Mum sad and proud to receive medal in son’s honour

Jun 17 2010 by Hywel Trewyn, North Wales Weekly News

Mum sad and proud to receive medal in son’s honour

THE mum of the first Welshman to die in the Iraq war has spoken of being proud to receive a medal in his honour.

In 2003, Lance Bombardier Llywelyn Evans, known as Welly to his friends, was killed with seven British colleagues and four Americans when their US Marine helicopter crashed south of the Kuwaiti border. Llywelyn’s brother Lee, then 22, survived after he boarded another helicopter.

The brothers were in the same unit, 29 Commando Royal Artillery, attached to 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines.

Shortly afterwards Theresea Evans’ heartbroken husband Gordon drank himself to death, aged just 47.

Then, on Christmas Day 2008, tragedy struck again when another son, Dewi, 23, an assistant manager at KFC in Llandudno Junction, died after a car crash near Betws y Coed on the way to their grandfather’s funeral.

Llywelyn’s death has now been recognised with the award to Theresea of the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll at a ceremony in Plymouth.

Introduced in August 2009, the medal does not automatically go to all bereaved families, but those who lost a loved one on operations or as a result of an act of terrorism.

Theresa said that while the hallmarked silver medal can never be any kind of consolation for the loss of her son, its significance lies in it being given in the Queen’s name.

When introduced last year it marked the first time a reigning monarch had given their name to a new medal since King George VI instituted the George Cross in 1940.

She said: “I was sad but very proud to receive this honour on behalf of my son, but it would have been better if I’d received it from the Queen herself. There were a few families of soldiers who died who have said that.

“Unfortunately I have met lots of families who have lost their loved ones, not only in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Theresea has now started a charitable box scheme called Operation Welly in honour of Llywelyn, to send toiletries and food to soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

But she added: “This world to me is hell. The sun comes up, the sun goes down. If I wake up I wake up, if I don’t, I don’t.”

When Dewi died, Yvonne was pregnant with the couple’s third child Megan. And it’s Theresa’s three grandchildren – Megan, Catrin and Ffion – as well as her daughter-in-law Yvonne, two surviving sons Lee and Jaime, as well as her two adopted children Sian and Andrew, and their three children, who give her the strength to put on her brave face.

She said: “They are a source of comfort. It’s difficult for my daughter-in-law obviously, but she’s a brilliant mum and very good with me.

“People say ‘You’ll get better’. But I’m not ill. I haven’t got a broken arm or a cold. I won’t get better. How do you get over something like this?”

To make a donation to Operation Welly, phone 01492 874912, 860452 or 871793. Or e-mail: aforbes113@googlemail.com