John Evelyn's Story.
John was born in Runcorn, Cheshire in 1881. He lived with his father James, a clergyman, & mother Evelyn at Whitley Vicarage, Whitley Inferior, Cheshire. He had 3 brothers, Henry, Alfred & Guy, and 5 sisters, Edith, Joan, Dorothy, Alice & Marjorie. By 1905 he was a cleric in Holy Orders. By 1911 they were living at Cliveden House, Rhyl, Flintshire.
On the outbreak of war he was commissioned as Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He entered France on the 10th October 1915. He was promoted to Captain the following year.
John was killed in action on the 4th August 1916. He is buried at Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps, France.Plot 1, row 1, grave 66.
The war diary for the date states:
9.30pm We opened a very heavy rifle and M.G. fire along the whole front in co-operation with operations on the right. Enemy retaliated with trench mortars and was active withthem all night. Casualties - Captain J.E. Bryant Killed. 4 Other ranks wounded.
The war diary for the date states:
9.30pm We opened a very heavy rifle and M.G. fire along the whole front in co-operation with operations on the right. Enemy retaliated with trench mortars and was active withthem all night. Casualties - Captain J.E. Bryant Killed. 4 Other ranks wounded.
The North Wales Chronicle reported:
Captain J E Bryant Killed
Mrs Bryant, Cliveden House, Rhyl ( widow of the late Reverend John Jones Bryant of Whitley Vicarage, Northwich) has been notified that her eldest son, Captain John Evelyn Bryant, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry, has been killed in action. Captain Bryant served in the Boer War. At one time he was tutor to the nephew of the King of Serbia. Among his decorations were the French Legion of Honour and one conferred by the King of Serbia. He was a grandson of the late Canon Barclay of Runcorn.
Researcher: Darryl Porrino