Level Crossing Cemetery Fampoux
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas William Adams was born at Glanton, Northumberland in 1895, one of four children of whom he was the eldest of 3 surviving sons. Both his parents were born in Northumberland, father Thomas at Wark in 1865, mother Elizabeth Straughan born September 12th 1862 at Hepburn, Egleston. Thomas and Elizabeth were married at Chatton, district of Glendale, Northumberland, February 4th 1893, in 1901 they and their 3 sons were living at 7, Hawick Street, Alnwick with his widowed father who was a shepherd, Thomas was employed as a fireman by 1911, they had moved and were living in two rooms at Gills Hall, Alnwick, Thomas William (16) was now an apprentice baker with Dixon Brothers.
When a state of war was declared with Germany in 1914 he was 19 years old and enlisted at Aldershot, Hampshire, assigned as Private S/4093864 to the supply section of the, field bakeries and butcheries, Army Service Corp, where his skills as a baker would have been most useful, later attached firstly to the 7th then to the 6th Battalion Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders as Private S/24619, he departed for the Wester Front as of January 1916.
The 6th Battalion Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders were part of Kitchener’s Second New Army and joined the 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. Whilst on the Western Front in France they saw action at the Battle of Loos, the Battles of the Somme at Pozieres July 23-September 3rd and the Battle of Le Transloy October 1st-18th during 1916 before moving to the Arras sector in spring 1917. During the Battle of Arras which raged from April 9th-May 16th 1917 Thomas William suffered a shrapnel wound, May 3rd 1917. Evacuated back through the lines he was repatriated to England by hospital ship and admitted for treatment to Chamberlayne School, Eastleigh, Hampshire, which for the duration of the war had been taken over as a Clearing Hospital. Fully recovered he was drafted back to the front joining his regiment in the field in France.
Private S/24619 Thomas William Adams for a second time sustained wounds in the line of duty to which he succumbed, December 3rd 1917 and was interred at Level Crossing Cemetery, Fampoux, Pas de Calais, France, grave I. E. 2. He was 22 years old and single.
His mother Elizabeth received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 7, Waggon Way Road, Alnwick, Northumberland. She commissioned at a cost of 5 shillings 6 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Gone But Not Forgotten”.
His younger brother Richard also served during WW1, he survived the conflict.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas William Adams is remembered at Alnwick on A11.01, A11.03, A11.09, A11.12, A11.13, A11.18, A11.21 and in A11.56 page 25