The Collection of Medals Formed by The Late Major David Evans, T.D.
Major David Evans, T.D. (1937 - 2002)
The collecting habits of David Evans, who was born in Liverpool and lived there all his life, naturally reflected his pride in his home city. An old boy of the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys and a chorister at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in his youth, he was for many years part of the management team at Tate & Lyle's, the sugar refiners. An avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club, he had a season ticket for the front row of the old Kemlyn Road Stand (which just goes to prove that nobody is perfect!).
His two years' National Service spent with the Royal Signals imbued in him a respect for, and an abiding interest in, all things military. In the late Fifties he joined 287 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA), with which unit he was commissioned. In 1973 he was appointed Captain to 'V' (The Liverpool Scottish) Company, 51st Highland Volunteers, from which time he positively steeped himself in the distinguished -if comparatively short-history of 'The Liverpool Scottish.' Apart from being an extremely active chairman of the Liverpool Scottish Officers Association, he became a driving force in the establishment of the Battalion's fine museum.
Adding his own Territorial Decoration to the Evans family collection, which included his beloved old Dad's Great War BWM and AVM, was a proud moment for David. His collecting interests encompassed not just medals, but books, prints and ephemera-particularly if they had an association with the Great War. The great bulk of David's medals came to him in the days when secondhand and junk shops abounded; he would religiously pursue his weekly 'round' of visits to these emporia every Saturday morning. Sometimes it would take him several visits to secure all the components of a Great War trio! Because he had so many demands on his time, not least from his wife and two daughters, David never actually got around to researching the medals in his collection. Of course he meant to ... but there was always so much else to do!
David's own extensive collection of Liverpool Scottish medals has been generously loaned to the Liverpool Scottish Museum by his widow, Jean. He would have been less than pleased if I did • not take this opportunity to broadcast the atmospheric charms of the museum in Liverpool's Botanic Road. Although visits are by prior arrangement, Major Ian Riley, Professor Donald Ritchie, or the curator, Dennis Reeves, will always be delighted to show you round. Very well worth a visit!
In the limited time available to us, the staff at DNW, Joe Devereux and I have combined to put some flesh on the bare bones of David's previously un-researched collection-but there must be huge amounts of 'mileage' left to prospective purchasers!
Hal Giblin