10th Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Vivian Augustus Evans was born in January 1894, the son of Thomas and Emily Evans of Forge Cottage, Lower Redbrook, Gloucestershire.
He was an employee of Redbrook Tinplate Works when he enlisted in the 10th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 16 March 1915. He landed, with the battalion, in France on 27 September 1915. Whilst in the line near Ypres, on 20 February 1916, he suffered a shell fragment wound to his forehead, above his right eye.
He initially received treatment at No 7 Stationary Hospital at Boulogne before being returned to England. After further care at the King George Hospital, London he was declared unfit for further war service and was discharged on 22 May 1916 with a silver war badge, for services rendered, and a pension of 25 shillings per week.
He did not recover his health and on 18 August 1918 he died at Gloucester Royal Infirmary, aged 24 years, as a result of the wound he received on active service. At the time of his death his residence was Oak Cottage, Newland, near Coleford.
He was laid to rest in a private family grave in All Saints Churchyard, Newland on 23 August 1918, his sacrifice for his King and Country unrecognised by the Nation until 94 years later.
The War Memorial in the village of Redbrook had become dilapidated and a committee was formed tasked with its restoration. In particular the memorial inscriptions were practically unreadable to the untrained eye and the committee called for the assistance of Steve Cooper, past chairman of the Forest of Dean Branch of the Gloucestershire Family History Society. Steve was able to decipher and transcribe the names and associated service details. Amongst those commemorated there was a “Pte. Vivian A. Evans – 10th R. W. Fusiliers”. However, on checking the list of names against the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register he as unable to find any record for a Private Vivian A Evans . Further investigations followed.
A copy of his death certificate was obtained which confirmed the principle cause of his death as a “gunshot wound to the forehead”, and a copy of the church burial register page for his interment. Using Terry Denham of the In From The Cold Project as an intermediary, the case was made to the CWGC for him to be recognised as a war casualty, and his last resting place as an
official war grave. The evidence suggested this would be a formality and in due course his case was accepted.
He is now present on the Debt of Honour Register as being buried in All Saints Churchyard, Newland, near Coleford.
All Saints Church, Newland