大象传媒

My Father, Frank Sendall Evans joined the British Army, Corps, Royal Regiment of Artillery on 28/08/1933.
On the 22/09/33 he became a signaller 3rd class, and became 2nd class on the 29/11/33 he was classified as a signaller on the 25/08/34.
On the 17/12/34 he was sent to India. He served in India for 4 years 121 days, and arrived home on the 18/04/39. On the 4/1/40 he arrived in France as part of the British Experditionary Force this is where his story in WW2 begins.

My Father, had been in the Army for over 6 years, at the out break of war, he was an NCO, and his unit was moved to the Belgium Border in N/France. On moving to the front line, the column they were in had stopped, and he and a few mates had gone into a field for abolutions, it was full of shell craters, a WW1 Battlefield, that had never been cleared, the bones and rusting equipment of French and German troops lay at the bottom of the holes. Many years later he retold the story "as we dug in we were uncovering loads of British helmets, equipment and bully beef tins, a good reasuring sign", then began the retreat, with his unit heavily engaged. My father and a Gunner were left in a French village with a 25 pounder field gun, they were positioned in a cul-de-sac, facing the road junction. A cross was put onto the house opposite, with the gun aimed at it with orders to slow the German advance they waited, but not for long. A German armoured column appeared, and they fired a round into the second tank that appeared. Then as ordered, they dropped 2 granades down the barrel, climbed a wall, ran across a field and into a wood, and made there way to Dunkirk.
When he eventualy got off the beach he was transfered onto an old Paddle Steamer, which was dive bombed by a flight of Stukas, the bombs luckily landed all around but no direct hit. Many years later in the comfort of his living room he was reading a book about the evacuation, and in the book, the incident on the steamer was described, he showed me and underlined it, if only I had that book now! He arrived back in Blighty on the 29/05/40, his war had really started.

The next period, he was based in Kent while awaiting the Invasion that never came, my mother Rita Mary was pregnant with their first child moved from Cardiff to be with him. Their daughter Frances Shirley was born on 8/2/42. It was here that he learned of the death of his brother.

"OUR KID" LEADING COOK (S) GEORGE HENRY EVANS AGED 22 P/MX68392, WHO WENT DOWN WITH HIS SHIP "HMS JAGUAR" ON THE 26/03/1942,IN THE MED, COMMEMORATED AT THE PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, PANEL69, COLUMN 3. IN HONOUR OF THE NAVY AND TO THE ABIDING MEMORY OF THOSE RANKS AND RATINGS OF THIS PORT WHO LAID DOWN THERE LIVES IN THE DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE AND HAVE NO GRAVE BUT THE SEA.

HMS JAGUAR, F34, a J-CLASS destroyer, was launched on the 22/11/1938, and was part of a convoy, on her way to Tobruk, she was escorting a Tanker, both ships were sunk by U-652. HMS JAGUAR was hit by 2 torpedos and sank very quickly, few of her crew survived, 190 went with her. the action took place off Sidi Barrani Egypt

His regiment now become part of the 56TH (LONDON) Division,(BLACK CAT) which was moved to Persia MRAQ, and became part of the 8TH Army, arriving there on the 26/08/42. Here my father saw the King and Monty whilst in a Arab town, a convoy came through and he saw them both in a staff car as they drove past his position Monty raised his arm acknowledging the troops. His unit was once again heavly engaged against enemy armour and was part of the retreat into Tobruk, he was again evacuated by ship, arriving in the MEF on the 01/04/43. Here his Division became part of the American 5TH Army, and the preparations to invade Italy got under way.

On the 09/09/43, the 56Th Division landed at Salerno to the right of the 46TH British Div, with the US 36TH Texas Div further south. The fighting in the centre became very heavy, and a gap appeared between the British and Americans. The Germans went for the gap in the hope of driving a wedge between the British and Americans and the 56TH took the brunt of it, the battle now was not the Allies getting off the beach, but trying to stay on it! As the first wave of Infantry waded ashore the 2nd in command of the 64th Field Regiment RA, Major Harry Churchill, with a reconnaissance party, had the task of selecting positions for the 25 pounders, which were coming ashore with the second wave, my fathers troop was in this wave. The beach was under severe fire from coastal batterys and machine guns, by 0545 the first 4 guns were ashore and in place. Despite coming under heavy machine gun fire, they went into action immediatly, firing over open sights at ranges of 300 yards, Major Churchill, prepared for the next troop to land but the landing craft was sunk. For several hours the first troop provided the only artillery support. As soon as the German reinforcements arrived they mounted heavy counter attacks, there armour penetrated the lines of infantry, and these guns were firing non-stop for many hours to prevent the tanks over running the gun emplacements. HMS Warspite then made a run in, and provided much needed support, the shells from her 15inch guns sounded like express trains as they passed over head. Major Churchill would receive the MC for the fighting they would endure in the next 9 months.

As a small lad I would lie in bed listening to my father shouting out in his sleep the orders to fire over open sights and to "get that B.....d" I dont think my father ever left that beach or stopped fighting his war.

