Such a shame ... he made it till Armistice Day ........ but no further ! Second Lieutenant NOEL EVERARD EVANS 121st Bty. 27th Bde., Royal Field Artillery who died age 19 on 11 November 1918 Son of the Rev. E. J. and Violet Everard Evans, of Whinside, Hindhead, Surrey. Remembered with honour ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN Noel was the Son of the Rev. E. J. and Violet Everard Evans, of Whinside, Hindhead, Surrey; formerly of St Trilo's Vicarage, Colwyn Bay, North Vales, where Reverend Evans was Vicar of Llandrillo yn Rhos, in the diocese of St. Asaph. Noel was also the grandson of Morgan Evans, late Prebendary of St David's Cathedral, and the late Colonel Everard, who was one of the survivors of the Charge at Balaclava in the Crimean War. Noel commenced his education at Rhos Preparatory School before entering Llandovery College in 1913. He remained there until 1917, and while at Llandovery, Noel made a name for himself as an excellent sportsman. He played at wing three-quarter for the First XV, and scored seven tries against Christ College, Brecon in The Annual encounter in 1916, when Llandovery beat Brecon 56 points to nil, He is Described in the School Journal as "having plenty of pace and a good swerve" and that "he was safe with his hands". It has been said that had Noel survived the Great War, he would have undoubtedly have played International Rugby for Wales. He was also a brilliant athlete. In 1917, he created a School Athletics Record by Winning the Steeplechase, the Mile, the half-Mile, the Quarter-Mile, High Jump and Putting the Weight. And if that was not enough, he came second in the 100 Yards 'dash' and Long jump! After leaving Llandovery, Noel entered Jesus College, Oxford. He left Oxford to enlist in the Army and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in the Autumn of 1918, joining their 121st Battery, 27th Brigade, attached to the 5th Division. Noel was sadly wounded in action soon after moving to the Front, on the 8th November, 1918, during the Battle of the Sambre. He was evacuated to a Military Hospital at Rouen, where he died of wounds on Armistice Day, the 11th November, 1918 aged just 19. He is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France.
