The War Graves of Ystradgynlais

This newspaper article comes from the South Wales Voice from the edition of December 8th 1945. It is included here as additional family information, pertaining to Henry Garfield Evans and William Stanley Evans, who both fell in the Second World War. Edwin Evans was one of their brothers (their parents had four sons serving with HM forces) and survived the war. This article outlines one of his adventures in the Far East.

YSTRADGYNLAIS SERGEANT WITH BURMESE TRIBES
F⁄Sgt. Edwin Evans, of Hendreladis Cottage, Brecon road, Ystradgynlais, has an interesting story to tell of his experiences among the hill tribes of Burma. He is a member of an R.A.F. Servicing Commando now working on Don Maung airfield outside Bangkok, and took part in the Normandy landings and soon afterwards was withdrawn from France and moved out to India to go into action against the Japanese

Giving his story, Sergt. Evans says, "We arrived last December and went straight to work on an air strip in Bengal. It was pretty dull after Europe and I was glad when I was sent on detachment to Imphal. While I was there we learned that an aircraft had crashed in the Naga Hill country, about 70 miles from Imphal. A medical officer and I were detailed to investigate."

"The first 15 miles or so were done in a jeep and then the road petered out. From that point to the scene of the crash and back again was a 12-day journey on foot. To begin with, we found the going pretty heavy, especially as we were new to the climate, but with the help of the Nagas, a primitive though friendly people, who carried our kit for us on their backs by straps around their foreheads we managed to keep up about 20 miles a day."

"We were met in every village by the head man and escorted to his house. There we usually found that the guest quarters were where they kept the pigs and chickens, but for all that they were very kind to us. Men from each village accompanied us to the next village along our route."

"After night-fall, when our day's march was over, the villagers would sometimes take us hunting with them. One night one of the local men bagged a panther."

He concludes by stating that eventually they found the aircraft at the foot of a 600-foot ravine.

	Edwin Evans To the left is the article in the South Wales Voice newspaper.