or missing, two of whom must have been Rees Tudor Evans, aged 26, and his brother Richard Stanley Evans, aged 23.

The casualties in 159th Brigade were so high that day that after the battle the 1/4th and 1/5th Battalions were amalgamated to form the 4th Welsh Composite Battalion, which remained in existence until 10 February 1916.”

The Western Mail on 20th September 1915 reports the following from an eye witness;

“Captain Tudor Evans was hit on the arm in the morning on August 10, but he kept going. He was hit again - and that finished him. He died, I believe, either on his way or on the hospital ship in the bay. The last seen of his brother, Lieutenant Stanley Evans, was his being hit in the five o’clock bayonet charge; he’s probably a prisoner…..”

Sons of William & Elizabeth Evans, of “Brynteg Villa”, Merthyr.