John Colvin Evans. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial.
John Colvin Evans was born in Borenore in 1893. He was the third child and first son of John Westropp Green Evans and his wife Elizabeth Anne Colvin. The family relocated to Albion Park where John attended the local public school. He completed his education at Fort Street Model School in Sydney.
In August 1911, at the age of 18, John commenced work at the Union Bank in Berry. In 1913 he relocated to the Kyogle branch, and prior to enlisting in February 1915 was employed by the Bank of Australasia in Lismore.
John embarked from Sydney in June 1915, a Lance Corporal in the 19th Battalion, A Company. He joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in August and proceeded to Gallipoli. After a short time on the Peninsula John became ill with bronchitis and then typhoid fever and was invalided to Malta. He was hospitalised again in January 1916 with mumps.
Lance Corporal Evans served in France during 1916. In early August that year he sustained gunshot wounds to his left side and leg. When he returned to duty at the end of the month he was promoted to Acting Sergeant then, a week later, to Sergeant. Evans served in the 5th Training Battalion in England until September 1917, before rejoining his unit in France.
In early October 1917 Sergeant Evans and a fellow soldier were digging out a waterlogged trench in Belgium when a shell exploded nearby. The fallout hit both men, killing them instantly; they were buried together where they fell.
