Christopher Evans's Address on the Occasion of the Memorial of his Grandfather's VC 2017
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| Brig-General Lewis Pugh Evans |
I am delighted to talk to you about my grandfather who we are here today to honour, exactly 100 years to the day of his Victoria Cross action.
Firstly and most importantly we should remember all those who gave their lives or became severely disabled as a result of the First World War conflict, my grandfather could be considered one of the lucky ones. The Passchendaele conflict was truly horrendous, the sufferings inexpressible and the efforts superhuman.
Secondly, I would like to thank Ceredigion county council and in particular Sonia Davies for enabling today. These memorials will ensure we and future generations will never forget what was possibly the most bloody conflict of all time and the individual efforts to achieve victory.
You should all have a leaflet setting out his life and career so rather than repeating what you can read I thought I would tell you few stories to add to the picture.
My memories of my grandfather Lewis Evans are clear; he died when I was 16 and as my father had died when I was only five years old, he took his place to some extent. Most school holidays involved a period staying with him and every Christmas was spent with him at Lovesgryove.
His war experiences were never a subject for discussion but I am sure his memories never left him, for example, I recall his gas mask was still hung up in the corridor outside his bedroom when I was a young boy, I think it may have been there since the day he came home from the war. On one summer occasion, I remember a cousin of his came to stay driving a German car, which was not a wise move, and she received what one might call " a piece of his mind".
Lewis Evans descended from an ancient Welsh family, one of the Welsh Royal tribes, I have seen it written that Owain Glyndwr is one of his ancestors, whilst this not strictly correct - it is true to say he is descended from Owain's father and sister Lowry so you could say Owain was a14th generation great uncle. I do remember asking him as a teenager if he was a Welsh Nationalist, NO he said I am a Welsh Patriot and that is more important. Thinking about that remark today I think he was inferring he was a soldier, not a politician.
His grandfather John Evans had moved to Aberystwyth from Merioneth in 1840. He was twice mayor of Aberystwyth and married Eliza Pugh of Abermad. His father Griffith was the third son of that marriage, his mother Scottish - though born in India where her father had emigrated.
I can tell you there are about 40 descendants of John Evans here today.
His early education was with a private tutor and he spent some time as a young boy in India before attending Eton where he worked hard and had good reports, including one which said "he worries a great deal he will not grow tall enough for the army and must eat a great deal". He was head of his set (or class ) which included Oates of Antarctic polar fame and Grenfell, another VC winner. He excelled at long-distance running and in particular the Eton steeplechase and was also no mean cricketer.
Sandhurst military academy followed where he made a life-long friend known as Jacko Jackson, later a Major General, and godfather to his son Eric. Before the war, he and Jackson ran the Sandhurst drag-hunt and in 1913 both learnt to fly what was called a box kite aeroplane at Brooklands flying school. Letters show that his mother was highly alarmed at this venture! His flying knowledge led to him becoming one of the early pilot observers mapping the German lines in 1914. He said the work was cold and got colder as the planes improved, going higher and faster! Letters also show his mother wanted to see him in a Scottish regiment and as a result of severe casualties he was in fact posted to the Black Watch and sent straight out to the South African war. He often said it was a lucky day for him when he was selected for the Black Watch. An alternative view might be they were lucky to get him. As a young officer, he became a great friend of another young officer, Archie Wavell, later the Field Marshall Earl Wavell. He was godfather to his son and on his death, Wavell left my grandfather his desk which I still use today. When Wavell died my grandfather carried his medals at the Westminster Abbey state funeral service and joined the barge that carried the coffin up the river Thames.
There is no doubt about my grandfather's distinguished military career, achieving the rank of General is achieved by gaining respect and people having confidence in you, it's about being able to give direction, to plan and to try to predict difficulties before they occur. From his mother's Military family you could say he inherited the necessary genes, though his father's Welsh ancestors undoubtably set the trend.
Lewis Evans award of medals for gallantry under fire are unique and well recorded Some say he was Wales' most decorated soldier of the First World War and possibly the 20th century. The Victoria Cross is unique. There is something sacred about this medal awarded for valour. There is no higher honour our society can award in any walk of life, it is the ultimate award one man can give to another and many have laid down their lives in the process of its recognition.
His own award does have fairly unique aspects. Most are awarded to young men who fought in the front line of battle, and for a 36 year old Lieutenant Colonel to forsake his command post and lead from the front is not unique, but it shows a commitment beyond the call of duty. In many respects, I think the action of Colonel Jones VC in the Falklands war mirrors that of my grandfather.
Colonel Newmarch is going to talk about his VC action and I would only add this noble quote "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." However it is worth remembering that in the attack the Lincolns were supported on their right by four tanks commanded by a Captain Robertson, but due to mud they had to keep to a hard road. Robertson knew that to leave the track risked disaster and he, therefore, decided to lead his tanks on foot, a decision almost that certainly to lead to his death, as he was killed by machine gun fire about halfway through the battle. For this display of courage in the face of almost certain death Captain Robertson also received a very highly deserved VC. My grandfather rarely if ever spoke about his war and whilst not dismissive of his many medals, he did not like to draw attention to them. However, he had great respect for military traditions and wore them when the occasion demanded.
