William Evans Thrope – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division

Able Seaman William Evans Thrope – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division

Early Life and Family Background

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

William Evans Thrope was born in Swansea in 1898, the son of Edgar William Thrope and Anne Evans, who married in 1894 at Newcastle Emlyn, Cardiganshire. Their marriage, along with the births of their children, is recorded in the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, which provide valuable confirmation of the family’s details and movements during this period.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Thrope family living at 38 Trafalgar Place, Swansea. Edgar William, aged 31 and born in Berkshire, was working as a Grocer and Dairyman. His wife, Anne, born in Carmarthenshire, was 37. Their children at this time were Samuel Edgar (5), Hannah (4), William Evans (3), and Alexander Charles (9 months). Also residing with the family was Charlotte Rosser, aged 23, employed as a servant.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family remained at No. 38 Trafalgar Place. Edgar William, now 43, continued his work as a Grocer, while Anne, aged 48, supported both the home and the business. Their eldest children, Samuel Edgar (15) and Hannah (14), were employed as assistants in the family business, while William Evans (13) and Alexander Charles (10) were still attending school. A servant, Martha Jane Thomas, aged 16, was also living with the household.

Military Service

In November 1916, William enlisted in the Army, initially serving with the Glamorgan Yeomanry. Later that same month he was discharged and subsequently joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, where he served with the Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division, holding the rank of Able Seaman.

On 26^th October 1917, the opening day of the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the Anson Battalion took part in a major assault across the shattered, waterlogged ground north‑east of Poelcapelle. Their objective was the heavily fortified German strongpoint at Varlet Farm, part of the Flandern I defensive line. The battalion advanced at 7.20 a.m. through deep mud, flooded shell holes, and intense machine‑gun fire, suffering heavy casualties. Despite these conditions, a small party led by Sub‑Lieutenant Stevenson succeeded in capturing Varlet Farm and held it under continuous fire until relieved by the Hood Battalion. The fighting that day was fierce and costly, and many men of the Anson Battalion were killed or went missing during the attack. Able Seaman William Evans Thrope fell during this action, one of many who have no known grave, their names instead preserved on the memorials of the Ypres Salient.

Williams Evans Thorpe
Tyne Cot Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
credit - findagrave

Death in the First World War

Able Seaman William Evans Thrope was killed in action on 26^th October 1917. His name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, West‑Vlaanderen, Belgium — a lasting tribute to those who fell during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).