Early life

Evan was born in 1887 at Charlton Kings, Gloucester to his parents Thomas and Mary Jane Joseph.  He had three brothers Thomas, Maurice and Frank, and a sister Susannah.

He married Florence Dawson on 24th April 1918 but sadly they were married less than a year before his death.

Military career

He joined 1^st Battalion Worcester Regiment during WW1. It was during fighting at Roseries on 27^th March 1918 that Sergeant Evan Joseph won his Distinguished Conduct Medal.  Having been driven back to the village the day before, the 1^st Worcestershire Regiment took up defensive positions running from the eastern outskirts of Meharicourt.  Here the order was to hold this line at all costs. “Every man who is able to retire is equally able to use his rifle or bayonet and will therefore maintain his place in the line until relieved”. Dawn on 27^th March saw dense waves of enemy pouring forward over the open slope beyond Meharicourt. 

The guns and rifles open fired and under the rain of shells and bullets the second waves of enemy dwindled and came to a halt.  Started attack and reached the Worcester’s trenches but rapid fire from the rifles once again saw  the enemy take to flight.  The road strewn with their dead.

Sergeant Joseph was responsible for the Battalions signalers and, “under intense fire of shells and bullets repeatedly worked along the telephone lines repairing breaks and maintaining communications throughout the battle.

Sergeant Joseph is next mentioned in the records of the 1^st Battalion Worcestershire on 13^th October 1918.  His party of signallers working in the knee deep mud and water to set up a telephone line during the advance on Douia.  Next day whilst shells were exploding all around, he would add the Military Medal to his awards when seeing Captain EG Coxwell struck down by a shell, he went to his assistance.  Carrying the officer to safety. He himself was also wounded, and Evan Joseph was returned to England where he subsequently died of his wounds on 6^th February 1919. He was 32 years old.

A family tragedy

Evan Victor Joseph, along with his brothers, Private Thomas Evan Joseph and Maurice Llewellyn Joseph were all killed in the line of duty fir their country.  Thomas was the first to be killed and has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing.  Maurice Joseph’s death who, with no know grave, is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial to the missing.

On the memorial in St. Andrew`s church in Alvington, Gloucestershire there is a WW1 memorial. Below it there is a small frame which contains a Victory Medal and two gold medal.  These were presented by the village to commemorate their service, one bears the name Evan Joseph, the other that of his brother Thomas Evan Joseph.  The reverse of each medal shows St Andrews church.  Below this frame, another displays the hand-written words:

“The Joseph Brothers were sons of the Coachman of Clanna House.  They fought in the Great War and were all killed.  Their father died of a broken heart”.