Alfred Winter-Evans
Born 21 Feb 1881 - Died 12 Oct 1917
- Service number
- WWI 26/11 AWMM
- Also known as
- Alfred Winter-Evans AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Alfred AWMM
- Surname
- Winter-Evans AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Alfred Winter-Evans AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 26/11 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 21 Feb 1881 Military personnel file
- 1881 Public Source
- Date of birth
- 1881Public - Geoffrey - Researcher - 8 June 2018 - Limpsfield Village Web-site
- Place of birth
- Natal, South AfricaPublic - Geoffrey - Researcher - 8 June 2018 - Limpsfield Village Web-site
- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- Mrs A. Winter-Evans (wife), Reefton, New Zealand AWMM
- Mrs Edith Louise H. Winter-Evans nee Foster (Wife)Public - Marianne - 17 June 2022 - Marriage Certificate
- Relationship status
- Pre 05 Feb 1916 AWMM Married AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1917 AWMM Passchendaele AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 26/11 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
Citation for Distinguished Service Order (DSO): "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During an attack and the subsequent consolidation of the captured position he showed the greatest coolness and energy, inspiring all ranks by his magnificent personal example and never sparing himself to make the operation of his battalion the success which it was. His work at all times has been of the same high standard." (London Gazette (online), issue 30234, published on 14 August 1917, p. 8354) AWMM - British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal with oak leaf AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) Twice AWMM
Citation for Mentioned in Despatches (MID): London Gazette, 1 June 1917, p. 5429, Rec. No. 709. (McDonald 2001) Citation for Mentioned in Despatches (MID): London Gazette, 28 December 1917, p. 13575. (McDonald 2001) AWMM - Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal while serving in South Africa details: D.C.M. "in recognition of their gallant conduct in South Africa, 1899:"
Trooper A. W. Evans, Natal Mounted Rifles.Public - Douglas - Researcher - 21 September 2017 - London Gazette 20 Jul. 1900 Pg. 4510
http://www.warmemorial.columbia.edu/files/cuwm/2466.AlfredEvansObit.jpg
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 Mining Engineer/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 05 Feb 1916-12 Mar 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 42 AWMM Major/Military AWMM 4th Battalion, C Company AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM
New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Major and Officer Commanding of C Company, 4 Battalion, NZ Rifle Brigade, 1 February 1916 (Haigh & Polaschek 1993).
Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion, NZ Rifle Brigade, 29 November 1916 (Haigh & Polaschek 1993).
Appointed to Major on 1 February 1916 (Studholme 1928).
Appointed to Lieutenant Colonel on 20 November 1916 (Studholme 1928). AWMM - Alfred Winter-Evans was born in Natal, South Africa in 1881 the elder son of Colonel Robert Winter Evans and Mrs Evans of Kingsdowne, Durban, Natal. He was educated firstly at Durban High School, then moved to England where he attended St George's School, Harpenden until 1898.
On leaving school he returned to South Africa in 1898 where he worked as an underground sampler for the Crown Deep Gold Mining Company of Johannesburg and for six months during 1899 he worked as shift boss for Crown Deep Limited.
Following the outbreak of the South African War he enlisted as Trooper 292 in the 2nd Battalion Natal Mounted Rifles on the 29th of September 1899. On the 4th of November 1899 he was in action between Limit Hill and Helpmaaker near Ladysmith during which he was recommended for the Victoria Cross but was instead awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He was also awarded the Queen's Medal with five clasps and left the army on the 31st of May 1902.
After the war he moved to New York where he attended the Columbia School of Mines at Columbia University, graduating with an EM degree in 1906. During 1906 he was engaged as an assayer to a mining company at Poland, Arizona.
In 1907 he returned to South Africa once again where he worked as an underground contractor in a number of mines including the French-Rand, Village Main Reef and City Deep. In 1908 he went to work for Ferrerra Gold Mining Company at Johannesburg where he worked as shift boss and in 1909 he moved to New Zealand.
In 1910 he was married to Edith Louise
(née Foster) of Limpsfield and they had two children. From 1909 to 1915 he was General Manager of Consolidated Gold Fields of New Zealand Ltd. at Reefton, the second largest goldfield in the country. In 1912 he led the company during a bitterly fought strike which lasted 6 months, the collapse of which enabled him to introduce reforms to the industry which increased production substantially. His reforms are credited with ensuring the survival of the Reefton fields through the depression of the 1930s.
