Thomas Evans was born in November 1885, and was thus 28 years old when the war started in 1914. He gave up his work as a haulier in a colliery in Betws (Carmarthenshire) and enlisted at the end of the first month of the War, on 2nd September, in Ammanford. He initially joined the 9th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers but later transferred to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, from which he was honourably discharged in November 1917, "being no longer physically fit for War service". As well as the conventional certificate of discharge, he received an ornate certificate from his regiment, with an inscription which reads "39863 Private Thomas Evans, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, having previously served during the war in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Served with honour and was disabled in the Great War. Honourably discharged on 13th November 1917."