Bertram Evans

Bertram Sutton Evans (17 December 1872 — 2 March 1919) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer. He was commissioned into the Royal Navy from the Britannia Royal Naval College. Evans would hold a number of commands throughout his career, which was not without controversy, with him being reprimanded by the Admiralty on three occasions. He would see action in the First World War and was present at the Battle of the Falkland Islands commanding the armed merchant cruiser . In addition to his naval career, Evans was also a first-class cricketer, representing Hampshire on five occasions between 1900 and 1909.

Life and naval career The son of an assistant-master at Charterhouse School, he was born in school grounds in December 1872. Evans attended the Britannia Royal Naval College, entering in 1886. After graduating, he was confirmed in the rank of sub-lieutenant in May 1893, antedated to February 1892. He was promoted to lieutenant in June 1894 and was lieutenant in command of as part of the Portsmouth instructional flotilla until she paid off at Portsmouth on 31 December 1900, and on the following day he and the crew transferred to . It was in 1900, that Evans made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire, with him playing two matches in the County Championship against Warwickshire and Sussex at Portsmouth. He had previously played minor matches for the Royal Navy and the United Services. It was noted by Wisden that his cricket was restricted by his naval career. In September 1902, he was posted to the Naval School of Telegraphy at for a signals course, and from 12 November 1902 he was posted as first lieutenant on the battleship on her first commission, to the Mediterranean Fleet. He resumed playing first-class cricket for Hampshire in 1909, making three appearances, which included playing against the touring Australians at Southampton. In January 1910, he was placed in command of at Cape of Good Hope Station. He was appointed a Fourth Class Member of the Royal Victorian Order in January 1911, in recognition of his role in the visit to South Africa by the Duke of Connaught, who opened the 1st South African Parliament at Cape Town in November 1910; upon the opening, Pandora, commanded by Evans, fired a salute. Evans was promoted to captain in June 1913, and was appointed in command of . Only a matter of months into his command, Evans was reprimanded in the name of the Board of Admiralty and placed on half-pay for twelve months after a report on the "unsatisfactory manner in which he performed executive duties in Europa". From March 1917, he commanded the battleship , From April 1918, he was appointed to command . In October 1918, there was a mutiny of sorts aboard the ship when large numbers of her crew disembarked without orders; Evans was adjudged to have been to blame for the incident and was relieved of his command two months later.