Name
(Cecil) Thomas Cecil Adams
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
260013
King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
1st/5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NEW IRISH FARM CEMETERY
XV. E. 20.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Dearly loved and deeply mourned
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial,
United Reformed Church Memorial, Bishop's Stortford
Pre War
Thomas Cecil Adams was born in 1894 in Brightlingsea, Essex to Thomas and Charlotte Adams. Known as Cecil on the 1911 Census, he was living with his mother and brother at 61 Nelson Street, Brightlingsea and working as a Grocer's Shop Assistant.
He lived in Barrels Down Road in Bishop's Stortford for 3 years when he worked as an assistant at Messrs Walker and Company in the store in Market Square, his landlady was Mrs Brett.
Wartime Service
He initially enlisted 5/6 May 1916 into Middlesex Regiment, 28th Btn and requested a preference to be with Herts Territorials. His stated religion was Congregational.
He was home from 5 May 1916 to 9 January 1917 and sent to France 10 January 1917. He had been appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 11 August 1916, but reverted to Private on joining the BEF on 11 January 1917. He was initially posted to 8th Btn East Surrey Regiment on 13 January and transferred to the Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regt on 2 February and joined them in the field on 7th February 1917.
He was reported missing on 31 July 1917 but was found on 8 August and his body buried by the military authorities.
The local paper wrote that "although not a Stortfordian, he was well known and highly respected both where he worked and also at the Congregational Church where he was an active worker."
His sister, S Adams wrote in a letter on 13 January 1921 to the Officer in charge of Records "Thank you very much for the information sent to us regarding particulars of the body of the late Soldier, Pte Cecil Adams of the Kings Own, Royal Lancaster Regt, having been exhumed and interred north East of Ypres. It has given my parents great satisfaction to know in what vicinity the re-burial has taken place. "
Additional Information
Other numbers under which he served were given on his service record: 20246, 52006 and 33108.
His mother Charlotte received a war gratuity of £4 10s and pay owing of £3 13s 4d.
His mother, Mrs C Adams, 61 Nelson Street, Brightlingsea, Essex, ordered his headstone inscription: "Dearly loved and deeply mourned"'
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jenny Clough
