Major Fred Evans M.C.

by Jane Schy

Occupation: Coal Miner; Under-Manager of the Caledonian Colliery at Walloon; Mine Inspector; Manager Lanefield Colliery
Birth: 2 December 1885, Ynyshir, Glamorgan, Wales
Baptism: 30 March 1886,  Parish Church of Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan, Wales
Immigration: 15 November 1887, the R.M.S. Merkara arrived at Brisbane from London
Residence: 1912  Aberystwith,  Blackstone, Queensland
Residence: 1916, 1917, 1921 “Marias House”, Redbank Road, Blackstone (Electoral Roll)
Residence: 1925, 1926 Thagoona, Queensland (Electoral Roll)
Residence: 1936, 1943, 1949  Matthew Street, Rosewood (Electoral Roll)
Note: Even though the electoral rolls give the family’s address as Matthew Street, newspaper reports refer to them as living at Thagoona in these years.
Residence: 1954, 1958 Arthur Street, Rosewood (Electoral Roll)
Death: 2 October 1959, 50 Mary Street, Blackstone, Queensland
Burial: Rosewood Columbarium Wall
Religion: Congregational
Father: Serg. Edward James EVANS (1855-1908)
Mother: Hannah JENKINS (1857-1935)

Spouse: Edith May DAVIES
Occupation : Home Duties, Wife and Mother
Birth: 9 May 1887, Torbanlea via Maryborough, Queensland
Residence: 1916, 1917, 1921 “Marias House”, Redbank Road, Blackstone (Electoral Roll)
Residence: 1925, 1926 Thagoona, Queensland (Electoral Roll)
Residence: 1931 Mary Street, Blackstone (Electoral Roll)
Residence: 1936, 1943, 1949 Matthew Street, Rosewood (Electoral Roll)
Residence: 1954, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1977, 1980 Arthur Street, Rosewood (Electoral Roll)
Death: 18 August 1986, Ipswich aged 99 years 3 months
Burial: Rosewood Columbarium Wall
Religion: Congregational
Father: Jacob DAVIES  (1857-1939)
Mother: Mary THOMAS (1858-1913)
Marriage: 26 November 1913, United Welsh Church, Blackstone, Queensland

Children:
Trevelyn Mervyn Kerrian EVANS (1914-1997) = Mavis Irene LEWIS
Iris Brenda May EVANS (1916-1966) = Gordon Laird YARROW
Dulcie Valdeen EVANS (1920-1920)
Daphne Joan EVANS (1923-2013) = Douglas Norman FAIRY; John James WARREN
Patricia Joy EVANS (1927-2013) = William John SWEETING
Marie Myfanwy EVANS (1929-2005) = Cecil William GEHRKE

Fred was just a “plentyn” (Welsh for toddler) when he arrived on board the Merkara with his parents. They were remittance passengers, which meant that a natural-born or naturalised relative or friend who was living in Queensland had obtained a passage warrant from the Government, and had paid their passage to Australia. The ship anchored off Cape Moreton at 3a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, 15th November 1887. The steamer Boko towed it up the river on Thursday morning. There were 470 people on board.

If you’d like to read about their voyage you can do so here.

The family settled at Blackstone, Ipswich and Fred’s father Edward went to work as a coal miner, and so did Fred after he left school. Prior to coming to Queensland, Edward Evans had served with the British Forces in the Soudan and Zulu campaigns, and was entitled to wear three or four military decorations. When war broke out in South Africa (Boer War) he enlisted with the third Queensland contingent. He was interviewed after he returned home. It makes interesting reading.  Read the interview here.

Fred Evans played soccer with the Blackstone Rovers junior-minor side. They won the premiership in 1907. That was the year the Rovers won the title from Bush Rats after three draws and another match in which extra time had to be played. 

Rats and Rovers met at Blackstone and played a draw. The match was shifted to Bundamba Rangers’ ground, and still the sides broke even. Down to Pineapple Rovers’ pitch and even again! The match was then taken to the ‘Gabba, and in the extra time period Peter Taylor. Blackstone’s inside left, scored two goals.  – Gib. Reason (1947)

He was in the Ipswich junior Representative side in 1911 (maroon and white) when they played a curtain raiser against Brisbane (blue and black). Ipswich won 13-3. He was still playing in the early 1920’s and in the odd feature game over the years.

