| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George Matthew Evans was born 2 Nov 1886 in Hornsea, the fifth of twelve children of George Henry Evans and Lucy Jane (nee Daggitt).
On 21 Jan 1909 George married Annie Hunt the daughter of a Hull twine spinner. They had 3 children, Lily, Frank and George Kenneth and by 1911 were living at Ocean Terrace, Hornsea. At the time George was a labourer but the year before when Lily had been baptised, he had been a chimney sweep. Not long after just prior to enlistment he was rulley man for North Eastern Railways.
George enlisted in the Hull Pals in the 12th Battalion of the East Yorkshire regiment eventually being transferred to the 8th and then the 7th Battalion.
The 12 Aug 1918 was close to the end of the Battle of Amiens. The East Yorkshire Regiment had no part in the battle, though the 7th Battalion of the 8th was in the GHQ reserve and just behind the battlefront. On the morning of the 8th sudden orders were received to move southwards towards Amiens eventually moving to billets around Corbie, a position held until the evening of the 12th when the 7th Battalion were ordered to move up to the Front Line. It was during this move that enemy aircraft attacked. One dropped six or seven bombs in rapid succession. An entire platoon became casualties in this aerial bombardment and it is highly likely that George Matthew Evans was one of those casualties.
Private 33395 George Matthew Evans was awarded the British medal and the Victory medal. He is buried in Heath cemetery, Harbonniers and is remembered on memorials in Hornsea Memorial Garden and Hornsea Ex-service men’s club.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |