Francis Evans, nicknamed Ken, was born on 13 October 1884 to John and Elinor Evans. He attended Melbourne Grammar School in 1902 and 1903. After leaving school and working at Redcamp station with his father, he joined the firm of J.T. Brown & Co., stock and station agents at Wangaratta before moving on to Dalgety & Co. Ltd. in Perth.
By the time Evans enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on 3 April 1916 he was still working in Perth but now as an auctioneer. He was assigned to the depot at Blackboy Hill before being transferred to the 5th Reinforcements of the 51st Battalion. He embarked with this unit from Fremantle on the 20 September 1916 on board HMAT Uganda, arriving in Plymouth on 15 November 1916. He arrived in France in December of 1916 and at this time was taken on strength as part of the regular 51st Battalion. Apart from a short time in hospital for mumps in January of 1917, Evans stayed with his unit at the front until he was killed in action on 13 October 1917. Eye witness reports state that he was killed by the same shell which killed Lance Corporal Louis Raemers.
Francis Evans is buried in the Passchendaele New British Cemetery, Passchendaele, Belgium.
Evans’ younger brother David Gerald Evans also served in the First World War and was killed in action on the 20 September 1917.