Cpl
Frederick James Adams
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 13/03/1873 |
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Place of birth: Monewden, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Coal miner |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 5935 |
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Enlistment place: Leeds, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Field Artillery, 32nd Div. Ammunition Col. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 30/10/1917 |
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Cause of death: Died of wounds (D.O.W.) |
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Age: 44 |
Cemetery
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Minty Farm Cemetery Plot: II Row: B Grave: 17 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Frederick James Adams, a 44 year old coalminer and father of nine, from Monewden, Suffolk took part in the Battle of Passchendaele where he died of his wounds on 30 October 1917. He was a Corporal in the 32nd Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery. From 18 October 1917 on the 32nd Div. Ammunition Column supplied the positions of the 34th, 82nd, 161st and 282nd Brigade RFA from the depot at B.26.a.4.1. (between Vlamertinghe Chateau and Hospital Farm). In the war diary is mentioned that 2872 gas shells were distributed with pack animals. On 30 October 1917 two other ranks were killed doing so. Frederick James Adams must have been one of them, being wounded on his way up or back probably close to Minty Farm.
According to family legend he was on horseback with at least one other. They came under fire. His comrades horse was killed and he gave up his own to allow the other chap to return safely. Meanwhile Frederick James set out to walk back and was wounded when doing so. There is a record with the Salvation Army. Frederick James was a Bandmaster at Wakefield before the war. The other man who survived the war and on one new year’s eve in the 1930s he turned up at the annual Salvation Army band event in Wakefield. At that point he remarked that the Bandmaster had saved his life.
According to family legend he was on horseback with at least one other. They came under fire. His comrades horse was killed and he gave up his own to allow the other chap to return safely. Meanwhile Frederick James set out to walk back and was wounded when doing so. There is a record with the Salvation Army. Frederick James was a Bandmaster at Wakefield before the war. The other man who survived the war and on one new year’s eve in the 1930s he turned up at the annual Salvation Army band event in Wakefield. At that point he remarked that the Bandmaster had saved his life.
Sources 1
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Divisional Ammunition Column (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2381/2. http://nmarchive.com Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/447248 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=f727a3d1-d8f4-46e8-95fd-33f56e5cb935 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/634156 |