Private / Guardsman 6905 George Wallace ADAMS
As of January 19th 2015
Private / Guardsman 6905 George Wallace ADAMS
1st Battalion Scots Guards
Birmingham City Police ‘E’ & ‘R’ Division
Killed in action Belgium 11th November 1914 aged 28
British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index cards 1914-1920
Police service History
George Wallace ADAMS joined Birmingham City Police 4th October 1911 and gave his occupation as a clerk; he was also a reservist, having had previous military service.
His Warrant number was 7889 and on 1st June 1914 he transferred to ‘R’ Division.
Recalled to the Army at the outbreak of hostilities, George left the Police service on Tuesday 4 August 1914 to rejoin his regiment at Aldershot.
Recruits Book Entry Dated October 4th 1911
(Birmingham City Police Records)
Birmingham City Police records show an entry dated 4th October 1915 showing Army pensions have been granted to the relatives of PC George W ADAMS along with others who have been killed in the war.
Entry dated 3rd January
PC George Wallace ADAMS (and PC Herbert Horace GOODLEY who also lost his life and is named on the Roll of Honour) who enlisted at the outbreak of war had been reported missing for more than one year and the War Office was not making an allowance to the dependants on the assumption that the constables were no longer living.
War service history
The 1st Battalion, Scots Guards embarked on the S.S. 'Dunvegan Castle' at Southampton on Friday 14th August 1914 landing at Le Havre later the same day.
Advancing towards Aisne, the battalion was in constant action until they entrained at Fisme on Saturday 17th October [1914] bound for Hazebrouck in Belgium.
On Wednesday 21st October [1914] the battalion advanced through Elverdinghe, Boesinghe and Langermarck, North East of Ypres, and then found themselves in action around Koekuit and Bixschoote.
For the remainder of the month the battalion fought battles around Gheluvelt, before finally falling back to positions between Gheluvelt and Veldhoek.
These positions were held under continuous bombardment and attacks. By the date of George's death the battalion had moved to a farm near Gheluvelt Wood. During the course of the day the Prussian Guard attacked through Veldhoek and made an attack on the farm overwhelming the defenders.
Casualties of 160 men killed are recorded for this day. The survivors 1 officer and 69 men, retired to Hooge.
Since arriving in Belgium on Wednesday 21st October [1914] the battalion had lost 21 officers and 686 other ranks.
Roll of individuals entitled to the decoration 1914 Star
Disembarkation date of 13th August 1914 and a date where he
was assumed dead 11th November 1914 and the 1914 Star was despatched in the post 22nd February 1919
UK Army Registers of Soldiers Effects 1901 - 1929
The amount of £3 15s 11d was awarded to ‘widow Ada’.
The authority dated 26th April 1916
Commemorated Panel 11
Menin Gate, Ypres Belgium
Visited and remembered 23rd April 2014
Photographs courtesy of Su Handford
Commonwealth War Grave Commission Records
Grave Registration Reports are standard forms which detail graves for which the Commission is responsible within a particular burial ground.
They provide basic details of the individuals, such as name, service number, rank, regiment, unit and date of death, and are listed in Plot, Row and Grave order.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Records - Panel Lists
These are lists of individuals commemorated on memorials or screen walls and reflect the details and layout inscribed on the panels.
Individuals are commemorated in this way when their loss has been officially declared by their relevant service but there is no known burial for the individual or in circumstances where graves cannot be individually marked, or where the grave site has become inaccessible and unmaintainable.
Antecedents of George Wallace ADAMS
- George was born first quarter 1885, All Saints Hereford
- His parents were George born 1860 and Anna Marie (Nee Hedger born 1858.
- He had a brother Charles born 1890 in Herefordshire, and resided at 5 Moorfield Street,Hereford [1891 census], and 20 Widemarsh Street, Hereford[1901 census]and as a border at 8 Bayview Crescent,Swansea, aged 26 he was unmarried and working as a clerk[1911]
- Army documents show his effects of £3 15s 11d was awarded to his widow Ada who presumably he had married after he was 26 years of age. He was a border with an Ada James in 1911 as shown below.
1911 Wales Census
George shown as a border, single aged 26 and a clerk, he was residing with Mr William [33] and Mrs Annie [27] Macdonald along with two other borders Ada James [26] a shop assistant and Bruce Cameron [21] a traveller all residing at 8 Bay View Crescent, Swansea, an 8 room dwelling. Mr and Mrs Macdonald had been married for 6 years.