Evans, George Freeman

Captain George Freeman Evans – 48^th Battalion AIF

George Freeman Evans was born on the 28^th April 1891 in Semaphore South Australia to James and Ada Elizabeth Evans. He was a Civil Servant Working for the Fremantle Harbour Trust and had lived with his family in Allen Street East Fremantle. On the 4^th November 1914 he enlisted into the AIF and was passed as fit.

George was found to be 6 foot tall; weight of 164 pounds and chest measurement of 36-39 inches. Soon after enlisting, George applied for a Commission in the AIF. He was accepted for a commission and after serving for a period in depot service in WA he was assigned to the 6^th Reinforcements of the 16^th Battalion with the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant. He embarked with this group from Fremantle Harbour aboard the H.M.A.T. “Wandilla” on the 25th June 1915.

After arriving in Egypt in July he remained here for a few months before joining the 16^th Battalion at Mudros in October 1915. The 16^th Battalion were then having a rest after their strenuous Gallipoli campaign. While on Mudros he was admitted to hospital suffering from Bronchitis. He stayed in hospital for a few weeks before rejoining the 16^th Battalion on Gallipoli on the 1^st November 1915. With Gallipoli being evacuated, George left on the 16^th December, four days before the last man left Anzac Cove. He went to Mudros to wait for the remainder of the 16^th Battalion though shortly after their arrival he was sent to hospital ill. He remained in hospital on Mudros until the 9^th January 1916 when he boarded a hospital ship for Alexandria.

Arriving back in Egypt on the 11^th January, George was admitted to 19 General Hospital with Enteritis. A week later he was transferred to 1^st Australian General Hospital. On the 21^st January George was admitted to the Australian and New Zealand Convalescent Depot where he remained until the 14^th February. George was then discharged as “Class A” fit and sent to the Giza Depot. He did not return to the 16^th Battalion as the AIF had been expanded and half the 16^th Battalion went on to form the 48^th Battalion. George was in the half that went to form the 48^th.

On the 7^th March 1916 George was officially taken on strength of the 48^th Battalion and on the 22^nd March was appointed a Temporary Captain. He trained with his new unit in Egypt for the next few months until the end of May 1916. During his time in Egypt George had a romance and got married in May 1916. Shortly afterwards in early June the 48^th Battalion received their orders to embark for France and so they boarded the transport ship in Alexandria and made their way to France. Arriving at Marseilles on the 8^th June, George and his men were disembarked and put onto trains and sent to the north of France. They travelled up to the Armentieres region where they had a few weeks of front line experience on the Western Front. On the 18^th July 1916 George was appointed a Captain.

Shortly after this the 48^th Battalion made their way south to the Somme front where they would take part in the Battle for Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. George was temporarily assigned to duty at the 12^th Brigade Headquarters though rejoined the 48^th Battalion on the 11^th August 1916. Three days later on the 14^th August 1916 George was killed by shellfire. His body was recovered and was buried at Sunken Road Cemetery in Contalmaison France in plot I.A.14.

After he had got married in Egypt his wife returned to Australia but after his death did not stay long as in 1917 she departed for South Africa where she re-married.