Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of William Leonard and Millicent ADAMS of 6 Main Street, Coburg, Vic.

Trained as a signaller in Egypt and England.  Was engaged at Polygon Wood and Bullecourt, wounded in leg and hand while carrying a despatch.  After 2 months was sent to the Front again before fully recovered.  Shortly afterwards was slightly gassed in right lung.  Tuberculosis supervened and after about 2 years in Hospitals and Convalescent Homes he succumbed at Healesville (Vic.).  Buried in Brighton Cemetery 16th November 1920.

Length of service 1067 days

Rupert Adams worked for the Melbourne branch of Alex Cowan and Sons, paper manufacturers, Penicuik, Scotland. He was invalided home to Australia and died after being discharged from the army.

He is remembered on the company’s war memorial in Penicuik, Scotland

From How We Served

The final resting place for; - 4351 Private Robert William Edwin Adams of Coburg, Victoria who prior to enlisting for War Service on the 27th of July 1915 had been employed as a clerk and was allocated to reinforcements for the 21st Battalion 1st AIF.

Robert was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 7th of March 1916, and following his arrival on the 10th of April he was officially taken on strength with his Battalion. Robert arrived in France in May, and his service was continuous until he was evacuated from the trenches due to illness and was hospitalised in November.

Re-joining his Battalion, Robert was evacuated again due to sickness and was sent to England to be treated for appendicitis, and whilst still in England recovering, and having been sent to a Draft Depot to await being sent to France he was again hospitalised for firstly influenza on the 25th of May 1917, then following this he was again hospitalised for tonsillitis, and then pleurisy. Having been sent back to the Draft Depot at Tidworth to await being sent to his Unit, his health again broke down and he was evacuated for hospitalisation and was admitted into the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.

Whilst being treated here it was discovered that Robert had developed tuberculosis of the lung, and after an extended period of treatment in England he was deemed no longer fit for service in the trenches and he was embarked for his repatriation to Australia as an invalid, departing on the 5th of November 1917. Robert eceived his official discharge from the 1st AIF on the 27th of June 1918 for his re-entry into civilian life.

Afterr his return to Australia Robert would endure further extended periods of treatment for tuberculosis and was sent to the Military Sanitorium at Macleod. Robert’s health would only further deteriorate and on the 15th of November 1920 he finally succumbed to the tuberculosis he had contracted whilst serving in England. Following his passing Robert was interred within Brighton General Cemetery, Victoria at the age of 28.

There appears to be some confusion in regards to Robert's service in Northern France, but the casualty and medical reports attached verifies where he was during these periods.