Evans, Frederick

No.2313 – Private Frederick William Evans – 37^th Battalion AIF

Frederick William Evans was born in Fremantle WA in 1893 to Richard and Elizabeth Evans. He was educated at Beaconsfield State School and after leaving took up work as a Driver. On the 2^nd May 1916 Frederick enlisted into the AIF. He was passed as fit at Belmont Camp and was found to be 5 feet 8 ½ inches tall; weight of 161 lbs; chest measurement of 35-37 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was CofE.

Frederick was sent to No.66 Depot where he stayed till the 20^th June. He was then assigned to the 3^rd Reinforcements to the 44^th Battalion; however he left them on the 3^rd July and was allotted to a group being sent to Victoria to undertake training as Tunnellers. He arrived at Seymour Camp in Victoria on the 18^th July and remained there until the 8^th of August. He was then transferred to the Light Horse Reinforcement Camp, however his stay was short and a few days later he was assigned to the 4^th Reinforcements to the 37^th Battalion. He trained with this group in Victoria until they embarked from Melbourne on the “Port Lincoln” on the 20^th October 1916. The long sea voyage took them via Sierra Leone to England.

Arriving at Plymouth England on the 9^th January 1917, Fred was marched into the 10^th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains. On the 19^th February he was admitted sick to Fargo Military Hospital but had returned a week later. On the 1^st March he was in trouble for failing to attend a parade and was given two days of Field Punishment No.2 as a result. On the 20^th April 1917 he left Folkestone England and travelled across by ship to Etaples France where he was marched into the 3^rd Australian Division Training Depot. He only had a few days here and joined the 37^th Battalion if the field on the 25^th April 1917.

Fred’s front line service was to be short as on the 14^th May 1917 he was badly wounded when shrapnel hit him in the groin. He was transferred back to the 9^th Field Ambulance and then to the 2^nd Casualty Clearing Station where his wounds were treated.

Unfortunately they proved to be too severe and he died on the 17^th May 1917. Frederick Evans was buried in Trois Arbres Cemetery in Steenwerck France in plot I.L.5.