On the outbreak of war he rejoined the army and was a member of the New Zealand Motor Service Corps before transferring to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He embarked for overseas service at Wellington on the 5th of February 1916 as commanding officer of C Company, 4th Battalion. In May 1916 he went to France where he was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatches of the 9th of April 1917 and those of the 7th of November 1917.
On the 29th of November 1916 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the 3rd Battalion.
He received the Distinguished Service Order which was appeared in the London Gazette of the 14th of August 1917. The citation reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During an attack and subsequent consolidation of the captured position he showed the greatest coolness and energy inspiring all ranks by his magnificent personal example and never sparing himself to make the operation of his battalion the success which it was. His work at all times has been of the same high standard.”
A British attack on Bellevue Spur and part of the main Passchendaele Ridge on the 9th of October 1917 had gained a little ground at great loss. Heavy belts of barbed wire still protected the well entrenched enemy and barrages by the heavy artillery made no impression on them, or on the pillboxes beyond. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades – the latter weary from heavy work in the salient – were ordered to renew the attack early on the 12th.
The men waited overnight for the attack the following morning in a sea of mud and under a steady rain. While still in their assembly area they came under shell fire from own guns when the thin barrage opened at 5.25 am At the same time they began their advance under deluge of small-arms fire interspersed with artillery fire. As they neared the enemy line they encountered thick belts of barbed wire. Some men tried to crawl under it, some threw themselves at it and two men got riPublic - Geoffrey - Researcher - 8 June 2018 - Limpsfield village web-site
- Major and Officer Commanding of C Company, 4 Battalion, NZ Rifle Brigade, 1 February 1916 (Haigh & Polaschek 1993).
About death
- Death
- 12 Oct 1917 AWMM
- Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
- Lieutenant Colonel A. Winter-Evans, killed in action, left New Zealand with the Rifle Brigade. Prior to joining the Expeditionary Force, he held a commission in the Motor Service Corps. He was manager of the Consolidated Goldfields at Reefton. He was awarded the D.S.O. for gallantry at Messines. (Auckland Weekly News, 1 November 1917, p. 22) AWMM
- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Tyne Cot Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium AWMM
- War Memorial on the outside wall of the Memorial Stores, Limpsfield Village, Oxted, Surrey, England.Public - Geoffrey - Researcher - 8 June 2018 - Limpsfield village web-site
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, L T Watkins. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi.html
Sources Used - Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22021442
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/848364/-
Further Reference - Surrey in the Great War, Limpsfield, St Peter's Church, Parishioners, Tablet - memorial or cemetery record from Surrey in the Great War
https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHMEM_W_M_2058
Further Reference - Surrey in the Great War, Limpsfield, Memorial Stores - memorial or cemetery record from Surrey in the Great War
https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHMEM_W_M_2278
Further Reference - Surrey in the Great War, Limpsfield, The Comrades of the Great War Limpsfield and District - memorial or cemetery record from Surrey in the Great War
https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHMEM_W_M_2279
Further Reference - Surrey in the Great War, Limpsfield, St Peters, War Memorial Cross - memorial or cemetery record from Surrey in the Great War
https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHMEM_W_M_2613
Further Reference - Surrey in the Great War, Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium - memorial or cemetery record from Surrey in the Great War
https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHMEM_W_M_2910
Further Reference - Surrey in the Great War, Alfred Winter Evans - biography from Surrey in the Great War:
https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/person/112669
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/848364
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, L T Watkins. Digital copy
- References
- Macdonald, L. (1978). Passchendaele : the story of the third Battle of Ypres 1917. London : Penguin Books.
- Harper, G. (2000). Massacre at Passchendaele : the New Zealand story. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins.
- McDonald, W. (2001). Honours and awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. Napier, N.Z.: Helen McDonald.
- Studholme, J. (1928). New Zealand Expeditionary Force record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers, and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F. : unofficial but based on official records. Wellington, N.Z.: Government Printer.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
24: 25 - Studholme, J. (1928). New Zealand Expeditionary Force record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers, and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F. : unofficial but based on official records. Wellington, N.Z.: Government Printer.
Studholme, J. (1928). p. 315. - Auckland Weekly News
Obituary: Auckland Weekly News, 1 November 1917, p. 22. - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 1: Includes portrait - HMNZT 42. The blast : the magazine of the Third Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. (1917). London: John Long Ltd. ; [On board ship] : [H.M.N.Z.T. No. 42, Ulimaroa]
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, N.Z.: L T Watkins.
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
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