ypres

This is a fascinating photograph. 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment was stationed in India from 1897 to 1910, but was on active service in the Boer War for periods between 1899-1902. Private Thomas Harry Evans is in a hot climate uniform, proudly displaying his Good Conduct chevrons on his left cuff (2 chevrons for 6 years Good Conduct). The distinctive 'Back Badge' of the Glosters is clearly visible on his Solar Topee. The silver tipped cane and the rather ostentatious Aguillette Cords were presumably the photographer's props to 'glam up' the portrait. Pte Evans is also apparently wearing a professional qualification badge on his right upper sleeve. The Battalion was back in England, at Bordon, by 1913. This presumably places the photograph before that date - but after 1909. //

Thomas Harry Evans was born in Gloucester between April and June 1887. The stated length of his Service suggests that he enlisted as a 'Boy Soldier' in the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1903 aged 16 and probably went out to Lahore or Dalhousie in India. The Battalion returned to barracks in Portsmouth in 1910, which might narrow down the date of the photograph to 1909-1910, when Pte Evans was aged 22-23. On 29th October 1914, 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment was defending the Kruisecke Crossroads on the Menin Road between Gheluvelt and Ploogsteert Wood against a determined attack by Bavarian infantry of the German Army intent on breaking the British Line and capturing Ypres. The ferocity of this defence is reflected in the numbers of officers and men of 1 GLOSTERS killed in action over the three days 29th to 31st October 1914. The British line was forced back towards Gheluvelt, but it did not break.//

www.cwgc.org has www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1611797/EVANS,%20THOM... Rank:Private Service No:7233 Date of Death:29/10/1914 Age:27 Regiment/Service:Gloucestershire Regiment "D" Coy. 1st Bn. Panel ReferencePanel 22 and 34. Memorial YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Additional Information:11 years service. The database of UK Soldiers Died in the Great War gives his place of birth as Saintsbridge (sic), Gloucestershire. Actually Saintbridge on the outskirts of Gloucester which ties in with Gary's birth index record.

Gary Donaldson I can not understand. Between Gheluvelt and Ploegsteert.....on the Menin Road? I know Kruiseke (or kruisecke) is at the south-east of Geluvelt. Ploegsteert is to the South-west of Gheluvelt and the Menin Road is not do that direction.

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Killed on your birthday. No one can really imagine the true lows of war.

Captain Henry Charles Willders-Lewis was the son of Nora Willders-Lewis of "Penshurst", 57 Waddon Park Avenue, Croydon, Surrey, and the late Henry Willders- Lewis.

He was Commissioned into the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment on 26th September 1916 as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant on Probation [London Gazette 17 Oct 1916]. That he was a Temporary Captain just 10 months later reflects the casualties suffered by his Battalion.

He was killed in action at Zillebeke while temporarily commanding "A" Company.//

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Commissioned into the Territorial Infantry (unattached) on 29th August 1912, Charles Alexander Kenneth Anderson is appointed to the Cambridge University, Senior Division, Officer Training Corps, as an unattached Territorial Army Officer, with effect 16th January 1913, [London Gazette of 7 Feb 13].

His commemoration on the Menin Gate is at Panel 51 and 53.

There is a photograph of him in his Glengarry at www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=108256...

1st Royal Scots Fusiliers were in 9th Infantry Brigade. On 12th November 1914 the Brigade Headquarters was shelled by German artillery and the Brigade Commander, Brigadier Frederick Charles Shaw, was badly wounded.//

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