Evelyn Fountaine Villiers was born in Croft, Yorkshire, on 4th May 1875. He was educated at Winchester College and on leaving, joined the Royal Sussex Regiment as a second Lieutenant. He received his commission on 7th December 1895. Evelyn served as a Lieutenant with the 1st Royal Sussex Regiment in the Boer War between 1901 and 1902, during which time he was “Mentioned in Despatches” and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his work as a Signalling Officer.
He married Muriel Wisden in Preston, Sussex, in 1901 and the family followed him to India after he was promoted to Captain and posted there in 1904. The family returned to England sometime after 1911.
Evelyn Villiers first significant command was at the Battle of Loos in October 1915. 
The battle-scarred buildings are evidence of the fierce action. (IWM Q49289)
At the outbreak of the First World War, Evelyn was serving with the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, landing in France on 13th August 1914. He was immediately at the front line in the Battle of Mons, the subsequent retreat and the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne. It was during these battles that Evelyn was “Mentioned in Despatches” for the second time. He would go on to be included a further three times before the end of the war. On 1st September 1915, Evelyn was promoted to Major and by the end of the month, became the Commanding Officer of the battalion. His first significant offensive in command was at the Battle of Loos in October 1915.
Early June 1916, Evelyn was made a Companion of St Michael and St George in the King’s Birthday Honours list
“for services rendered in connection with Military Operations in the Field”.
By the end of the month, Evelyn and the battalion were still in the Loos Sector but were soon to be mobilised south to the Somme, arriving on the 9th of July. They were on the front line at Becourt Wood the following day and later, relieved the 1st Northamptonshire Regiment in the village of Contalmaison which had been captured from the Germans a few days before.
Before the battalion was relieved, they made one final and unsuccessful attack over the night of 23rd / 24th July on the new German front line near Pozieres. Two days later, Evelyn left the battalion, listed as sick. Evelyn was to return to the war but not with the Royal Sussex Regiment. Once recovered from his illness, he was posted to join the 2nd Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
For his war service, Evelyn received the 1914 Star and the British War and Victory Medals. Evelyn died in Worthing, Sussex, on 3rd January 1955.