Once the Allies made it ashore they advanced north with the 46TH Div advancing along the coast, The 56TH Div ( BLACK CAT) advancing astride Route 6, with the yanks East, with the 8TH Army also advancing on the other coast. The Germans quickly threw up 2 defence lines to slow the advance called the Barbra, Rienhard lines, while making there main defensive line the Gustav line which in the centre was the Monte Cassino massif. Here was fighting that heralded back to the mad frontal assaults of WW1, and some of the most vicious fighting of the war on any front! the 56Th Div still in the centre of the 5TH Army assault. On the 18-23/03 the British X Corps, 5TH-56TH-46TH Divs prepared to cross the Gariglanio river, the German defence along this river was awesome, everything that interrupted the field of fire had been destroyed, and with the British 5Th to there left, and the 46TH to there right the assault went in. After the crossing they came up against the Gustave line proper where the Germans were not prepared to give a inch, and the allied commanders, now with the concern of the Anzio bridgehead in trouble, had to throw caution to the wind. On the 27/09/43, my fathers best friend was killed at his side. The battery was hit, my father recieving a heavy blow to his back was bowled over,he shouted in panic "I am hit, I am hit" to find to his relief he had been hit by a large piece of turf, but to his horror he found his mate dead.

LANCE SARGEANT CHARLES ALFRED LYONS, AGED 23, 888911, 64TH FIELD REGIMENT. DIED 27/09/1943, COMMEMORATED SALERNO WAR CEMETERY ITALY. 11. D.3 .

The Division again was heavily engaged mid January on the Monte Damiano and in trying to capture the fortified village of Castelforte but without success and suffered heavy casualties. The division was taken out of the line after fierce fighting at Monte cassino on the 28/03/44, back to MEF, returning to Italy on the 11/07/44.
My father received a letter from his sister Dolly to say that her husband Herbert was killed in France.

DRIVER HERBERT JOHN BRITTON AGED 33 14271267, 87th ASSAULT SQUARON, ROYAL ENGINEERS, DIED IN HIS TANK ON THE 16/08/44. HE IS COMMEMORATION IS AT LA DELIVRANDE WAR CEMETERY, DOUVRES, CALVADOES, FRANCE.

My father would stay in Italy untill 23/11/45.

My dad told some stories of his time in Italy. One day they were having a rest in a farm yard, and they had recieved mail, my dad was drinking tea and reading a letter from my mum (RITA MARY), and as he put the cup on the grass and took his hand away the cup was shot up into the air, "fastest I ever bloody moved" he said. A German sniper had him in his sights, and let him live!

His troop was in a orchard, and an order came that 3 Neblewaffers had been spotted in a valley, with the coordinates, because of the trees my dads gun was the only one that could be brought to bear, so the order was given 21 rounds rapid fire, and my dad called out the rounds as they were fired, "1-2-3-4-5" they heard the Germans replying, "11-12-13-14-15, you could hear those bloody things from miles away" but we also knew they were heading in our direction! the wood had cleared except the 1 gun crew, "19-20-21," there was a mad rush as everyone dived into the slit trench, and the wood erupted, my father swore he saw 2 holes appear in the back wall of the trench, but the rockets failed to go off, the orchard and the guns were destroyed but no one was hurt, did they hit the Germans? "well" he said " they didnt fire again"

I have heard this story or one very similar, told by some one else, since my dad passed away. Bill McClarren the 大象传媒 rugby commentator, at his last game before he retired, he was in the Monastry at Monte Cassino Italy and telling the story of when he was there in WW2. He said he was a Lieutenant in the Artillery, His regiment was using 25 pounders, I did write to him via the 大象传媒 to try and find out what unit he was in, I never received an answer, anyone ???

Another story was after the war had finished, my father was guarding German POWs, he felt sorry for them, and as he did not smoke he used to drop his fag ration on the floor and kick it to them. His battery and a load of infantry were in a Italian town after the Armistice had begun, when a staff car pulled into the square they were all hanging about in, a officer climbed out of the car shouted " you men, theres a patrol coming behind me who will search every last man jack of you, so if you got anything you should'nt have, get rid of it quick", my dad said you would not believe the stuff that was chucked down the well in that square. on the troopship onits way back to blighty, an announcment was made over the tannoy system, that every body would be searched once they had landed, my dad said " the stuff that was dropped on the deck, and kicked over the side was beyond description, every kind of side arm and taken apart machine guns, granades, bullets, and loot " and once they landed " every tenth man was searched!"

My father arrived home in December 1945. My mother and sister were staying in Coleford, England, with my mother's Aunt Cassie. He had not seen Frances since she was 6 months old. At the time of his arrival my sister was playing under the large kitchen table and all she can remember was seeing a pair of army boots and the table cloth being lifted and his blue eyes and smiling face looking at her. Their second daughter Marie was born 9 months later on 26/9/46, I was born 16/12/53, and their fourth child Celia was born on 2/8/61.

This is the end of my fathers story, he left the Army on 10/03/1961, "His Services Being No Longer Required". But he never stopped being a Tommy, and never stopped fighting his war. He passed away on a cold Sunday afternoon, on the 14th November 1982, Remembrance Sunday, a soldiers day, and that saying, "OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE THEY JUST FADE AWAY" my dad faded away, and I promised him that I would as he always did, lay a cross of remembrance to the fallen of our family, the only difference is my dads name is there also.

My dads not here anymore, nor his mum and dad his sisters or brother,or mates, and most of his genaration has gone also, all those memoreys of a time long gone, but let us not forget! EVER....

Bdr Evans has been in this regiment for over 5 years. He is a realy hard working willing man. He has given of his best whilst serving in this unit. Italy 1/11/45
Commanding Officer of the 64th Field Regiment RA

Africa Star with 8th Army clasp
1939/45 star
Italy Star
Defence Medal
War Medal

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