Charles Evans' graduation form Oxford in 1939 was just months before the outbreak of World War II. He eventually found himself in the Royal Army Medical Corps serving with the XIVth Army in Burma. The XIVth Army was the largest British army in World War II. In addition to soldiers from all over the British Isles, the XIVth Army also contained a large Indian contingent, its many races and religions requiring different diets and hygiene practices. The diverse character of the XIVth Army and the long advance through the Burmese jungles created one of the most difficult situations faced by medical personnel in World War II. The foothills of the Himalayas were a favorite spot for XIVth Army officers on leave. After the war, Evans became a very keen mountaineer, pioneering several climbing techniques that eventually helped earn him a knighthood.
