Pte
Ellis Humphrey (Hedd Wyn) Evans
Information about birth
|
Date of birth: 13/01/1887 |
|
Place of birth: Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, Wales, United Kingdom |
General information
|
Profession: Farmer/ Poet |
Army information
|
Country: Wales, United Kingdom |
|
Force: British Expeditionary Force |
|
Rank: Private |
|
Service number: 61117 |
|
Enlistment place: Blaenau Ffestiniog, Merionethshire, Wales, United Kingdom |
|
Units: — Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Bn. (1st London Welsh) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
|
Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
|
Place of death: Pilkem, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium |
|
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
|
Age: 30 |
Cemetery
|
Artillery Wood Cemetery Plot: II Row: F Grave: 11 |
Distinctions and medals 2
|
British War Medal Medal |
|
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Ellis Humphrey Evans was a Welsh poet, who had been awarded several chairs for his poetry. A chair being the most prestigious price, which a Welsh musician or poet can win in an eisteddfod, a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance. Ellis Humphrey Evan was given the bardic name Hedd Wyn, which translates in English as Blessed Peace.
Ellis Humphrey Evans was initially exempt from military service, as he helped farming on his father’s farm. Farming being categorized as a vital work, which helped supporting the war efforts. But as the Evans farm was considered overmanned, the Evans family had to send one of its sons in the British army. Ellis chose to enlist instead of his 18years old brother, when he received hiss call up.
Ellis Humphrey Evans consequently served as a Private in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Battalion, part of the 113th Brigade of the 38th (Welsh) Division. The 15th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers was to participate in the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Pilckem Ridge.
The 38th Division advanced at zero hour 3.50 a.m. with two Brigades plus one in support. The 113th Brigade was on the left of the Divisional front, the 114th on the right and the 115th Brigade was in support. The 38th (Welsh) Division was to capture the ruined hamlet of Pilckem and a position on the ridge midway between the stream of the Steenbeek and the hamlet. The latter being the Division’s final objective, and was called the Green Line. Their first objective, the Blue Line, ran halfway between the Ypres-Yser Canal and Pilckem. The second objective, the Black Line, ran just behind the hamlet of Pilckem. Once they reached the Green Line, two Battalions of the 115th Brigade would advance through the 113th and 114th Brigade and capture the Steenbeek crossings.
The Battalion crossed the Canal by 2.30 a.m. and awaited the signal to attack. The British artillery put down a barrage at 3.50 a.m. behind which the troops had to advance. Notwithstanding the excellent and heavy barrage, the men had the greatest difficulties in keeping direction, as it was still too dark. When the men got clear of the Canal bank the going became easier. The Blue Line was reached with relative ease. The 10th and 13th Welsh Battalions of the 114th Brigade captured the Blue Line at 5.20 a.m. The attack was then continued by the 15th Welsh Regiment on the right and the 14th Welsh on the left, of the 114th Brigade.
The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers also pushed forward to the Black Line in the dawning of the day. Though the hamlet of Pilckem was reduced to rubble, it was heavily fortified by the Germans. Amid the ruins of Pilckem the Germans had constructed a series of concrete shelters and pill-boxes, resistant to heavy shells. Consequently the Battalion faced heavy opposition in front of the hamlet. It was shelled by a German barrage in front of Pilckem and encountered machinegun- and sniper fire from the Pilckem defenders. Notwithstanding the staunch resistance and suffering grave casualties, the Battalion passed Pilckem and reached the Black Line in relative good formation.
Supported by six Lewis Guns of the 14th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and two companies of the 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers set off for the Green Line. They met considerable opposition at Battery Copse and from houses in Brierley Road. The situation became dire. The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had lost most of their officers and lost the pace of the barrage. The British barrage came down on the leading lines of the battalion, which added confusion to the already chaotic situation. Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Norman then ordered the Battalion to consolidate positions at the German strongpoint on Iron Cross Ridge, 150 yards short of the Green Line. The 115th Brigade thereupon passed through the Battalion and went on to the Steenbeek. This concluded the fighting of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 31st of July 1917.
Private Ellis Humphrey Evans was killed in action during the first day of the Battle of Pilckem Ridge. According to his Burial Return Sheet he was killed in the Northern outskirts of Pilckem. He was initially buried just North of Pilckem next to the Pilckem-Bixschoote road. Private Ellis Humphrey Evans was later on reburied at Artillery Wood Cemetery near Boezinge. His headstone was given the additional words Y Prifardd Hedd Wyn ("The Chief Bard, Hedd Wyn").
Evans had submitted his war poem Yr Arwr (The Hero), which he had completed during his training, for the 1917 National Eisteddfod at Birkenhead before departing to the front. When the ceremony of Chairing the Bard took place on the 6th of September, the jury declared the author Fleur de Lys as the winner. Fleur de Lys was a pseudonym of Hedd Wyn. When it became clear that the author had been killed on the 31st of July 1917 on Pilckem Ridge, the empty chair was draped in a black sheet. The chair was hand crafted by Flemish craftsman, Eugeen Vanfleteren, a carpenter born in the city of Mechelen, Belgium, who had fled the war to the United-Kingdom and had settled in Birkenhead.