The team was: W. “Guinea” Halls, George Tapp, George Jackson, Fred Evans, Arthur Perry, Gib. Reason, Wallace Dawson, Tom Halls, Tom Salisbury, Bill Follett, D. Halls, Peter Taylor, Albert Shelton, Bob Jones, Jim Edwards, George Law, Bill Williams and Arthur Foote. 

Fred was working at Fernie Creek Colliery on 11 September 1908 when he was involved in an accident in which two men were killed and two men were severely burned. One of the burned men was Fred.

Here are the write-ups        Recent Fatality         Mining Inquiries 

Fred’s father was also the victim of a serious burning accident at a mine which led to his death in 1909. Fred was working with him in the top tunnel of the Blackheath Colliery when the accident occurred.          Magisterial Inquiry

Consequently, Fred stood in for his father and gave his sister Ethel away when she married John William Henry Townsend in 1913. Fred also married later that year. He and Edith May Davies were married in the United Welsh Church at Blackstone.

 A very pretty wedding was celebrated by the Rev. W. Owen Lewis in the Welsh Church, Blackstone, on Wednesday the 26th of November. The bride was Miss Edith M. Davies (elder surviving daughter of Mr. and the late Mrs. Jacob Davies, “‘Marias House,” Blackstone), and the bridegroom was Mr. Fred. Evans (elder son of Mrs. Evans, “Aberystwith,” and the late Sergt. E . J. Evans, Blackstone). The bride, who was given away by her father and attended by Misses Jessie Davies and Maud Evans as Bridesmaids, wore a handsome costume of white silk mousseline, with an over-dress of beautiful silk lace trimmed with pearls; prettily-draped skirt, caught at the side with a spray of orange blossoms; whilst a long court train, adorned with pearls, was also worn. A beautiful bridal veil, arranged in cap fashion, with clusters of orange blossoms, completed a charming and most becoming bridal toilette. Miss Jessie Davies (sister of the bride), as chief bridesmaid, wore a pretty lace frock with lace trimmings and frillings and waist pleatings and streamers of silk in a pretty shade of tangerine; lace hat with trimmings and streamers of tangerine. Miss Maud Evans (sister of the bridegroom) was dressed in a dainty cream silk striped voile, prettily trimmed with embossed lace buttons and lace frillings and shell pink streamers from waist; white satin hat, lined with pink and trimmed with flowers. The bouquets carried by the bride and bridesmaids were composed of the following flowers:- Bride’s, white agapanthus, stephanotis, marguerites, Shasta daisies, and maiden hair fern and white streamers. Chief bridesmaid, blue and-white agapanthus, Shasta daisies, and statice, and tied with blue satin streamers. Second bridesmaid, pink roses and carnations, Shasta daisies and statice, and tied with pink streamers. The “Bridal March” was played before the ceremony, and Mendelssohn’s ‘”Wedding March” as the bridal party left the church, amidst showers of rice and confetti. Mrs. L. Williams presiding at the organ. Subsequent to the ceremony, and, after motoring to Whitehead’s studio to be photographed, the wedding breakfast was partaken of in the School of Arts hall. The Rev. W. O. Lewis presided, and, after ample justice had been done to the many good things provided, a short toast-list was gone through. In the evening a large party of relatives and friends gathered in the hall, and, to the strains of delightful music, supplied by Miss C. J. Williams, Tivoli, passed a pleasant time in dancing &c. The bridal couple left early in the evening for Brisbane, en route to Tweed Heads, where the honeymoon was spent. The bride’s travelling costume was of grey pailette silk; bodice having a vest of Tosea net, and being handsomely trimmed with Oriental; skirt slashed at the front, revealing an accordion-pleated frill of mauve silk, the whole costume being embroidered with tiny mauve beads; hat of grey Tagel straw with a long mauve ostrich feather. The bride’s gift to the bridegroom was a set of silver-backed military hair brushes, and the bridegroom’s gift to the bride, was an elaborate dressing case, whilst to the bridesmaids he gave a handsome gold brooch and wristlet watch respectively. Many useful, handsome, and costly presents were received by the happy couple, who have taken up their residence in Ipswich.

It wasn’t long before Fred followed his father into Military Service. By December 1914 Fred was in the instruction camps at Enoggera. The 2nd Light Horse Regiment A.I.F. was raised at Enoggera in Queensland on 18 August 1914. Its recruits came mainly from Queensland but some hailed from the northern rivers district of New South Wales. In September 1915 Fred wrote letters back home telling everyone he was well and that he wished to be remembered to his old friends. He also asked when his old mates from Blackstone and district were going to enlist for service. 

