Peter Evans was born in Flint in 1894 and baptised 20th July 1894 at St Mary’s Parish Church, Flint, and was the third of six children to Edwin Evans and Gertrude (Cooper). He was a brother to Private Thomas Evans.
The Evans family were living at Leadbrook Cottage, Oakenholt, when Peter’s Liverpool born mother, Gertrude, died after a short illness in August 1902, aged just 34. She was buried in the Northop Road Cemetery.
By the 1911 census widower Edwin had moved the family to 4, Bennetts Row, Oakenholt, and Peter, who never married, was employed as a silk worker, however upon joining the Army he was employed by the British Glanzstoff Manufacturing Company, Flint.
He enlisted in Flint on 26th September 1914, joined at Wrexham and landed at Boulogne, France on 27th September 1915.
He was killed in action by shrapnel in France on 20th July 1916. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France on Pier and Face 4A.
He is remembered on two war memorials – Flint Town and St David’s Parish Church, Oakenholt and was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
For his memorial service at St David’s Church see Corporal John Bellis.
In late July 1916 it was stated in various sources in the Borough that Private Evans had met with his death through wounds sustained on the Battlefield in France. Evans, who was well known and respected in the Oakenholt locality, as well as by a number of residents in the town, was one of the first batches of young men of the Borough who left to join the Forces at Wrexham after which he was drafted into one of Lord Kitchener’s Battalions of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He was very popular amongst his co-workers at the British Glanzstoff Manufacturing Company’s Works, and his friends were exceedingly sorry to learn of his death.
The intelligence respecting the death of Evans was soon verified, and a letter had been received by his father from his Officer, who stated that he was wounded so seriously with shrapnel that death was instantaneous.
Peter’s father, Edwin, was born in Wrexham and died 5th January 1929, aged 62, at his home, 3, Gardeners Row, Oakenholt, and buried with his wife. Mr Evans was employed for many years by the North Wales Paper Company, Oakenholt. He was of a kind and generous disposition, and was well known and highly esteemed in the neighbourhood.
