A scarce Great War ‘1916’ M.M. and Bar awarded to Sergeant G. P. Evans, 1st Siege Company, Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (5779 A. Sjt: G. P. Evans. 1/Sge: Co: R. Mon: R.E.-S.R.) very fine
£700-900

M.M. London Gazette 3 June 1916.

M.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 23 August 1916.

George P. Evans served during the Great War with the 1st Siege Company, Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, in the French theatre of war from 3 November 1914. The following detail is provided in Low and Everett’s regimental history:

‘The Company landed at Havre on the 3rd November, 1914. After a short period on the Lines of Communication to allow it to shake down it was sent to II Army. On the 25th December, 1914, the Company was sent to 5th Div. in the line to reinforce a sorely tried Field Coy. (59 Fd. Coy.) in front of Wulverghem, and at once began to build up a reputation for good work and reliability. It next temporarily relieved 59 Field Company for six weeks in the line, until, in the early spring of 1915, it was sent to II Corps. From then until the Armistice in 1918, it remained with various Corps (with the exception of a short spell in 1917 with the 62nd Div.) employed on the multitudinous tasks which fell to the lot of Corps Troops Engineers.

From July 1915 until May 1916, the Company was with XIV Corps in the Ypres salient. During this period, the greater part of the Company’s work consisted of wiring, construction of dug-outs and of forward “O.P.s” (Observation Posts) for the R.A. for the use of the Gunner F.O.O.s. (Forward Observation Officers). For this work the Company was dispersed in detachments over the whole of the Corps front, at the disposal of the Commander Corps Artillery (“Brig. Gen. R.A.”). The work was laborious and much of it had to be done at night. These O.P.s were constructed of reinforced concrete, and for the last part of the journey all materials, etc., had to be carried by hand up the communication trenches. There were also times when it was nerve-wracking in the extreme.

Nevertheless, a first-class job was done and these O.P.s survived many direct hits by shells of various sizes, without, in many cases, unduly hindering the work of the F.O.O. inside!

For this work, the Company received two awards of the M.C. (Vyvyan-Robinson and Bence-Jones) and some fifteen awards and mentions to other ranks.

In July, 1916, the Company having been sent to 1st Anzac Corps, was moved south to the neighbourhood of Albert. The Somme Battle started on 1st July and the concentration of troops in the Corps Areas was very heavy. Water supply for men and horses was a major undertaking and, as the slow advance took place, pipe lines had to be pushed forward and maintained, and roads repaired and constructed. The Company was employed on these and kindred tasks. When the Germans retired to the “Hindenburg Line” in March, 1917, demands on the sappers increased, but they were assisted by large infantry working parties as the fighting had died down. It is interesting to note that up to the end of 1917, the Company had been attached to the following formations :—1st Anzac, Canadian, V. IV, XIII, VI Corps, 62 Div.’