A WWI medal group and associated ephemera, relating to Lance...

Hammer

£220

A WWI medal group and associated ephemera, relating to Lance Corporal Gwilym Tyndal Evans 10765, 26th Royal Fusiliers, reported killed on 23rd September 1917, aged 20, at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, Ypres, comprising his posthumously awarded War and Campaign Medals, in their original box and outer envelope, (addressed to his parents), an original hand-written letter from Evans, dated 'Aug. 19th', reading 'Dear Parents, Here I am once more writing you a letter from France - from a part of France where all is peace and calm. We are well out of range of Fritz's infernal guns. I wish I could say that we are out of reach of his aircraft, but that is not the case. They pay us a visit now and then, once with very bad results too. However, we are only here for a short time. We shall soon be going further back. I received your registered letter dated Aug 16th yesterday (I started this letter on the 19th, it is now the 22nd). Thanks very much for the lot enclosed in it. I have by this time heard from Davies. He is in hospital at Woking, near Aldershot. He was operated on before he left France, but he is now progressing favourable. He was expecting his parents to come and see him. As for the chap from Goldingham (?) he is alright. He is in Blighty too. He is home now on leave before going to a Cadet School for commission course. Glad to hear that Dai has had a post, and I hope he will be able to stick it. Don't forget to tell him to drop me a line when you write. Sorry to hear that Jack is being worked so hard, and for such a huge pay too! What is the name of the house now? Is it (?). Well at present I am A1. We do quite a lot of parades, but that does not worry me. In fact I rather enjoy it. You see, I am now acting Platoon Sgt. Can you imagine me bellowing across a field at a platoon of men! Just like a drill sergeant you know! Of course I have only got one stripe on my arm, and I only get the same pay. I think that I shall chuck this in before long unless they give me another. I think I have earned it if those who have been promoted are worthy of it. Still, I think my ambitions in the army are cooled down long ago, except for a 'pip'. I shouldn't mind that, I shall try again. I have just received your papers, but I haven't had time to read them yet. I will write to you again very soon, and as soon as I have anything to write about. I must now conclude, with Best Love, Gwylim.' The lot also includes the printed message from the King & Queen, expressing their sorrow in their son's death, a 'War Graves Photographs' envelope and contents, five black and white photographic postcards, a memorial scroll, a typed letter (perhaps a copy) from the soldier's parents, dated October 13th, 1917, reading 'Dear Gwilym, In our great anxiety, we send this again, in hope that you are still alive, though we did not hear anything from you these three weeks. We trust, however, that the lack of opportunity is the cause. We think that if it were something worse that we would have been informed before now. We send you a little something for fear that you are in great need. We will not write more this time. Your loving and anxious parents', a letter written to Evans' parents from the Internation Agency of Prisoners of War, dated November 21st 1917, stating that they 'have not come across his name on the German lists up to now and fear that, for the present, we can do nothing more than to carefully examine the future lists as they reach us, in the hope that we may find it..', two letters, written in Welsh language, from the National Library of Wales, addressed to 'The Rev J Evans, Rhydwilym, two further typed letters - believed transcribed from the original - from Lance Corporal Evan to his parents, one of which describes him being injured and in the Field Hospital (dated June 1917), going on to describe the unpleasant experience of trench life and warfare, talking about 'going over the top' and requesting further supplies of socks etc, four copies of a memorial print titled 'To the Sacred Memory of the Rhydwilym Boys Who fell in the European War 1914-1918' (to include a photograph and details of Gwilym Evans, and further typed letter, from the Rev. J Evans to 'The Secreaty of the Record Office Infantry, dated September 2nd 1920, reading 'Dear Sir, Will you kindly inform us what part of the Western Front he was when killed and where buried? We have been waiting till now, expecting to hear something further, but nothing came. At the time he was killed we were not allowed to have any knowledge of his whereabouts. Nothing of his belongings were returned. We are offered facilities to visit his GRAVE, but unless you are able to comply with this wish, we are unable to do that either. I am Dear Sir, yours sincerely..'. Deceased estate with no known living relatives. https://ww1.wales/carmarthenshire-memorials/llandyssilio-war-memorial/