Illustrated Chronicle 1918

Photo : Len

Medal Index Card

Adam Weatherston Dowson was born in the 1st Quarter of 1899, at 3 Barmoor Terrace, Ryton, Gateshead, Durham, the eldest boy of four children to William Dowson, [born 1861, Low Greenside, Durham, and his wife Margaret, [born 1863 Wallsend], a coal Miner. Mary Ann Victoria Dowson, born 1898, Adam, and younger brother Leonard, [born 1902, Ryton]. A 4th child had died.

In 1911 the family were now residing at 11 Seymour Terrace, Ryton, Durham.

Adam was employed as a miner at Addison Colliery.

Adam was conscripted into the 14th Training Battalion after August 1916. His service number was TR/14/7089. Training Battalions is where the recruit did their basic training before being allocated to a regiment.

However this meant that the recently trained recruits did not end up in their local regiments. Only regiments who had vacancies or were short of recruits. Adam eventually was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Lincoln Regiment with the service number 42874.

2nd Battalion, August 1914 were in Bermuda and moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Returned to England on the 3rd October 1914 and on arrival came under command of 25th Brigade in 8th Division. On the 6th November 1914, they landed at le Havre. 4th February 1918, transferred to 62nd Brigade, 21st Division.

His battalion was involved at the Battle of St Quentin between the 21st and 23rd March, 1918. He was wounded and captured by the Germans and died of his wounds on Saturday 30th March 1918.

There was an obituary in the Blaydon Courier, page 4, 18/05/1918. Blaydon Courier, page 4, 28/09/1918. "Eldest son of William and Margaret Dowson, of 11 Seymour Terrace, Ryton on Tyne, Co. Durham. Margaret Dowson died on 19th February 1919. reported in Blaydon Courier, 01/03/1919. One sister, Mary Ann Victoria

His father received his Army gratuity pay of £6 8s 1p.

He is remembered in Ryton on R33.01, R33.02, R33.08 and R33.13, also at Crawcrook on C97.05, where his surname is spelt incorrectly as Dawson, [the local paper at the time, spelt his name correctly in the report]

Find a Grave Burial Location
Ryton & District War Memorials Project
The CWGC entry for Private Dowson