EVANS Philip B

Philip Evans was born in Herefordshire in 1897, the son of David and Annie Evans.  In 1901 Philip’s father David was employed as a Railway Station Master and the family resided at Titley Station House, Lyonshall, Herefordshire.  At the age of three, Philip was the youngest of the three children.  By 1911 the family had moved to Worcester where Philip attended Worcester Royal Grammar School from 1910 to 1913.  The 1911 census records David and Annie as being married for 20 years and residing at 25 Tunnel Hill, Worcester with three of their four surviving children.  David was employed as a railway traffic inspector while Philip’s older brother Valentine worked as a railway clerk.  After leaving school Philip also went to work for the Great Western Railway.  In 1915 Philip enlisted in the 21st Battalion Royal Fusiliers and he was posted to France on 14th November 1915.  In September 1916 he left the army having gained a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps commencing on 4th September.  He qualified as a pilot on 31st December 1916 and was killed in a flying accident at Farnborough just over 3 weeks later on 24th January 1917.

His death was reported in a number of newspapers across the country, the following report appears in Berrow’s Worcester Journal, 27th January 1917:
A flying accident at Farnborough on Wednesday resulted in the pilot, Lieut. Philip Evans, R.F.C. being burned to death.  He was flying at great height over the aerodrome when he was seen to be in difficulties.  The machine made a spinning nose dive and crashed to the ground, bursting into flames.

Lieut. Evans, who was 21 years of age was the younger son of Inspector Evans of The Great Western Railway, stationed at Shrub Hill and who lives on Tunnel Hill, Rainbow Hill. He was educated at St Barnabas School and the Worcester Royal Grammar School, and on leaving went into service of the Great Western Railway Company.  He was a booking clerk at Hartlebury when war broke out.  He joined the Public Schools Sportsmen’s Battalion as a private.  After service at the front, he returned and trained for his commission, subsequently joining the R.F.C. at Farnborough, where he took his pilot’s certificate.

The Great Western Railway in the First World War by Sandra Gittins, 2010, Roll of Honour of Commissioned Officers:
Evans P.E. Traffic Dept. Clerk Worcester – 2/Lt RFC

The Great Western Railway in the First World War by Sandra Gittins, 2010, Roll of Honour:
Evans P.E. Clerk/Traffic/Hartlebury GWR Magazine March 1917

Death reported in the Great Western Railway staff magazine, reference 1917/03/57

A photograph of Lieutenant P. Evans of Worcester can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 3rd February 1917, available at Worcestershire Archives.