A. J. (Alfred John) Evans

Alfred John Evans, often known as John or Johnny, was born in 1889 at Highclere, Hampshire. He was educated at Winchester College and Oxford, where he won cricket Blues and captained the university side in 1910. He later taught briefly at Eton and became fluent in German.

During the First World War, Evans served as an observer with the Royal Flying Corps and was captured behind enemy lines in 1916. After repeated escape attempts, he finally reached Switzerland in June 1917. He later served in the Middle East, was captured again, and continued trying to escape until returning safely in November 1918. He was awarded a bar to the Military Cross for his wartime service.

Evans recorded his prison-camp experiences in The Escaping Club, which became a bestseller. He also played first-class cricket for Hampshire and Kent, captaining Kent in 1927. During the Second World War, he worked with MI9 to help plan escape routes and assist prisoners of war. He died in September 1960.