Below is an outline of his service.

Date of Joining 2nd Light Horse (QMI – Queensland Mounted Infantry): 1 July 1914
Date of Appointment AIF (Australian Imperial Force): 23 April 1915 – B Squadron – 2nd Lieutenant 2nd Light Horse
Date Enlistment AIF: 19 August 1915 – 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment
Date of Appointment: 1 March 1916 – Lieutenant- 2nd Light Horse Regiment A.I. F.
Date of Appointment: 2 July 1917 – Captain – 2nd Light Horse Regiment A.I. F.

Service: Australian Imperial Force
Conflict/Operation: First World War, 1914-1918
Unit: 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment 6th Reinforcements
Date of embarkation: 02 June 1915 per H.M.A.T. A7 “Medic”
Rate per day before embarkation: 15.0
Daily Rate excluding Deferred pay: 14.6
Allotment in Australia per day: 10.0
Net Rate not including Allowances & Deferred Pay: 4.6
Daily Rate issued on Completion of Service with Expeditionary Force: 3.0
Fate: Returned to Australia 13 March 1919
Ranks Held: Captain, Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant
Final Rank: Captain
Other details: Medals: Military Cross, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Gazettes:
Published in London Gazette in 1918-01-01on page 51 at position 20
Published in London Gazette in 1918-01-12  on page 804 at position 25
Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1918-04-18 on page 847 at position 34
Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1918-05-23 on page 1123 at position 8

Our Blackstone correspondent informs us that Mrs. E. M. Evans, of Blackstone, has received advice from the Base Records Office, Melbourne, stating, as per extract from the “London Gazette” relating to the conspicuous services rendered by her son, a member of the Australian Imperial Force, that “His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned reward for distinguished service in the field, dated 1st January 1918: “Awarded the Military Cross, Capt. Fred. Evans.”: Capt. Fred. Evans, M.C., is a member of the 9th (Queensland) battalion. [Q.T. 14 May 1918 pg 7]

Fred Evans was presented with the Military Cross at a ceremony which was held at midday on Thursday 11 December 1919 at Wickham Park, Brisbane. It was presented to Fred by Lieutenant General Sir H. G. Chauvel G.C.M.G., K.C.B..

See Fred’s service records       here       and          here.

See Fred’s Honours and Awards        here      and       here.

The Blackstone Comforts Club held a reunion for the Returned Soldiers in September 1920. The soldiers appointed Fred Evans as the trustee for the war souvenir, a machine gun which had been allotted to Blackstone. Fred was on the Committee of the Blackstone State School in 1922. He was also on the Rosewood War Trophies Committee and formed a guard of honour at the unveiling ceremony on Anzac Day in 1923.

In March 1923 Captain Fred. Evans, M.C., was in command of the regiment when the Light Horse’s six day encampment at Redbank was disbanded. Brigadier-General W. Grant was present and 140 mounted men paraded from from Redbank and through Brisbane Street, Ipswich to Churchill.

See the write-up here.

In July 1926  Fred Evans was appointed Inspector under the Coal Mining Act.
He is a member of a well-known Blackstone family. Besides his experience as Under-Manager of the Caledonian Colliery at Walloon and elsewhere he has studied the theory of the industry at the Technical College, and holds a first-class certificate of competency. He served in the 2nd Light Horse as squadron commander in the war and gained the M.C. Now with the rank of Major, he commands the 14th Regt., C.M.F..

Fred was called on to be a judge at local boxing events held at Rosewood along with with Frank Scanlan and Jack Walsh in the 1930’s.

In December 1942, during World War II, Major Fred Evans joined the Volunteer Defence Corps, an Australian part-time volunteer military force. He was appointed as Chief Instructor for the 9th Battalion. He was part of a mobile training unit. Fred started ‘C” company as C. O., comprising Rosewood, Laidley and Marburg platoons of the V.D.C.. He marshalled the processions on Anzac Day and V.D.C. parades in Rosewood. He was discharged in October 1945. 

My dad was like any other soldier of that era – they never spoke about it. – Patricia Sweeting (Nov 2011)

I remember my siblings and I would put Dad’s medals on him for Anzac Day. He was a wonderful father. He was a very honest man. Nobody knows about the things he did during the war-he didn’t seem to want anyone to know what he did.- Daphne Warren (2012)

Fred’s medals (replica set)