Posted: Jun 30, 2009 03:50 am EDT
(ThePoles.com) "Having been to a British boarding school, I have been hungry for most of my childhood, and so I feel that I can deal with that aspect. In terms of resupply, my intention has always been to go unsupported - anything less would be failure."

Remember ExWeb's interview with Mark Evison? Due to lack of funds he eventually had to postpone his aspiration to become the youngest person to ski solo to the South Pole.

Instead, Mark went to Afghanistan. Nicknamed '007' by his brothers in arms, the young soldier sadly took a bullet and passed away on May 12.

On patrol

Mark (26), a lieutenant, was serving in the British Army in Afghanistan as the Officer Commanding Number 7 Platoon, which was part of the Number 2 Company Group operating in the south of Nad e-Ali.

In addition to defending a checkpoint he and his platoon were responsible for patrolling the local area in order to deter insurgent activity and improve security for the local population.

On 9 May Mark was leading such a patrol when they came under enemy fire. He was hit in the shoulder by a single round and was evacuated back to the hospital.

Despite the best medical treatment available, he was showing no sign of recovering and was flown to a hospital in England. His family was with him when he died on 12 May.

Mark Evison Foundation

Mark’s mother and friends has set up a Foundation in honor of Mark to support young people both physically and mentally.

Mrs. Evison explained, “Mark as a person was very interested in personal development, not just in terms of fitness, but in terms of pushing himself just that much harder, and in the process he developed those leadership qualities that in fact he needed later.”

“The Foundation provides funds for the personal development of young people aged 16 to 30 years, at a stage when the opportunity to push oneself and so continue to develop confidence in oneself is important for later life: specifically we hope to provide funds for activities contributing to physical, personal and mental development.”

Fund raising

The Foundation will be organising charity events during the year to raise funds. They asked that anybody who is interested to be on their database to receive information about these events and the Foundation could write to them at email address evison@dircon.co.uk

The registered charity number of the Foundation is 1130281.

Financial contributions can be paid in at:
Account name: Mark Evison Foundation
Bank details: Lloyds TSB Salisbury Branch
PO Box 1000
BX1 1LT
Account number: 00224114
Sort code: 309741
IBAN number: GB19LOYD30974100224114
Swift Code: LOYDGB21063

A tribute in a press release:
Mark Evison was born on 17 July 1982, was educated at Charterhouse School and later read Land Economy at Oxford Brookes University after which he went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Welsh Guards on 14 December 2007.

Following the Platoon Commanders' Battle Course he joined Number 3 Company, commanding Number 7 Platoon on ceremonial duties in London. Subsequently he commanded his platoon with distinction on overseas exercises in Canada and Germany.

Following the re-rolling of his company, his platoon was attached to Number 2 Company, with whom he trained his men for the deployment to Afghanistan.

Lt Evison was an outstanding young officer. He was intelligent, charming, tactically astute, and he cared deeply for the men under his command and was well-liked and respected both by the soldiers under his command and his fellow officers. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

"His platoon gave him the affectionate nickname '007' - a testament to their high regard for his capability, style and charisma. They would have followed him anywhere," according to Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBE.

The family of Mark Evison said:
"Mark led a charmed life in many ways, because of who he was: he was charismatic, caring, optimistic, and always happy, and he drew to himself a wide circle of friends from all walks of life.

"He was devoted to his family. He loved music and, from Dulwich College, won a music scholarship at age 16 to Charterhouse School, Godalming, playing the cello and the piano.

"He was a natural sportsman and excelled at all sports; at age 17 running the London Marathon in 3 hours 14 minutes. At age 18, he worked as a jackaroo on a 300,000-acre sheep farm in Hay, Australia, for 11 months, and endeared himself to the Australian outback lads, which in a way was an apprenticeship for the active caring life with his lads in the Army.

"He loved the Army and its comradeship, care, adventure, respect and courtesy, and was described in a report from his company commander just before his death as 'an exceptionally impressive young officer who combines real talent with great humility and charm (and who) displays more potential than any officer with whom I have worked'.

"He lit up so many lives in his 26 years, and will be profoundly missed. Everyone who knew him loved him."

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