At the time of his award, there is a story that he wrote to his General from hospital saying he wished to decline the award as the whole exploit was down to his men, to which he received the curt reply by telegram: "I am very sorry to hear your wounds are rather worse than I thought they were." On the day of his award from the King he was confronted in his hotel by a newspaper reporter who flashed a camera. His sister Betty who was with him wrote "Lewis grabbed the camera and stamped on it, whereupon the reporter exclaimed "I didn't get where I am today by only having one camera" and produced another to get his photo before beating a hasty retreat.
On another occasion, in the 1930s an 18-year-old nephew wrote asking for an account of him winning his medal, and he replied evading the question but encouraging the young man by saying most young men such he should be capable of winning a VC, but it was probably not sensible for a 36-year-old Colonel to have put himself in such a situation.
On his return to Aberystwyth after the award, he travelled by train and on hearing of the celebration awaiting him at Aberystwyth station he tried to get off at Bow Street but his family knew him too well. His brother was delegated to met him there and join him for the final journey into Aberystwyth.
On the occasion of the Victoria Cross 100 year centenary, he had to have his arm twisted hard to attend the celebrations in London. I remember joining him at the Buckingham Palace garden party. The Welsh VC's were talking together when someone noticed the Queen advancing in their direction. My grandfather immediate gave the order ' line up' but sadly and much to my disappointment the Queen was diverted before she got to our line.
One wonders what he would have made of today. I do know that he admitted to my mother late in life that the Victoria Cross was an important part of his life. He knew and acknowledged he had a certain amount of luck in his life. In terms of his war, he was born early enough not to be a junior Lieutenant at the start of the war and his short height probably helped his survival. He also had considerable sadness. His wife Dorothea, an old family friend who he had known for many years, died after only four years of marriage (not as is sometimes written in a railway accident) and only a few weeks after her sister. He wrote at the time ""just before she passed into God's hands I heard a voice say clearly 'Here sister' and then there was a feeling as if there was a rush of cold air and I felt that I was meant to know her sister had come with angles to welcome her to the afterlife '.
Lewis never remarried though I believe he may have come close in the 1930's - but that's a story for another day. He remained in the army for the next 18 years, commanding the 2nd battalion of the Black Watch , various staff appointments, and enjoying the camaraderie of life long friends and annual reunions. It was at one such reunion shortly before he died that, thanks to a presentation, he discovered he had been entitled to wear the Royal Air Force wing on his uniform for the past 40 odd years. His niece sewed it on his uniform on his return.
His only son Eric died at the young age of 30, not helped by his time in the Italian campaign during WWII, and of course many of his friends were killed in the war. Following the death of his elder brother in 1945, country life in Wales became his life after his retirement from the army, and he became what might be called a traditional landowner.
I once found a letter written to his son Eric giving his thoughts on land ownership, part of it read as follows:
"You are probably right that the farm and cottage rents require to be raised but there is really very little pleasure in being a landowner if you have to look on your property as a business concern to be made to bring in the utmost that can be legitimately asked and certainly NOT if your tenants are Welsh or Irish!"
In 1952 he was asked by Lord Lisburne if the latter could nominate him as his successor as Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire. He declined on grounds of age. At the time his home was lit by paraffin lamps and some in the family wondered if the Queen came to stay what she would have made of the lack of electric light. He resisted electric light for as long as possible claiming paraffin lamps provided more heat!
Before he died my grandfather wrote the following in my Bible. I think it explains a lot about him. It is extracted from a letter he received from his father Sir Griffith Evans prior to his departure to the South African war in 1899 when he was only 18 years old.
"I want to tell you, you are called upon to face the world earlier than most boys, that religion is a necessity for nations and individuals, that a sense of honour (which touches one's self-respect) and religion (which is a trust and belief in a power above) are the twin pole stars by which a man may hope to steer a straight course in a world full of temptation and so full of injustice and hardship that many are tempted to give up and descend to the level of those around them. Be strong and of good courage." He (my grandfather wrote "The above message was committed to memory, and throughout a long life I have found it a great help". Personally I think honour and religion and a belief may be intertwined with valour. There can be no doubt he lived to this creed throughout his long life.
Following his death, his great friend General Jackson wrote
"Lewis had a charming personality and endeared himself to all who came to know him. Under a gentle and unassuming manner lay a great force of character and a strong sense of duty. He was quite selfless where duty was concerned. This feature of his character combined with his personal bravery resulted in the distinguished fighting qualities displayed in the 1st Great War."
I will finish as I did in 2001 with a poem written in 1918 by D Harris Williams of Llanbadarn Fawr. It was not in fact written in his honour but of one of his wife's kinsmen, whose name appears on the war memorial alongside, but nevertheless, I feel the lines worthy of quotation, as I hope you agree they could equally apply to him.
'Sleep, sleep in the shadows, though gallant brave warrior,
Rest, rest in the silence, thy duty done,
The voice of another hath published thy record,
Thy battle is over, thy victory won.
Heroic ancestors shall greet thee in heaven.
Thou bearest with honour the trust of their name,
Thy life that was lived for justice and honour
With patriot's remembrance shall varnish thy fame'.
Christopher Evans
