Arthur Evans

He was headmaster of two schools for military children and in the 1960s set up the Service Children’s Education Authority for those living with their parents on overseas postings.

His first appointment was as headmaster 1961 to 1965 at the Duke of York’s Military School, in Dover, which had been set
up after the Napoleonic War
to look after the sons of 
soldiers.

He later became headmaster of the Queen Victoria School, in Dunblane, from 1970 to 1973, which had a similar foundation to the Duke of York’s, educating children of people from all three Services.

Lieutenant Colonel Evans, who was always known as Ken, was born in the Shropshire village of Meole Brace, the youngest of the four children of Richard and Ethel Evans.

He was brought up in Ironbridge and Ludlow, where his father was a police superintendent.

He was educated at Ludlow Grammar School and Manchester University, but after the outbreak of the Second World War served in the Home Guard before being commissioned into the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He was seconded to the Royal West Africa Frontier Force and served mainly in Nigeria.

After the war he returned to university, having completed only his first year, but after finishing his course he returned to the Army. He was commissioned into the Royal Army Education Corps, becoming an instructor at Sandhurst, but was later posted to Korea at the outbreak of that conflict where one of his duties was editing the theatre newspaper.

While at Sandhurst he met Margaret Tyrer and when he went from Korea to Singapore she sailed on a troop ship from England to join him.

They married in Singapore in 1955.

He was a keen sportsman, especially at cricket and rugby. He was a lifelong fan and player of cricket and as a bowler played for the Army in Singapore and also for Singapore Cricket Club.

At home he captained Camberley Rugby Club in Surrey.

His final posting was to Salisbury and the staff of UK Land Forces before retiring from the Army, in 1975, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The family then moved to Stamford Bridge when he became an investigator with the Commission for Local Administration, the Ombudsman’s office for the North of England, based
in York.

He took a full part in village life, being an ardent follower of Stamford Bridge Cricket team, a member of the Parish Council and chairman of the local branch of the Royal British Legion.

Lt Col Evans is survived by his wife Margaret and son David.