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Enoch Evans

Quartermaster Sergeant, Midland Mounted Rifles – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 50 Q.M. SERJT. E. EVANS, MIDLAND M.R.

Enoch Evans was born in Llandefalle, Breconshire, Wales on 19 January 1877 the son of Enoch Evans (after who he was named) and his wife Elizabeth (born Pritchard). Enoch senior was a Shoemaker by trade. According to the 1881 Wales census the Evans family were resident at Penrhuegoch in Llandefalle – aside from a 4 year old Enoch were siblings Thomas (5), Henry (2) and Elizabeth Jane (6 months)

At some point in the 1890’s Evans sought greener pastures emigrating to South Africa where he settled in Cape Town. Employed as a Grocer’s Assistant at 85 Harrington Street, Cape Town he was a good fit for the Western Province Mounted Rifles which he joined on 10 January 1901 – thirteen months after the Anglo Boer War commenced. Many in the Western Cape could have been forgiven for thinking that partaking in a war so far from where they were geographically situated was a mistake but, as events were to show, it wasn’t long before a war that had started in Natal, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal would be on their doorstep.

Providing his father of Lower Chapel, near Brecon in Wales as his next of kin he was assigned no. 342 and the rank of Trooper. When the second invasion of Cape Colony took place in December 1900 several new bodies of volunteers or irregulars were raised at Cape Town, among others the Western province Mounted Rifles soon reaching a strength of over 500. As soon as a squadron was ready it took the field, because the enemy in the first week of January 1901 had reached within a day's ride of Cape Town. During January and February the corps was constantly in action. In a telegram from Clanwilliam, dated 31st January, the Press Association correspondent remarked that a detachment under Lieutenant Hellawell had driven 150 Boers from the Pakhuis Pass.

Throughout 1901 the corps did an immense amount of arduous work in the extreme south-west of the Colony. They were often far from support and in a district much favoured by the enemy, and one almost impossible for regular troops. The corps had endless little engagements, frequently involving sharp casualties, and if they had a good many patrols captured this may be attributed to their being more than usually split up into little detachments at the request of the officer who commanded the district. Evans took his discharge from them in early April 1901 – not to return home but to take up a position with Gorringes Flying Column which he joined as a Sergeant with no. 40 on 23 April 1901.

Gorringes Flying Donkeys (as they were disparagingly called in some quarters) took the fight to the Boers in the Eastern parts of the Cape Colony and were involved in numerous skirmishes against Boer Commandos who hadn’t given up the idea of reaching the sea and securing the Cape Colony for themselves in the process. He was to last only three weeks with them before taking his discharge on 15 May 1901.

From there he moved on to the Midland Mounted Rifles as a Quartermaster Sergeant with no. 50 completing the attestation forms to join that body in Cape Town on 23 May 1901. Now aged 24 he confirmed that he had previous service with especially the W.P.M.R. The M.M.R. came into being in the second phase of the war for the purpose of assisting to expel the invaders from the Colony. In April and May 1901 (when Evans had joined them) they were often in action, and were said to have done very well on two occasions in the latter month, particularly at Zwagershoek. Their actions were not without mishap however, on the 21st of June a party of 60 Midland Mounted Rifles was surrounded and captured by Kritzinger between Cradock and Graaf Reinet; 9 men were killed and 2 officers and 10 men wounded. It is not known if Evans was part of that unfortunate group. According to the published casualty lists the number of killed and wounded was slightly larger. It was found to be satisfactory that the detachment made a very good fight, and that there was no surrender until the losses became out of all proportion to the end to be gained in holding out.

The Midland Mounted Rifles were to get their chance in due time. Kitchener’s despatch of 8th September 1901 deals with the capture of Letter's commando by Colonel Scobell on 5th September In the despatch Lord Kitchener said: "It must also be mentioned that three days previously Letter's commando had been checked by a party of Midland Mounted Rifles, who killed seven and wounded six of their number, and prevented the Boers escaping by a pass which the patrol was then holding".

The corps continued to do much useful work in the central districts of Cape Colony right up until the cessation of hostilities on 31 May 1902 – this being the day that Evans’ war also ended. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps to the Cape Colony and both date clasps.

Post-war Evans appears to have returned to Cape Town and to do considerably better for himself than before. In 1919 he sailed to England on business and was, according to the ship’s manifest, a Commercial Traveller. This was followed up by another trip to London aboard the S.S. “Gascon” where he landed on 5 June 1923 heading for Lower Chapel in Brecon to see his family. On this occasion he was noted as a Manufacturer. He wasn’t to return to South Africa moving in with his now elderly parents in Penybont Cottage, Lower Chapel, Brecon.

His father having passed away on 7 July 1936 Evans became the head of the household. According to the 1939 Register compiled just prior to the outbreak of World War II he was still living in the paternal home, next door to the Castell Madoc Arms, was single, 62 years old, retired and listed as a Special Policeman. It is not known when he died.

Good Morning Rory......

Thanks again for a great piece of research......

Mike