JOHN Evans was a naval officer from the Senior Service's old school. He was good with his men, earning the loyalty of crews, and was an officer entirely devoted to his duty.
Born on August 16, 1924, in Portsmouth, into a family steeped in the nava
l tradition, it was little surprise that John followed the footsteps of his father and two older brothers into the service, when at the age of 13 he went to the Royal Navy College at Dartmouth.
Between 1942 and 1944, he served on several ships, including HMS Nelson, named after the hero of Trafalgar. But it wasn't long before he would swap the surface for a career stalking enemy vessels and patrolling the sea as a submarine commander at the tail end of the war and into the 1950s.
At depth he would find that each man depended more than ever on his crewmates, forging close companionships.
In 1949 he met his first wife, Helen, and the couple were married soon after. The Evans made their base in the village of Ormiston, East Lothian, and had two children, Christopher and Caroline.
He commanded three submarines during his career – the Subtle, Sentinel and Rorqual – and although he was proud of all his vessels it was HMS Subtle that held a special place in his heart.
His son, Christopher, said: "It was in 1952, while commanding the Subtle, he and his crew were used in the Jack Hawkins film, The Cruel Sea. Sadly, not as the swashbuckling hero, I hasten to add, but as the skipper and crew of the U-Boat that surfaced in the closing minutes of the film.
"The Subtle was his first command and, as such, Dad always had a special regard for that one – although he was proud of all his crews and vessels in the Royal Navy."
Then in the late 1950s he was given the command of an anti-submarine frigate called HMS Mohawk in a case of poacher turned gamekeeper.
But it was in 1970 that he was given his most prestigious posting, when as Commodore he was posted in Hong Kong where he served until leaving the Royal Navy in 1975 to return to Edinburgh.
To this day, he is the last commodore to have served in the former British colony.
Away from his life at sea he was actively involved in charity works and was a keen gardener.
When he and Helen moved to their new home in Belgrave Place, near Dean Bridge, he delighted in the private gardens. Not wishing to completely turn his back on the Royal Navy, he joined the Chaplain's Committee for the Church of Scotland and was responsible for introducing the Scottish Branch of the Submariners' Association banner.
Sadly, his exploits began to catch up with him and a number of years ago he began suffering from blackouts – a condition that was to worsen until his death on June 15.
A Thanksgiving service was held in his memory on Friday at St Cuthbert's Church, Lothian Road, following a private cremation.
He is survived by his second wife Eileen, son Christopher and daughter Caroline, and grandchildren.
The full article contains 544 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