Ellis Humphrey Evans was initially exempt from military service, as he helped farming on his father’s farm. Farming being categorized as a vital work, which helped supporting the war efforts. But as the Evans farm was considered overmanned, the Evans family had to send one of its sons in the British army. Ellis chose to enlist instead of his 18years old brother, when he received hiss call up.
Ellis Humphrey Evans consequently served as a Private in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Battalion, part of the 113th Brigade of the 38th (Welsh) Division. The 15th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers was to participate in the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Pilckem Ridge.
The 38th Division advanced at zero hour 3.50 a.m. with two Brigades plus one in support. The 113th Brigade was on the left of the Divisional front, the 114th on the right and the 115th Brigade was in support. The 38th (Welsh) Division was to capture the ruined hamlet of Pilckem and a position on the ridge midway between the stream of the Steenbeek and the hamlet. The latter being the Division’s final objective, and was called the Green Line. Their first objective, the Blue Line, ran halfway between the Ypres-Yser Canal and Pilckem. The second objective, the Black Line, ran just behind the hamlet of Pilckem. Once they reached the Green Line, two Battalions of the 115th Brigade would advance through the 113th and 114th Brigade and capture the Steenbeek crossings.
The Battalion crossed the Canal by 2.30 a.m. and awaited the signal to attack. The British artillery put down a barrage at 3.50 a.m. behind which the troops had to advance. Notwithstanding the excellent and heavy barrage, the men had the greatest difficulties in keeping direction, as it was still too dark. When the men got clear of the Canal bank the going became easier. The Blue Line was reached with relative ease. The 10th and 13th Welsh Battalions of the 114th Brigade captured the Blue Line at 5.20 a.m. The attack was then continued by the 15th Welsh Regiment on the right and the 14th Welsh on the left, of the 114th Brigade.
The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers also pushed forward to the Black Line in the dawning of the day. Though the hamlet of Pilckem was reduced to rubble, it was heavily fortified by the Germans. Amid the ruins of Pilckem the Germans had constructed a series of concrete shelters and pill-boxes, resistant to heavy shells. Consequently the Battalion faced heavy opposition in front of the hamlet. It was shelled by a German barrage in front of Pilckem and encountered machinegun- and sniper fire from the Pilckem defenders. Notwithstanding the staunch resistance and suffering grave casualties, the Battalion passed Pilckem and reached the Black Line in relative good formation.
Supported by six Lewis Guns of the 14th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and two companies of the 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers set off for the Green Line. They met considerable opposition at Battery Copse and from houses in Brierley Road. The situation became dire. The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had lost most of their officers and lost the pace of the barrage. The British barrage came down on the leading lines of the battalion, which added confusion to the already chaotic situation. Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Norman then ordered the Battalion to consolidate positions at the German strongpoint on Iron Cross Ridge, 150 yards short of the Green Line. The 115th Brigade thereupon passed through the Battalion and went on to the Steenbeek. This concluded the fighting of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 31st of July 1917.
Private Ellis Humphrey Evans was killed in action during the first day of the Battle of Pilckem Ridge. According to his Burial Return Sheet he was killed in the Northern outskirts of Pilckem. He was initially buried just North of Pilckem next to the Pilckem-Bixschoote road. Private Ellis Humphrey Evans was later on reburied at Artillery Wood Cemetery near Boezinge. His headstone was given the additional words Y Prifardd Hedd Wyn ("The Chief Bard, Hedd Wyn").
Evans had submitted his war poem Yr Arwr (The Hero), which he had completed during his training, for the 1917 National Eisteddfod at Birkenhead before departing to the front. When the ceremony of Chairing the Bard took place on the 6th of September, the jury declared the author Fleur de Lys as the winner. Fleur de Lys was a pseudonym of Hedd Wyn. When it became clear that the author had been killed on the 31st of July 1917 on Pilckem Ridge, the empty chair was draped in a black sheet. The chair was hand crafted by Flemish craftsman, Eugeen Vanfleteren, a carpenter born in the city of Mechelen, Belgium, who had fled the war to the United-Kingdom and had settled in Birkenhead.
Sources 5
|
5 Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers (1st London Weslh), (The National Archives ,KEW (TNA), WO 95/2556/1). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
|
Hedd Wyn - farmer, soldier, poet http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/visiting/yr-ysgwrn Sources used |
|
McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 28-29. Sources used |
|
McGreal S., Boesinghe, (Barnsley, Pen & Sword, 2010), pg. 143-205. Sources used |
|
Wikipedia Hedd Wyn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedd_Wyn Sources used |
More information 3
|
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/100906 |
|
Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=435e0f4a-ffce-451d-bbc9-517693fa21bf |
|
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1738304 |