ADAMS, John Albert
| Service Number: | 731 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hawker, South Australia, 4 June 1891 |
| Home Town: | Clare, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Shell-fire, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 27 April 1915, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Lone Pine Memorial, Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Clare Original Clare School WW1 Memorial, Clare Schools Old Scholars who Fell WW1 Memorial, Clare WW1 Memorial Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 731, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 731, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' |
|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 731, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 731, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli |
HMAT A11 Ascanius (1910 - 1952)
10,048 gross tons. Lb: 150.3 x 18.4 metres. Twin screw, triple expansion engine making 14 knots. Passenger/cargo (refrigerated) steamship built by Workman Clark, Belfast for the Ocean SS Co Ltd, Liverpool (Alfred Holt - Blue Funnel Line)
Leased by the Commonwealth until 30 July 1917
20 October 1914 departed Adelaide with the 10th Infantry Battalion (South Australia) 3rd Infantry Brigade.
31 October 1914 departed Fremantle with the 11th Infantry Battalion (Western Australia) 3rd Infantry Brigade.
embarked at either Sydney, Fremantle or both ports - 4 nurses.
1st November 1914 assembled with the first convoy at King George's Sound, Albany Western Australia in transporting the First Detachment of the Australian and New Zealand Imperial Expeditionary Forces.
19th April - 12th May 1915 converted at Cockatoo Island Drydock, Sydney to transport 1820 troops and 12 horses.
Completed nine transport voyages from Australia commencing 20 October 1914 until final voyage from Melbourne 11 May 1917.
During that time carried multiple Infantry Brigade Reinforcements, the two Army Service Corps Company Division Trains, the 7th Field Ambulance (Second Division), the 3rd Signal Company (Victoria) Third Division, multiple Field Artillery Brigade Reinforcements, eight Machine Gun Company Battalion Reinforcements, multiple Division Ammunition Column Artillery Reinforcements, Light Trench Mortar Battery Reinforcements 3rd Reinforcements, 1st Cyclist Battalion (New South Wales and Queensland) 6th Reinforcements,1st Siege Artillery Brigade 11th Reinforcements, Artillery Reinforcements (carrying no known divisional number as known being first despatched in this title), the 4th Light Horse Regiment (Victoria) 4th Light Horse Brigade 26th Reinforcements, 13th Light Horse Regiment (Victoria) 17th Reinforcements, 4th Mobile Veterinary Section (New South Wales) 4th Division 27th Reinforcements, 5th Mobile Veterinary Section (New South Wales) 5th Division 27th Reinforcements & Medical Officers as - 8th & 10th Field Ambulance (Victoria)Third & Fifth Divisions respectively.
POST HOSTILITIES
Serviced the refrigerated cargo (meat) trade Liverpool - Australia. Employed as a troopship World War 11 for British Forces. Departed Liverpool 6th February, 1941 within a 72 ship convoy to Port Said then Freetown Sierra Leone on 2nd March and Cape Town from 22nd to 27th March where the ship's fresh water supply was repaired. Arrived at the Suez Canal 20th April and arrived in Port Said on 22nd April, 1941, discharging troops for the Middle East Campaign. Torpedoed 1944, made it to port, resumed service to Australia 1946.
1949 sold to A Motosi and renamed San Giovannino
Scrapped at La Spezia July 1952.
Submitted 8 September 2014
Biography
Born 4 June 1891 in Hawker, South Australia
(SA Birth Record 1842 - 1906 Book: 479 Page: 286 District: Fro.)
Father John Thomas ADAMS (b. 8/5/1965 Bullcreek SA - d. ___)
m. 12/6/1890
Mother Elizabeth (nee CHENEY, b. 29/6/1864 Templers SA - d. 27/11/1944)
living at Hamley Bridge, South Australia.
25 May 1920 Elizabeth Adams wrote to The Office of Base Records – advising next of kin
and noted that John Thomas Adams deserted his wife and family in 1904 – and nothing
had been seen of him since, so Elizabeth is the next of kin.
Siblings:
Himself John Albert Adams service #731
(b. 4/6/1891 - 27/4/1915 – died in action, Gallipoli)
Sister Elizabeth Violet Adams
(b. 15/8/1892 Hawker - d. 1969 Sandford VIC)
m. James George NESS (19/5/1915 Clare)
3 children:- Beryl Esme (14/5/1919), Ronald James (12/5/1920)
& Colin Angas (10/12/1926) Ness
Brother Harry Henry Adams
(b. 22/11/1893 Hawker - ??)
m. Zenobia Elizabeth Thurston (25/4/1917 Lochiel)
4 children:-Thomas Henry (b&d 2/4/1918), Glen Hurtle (22/12/1919), Clifford Edger
(9/8/1922) and Eva Valda (21/9/1924) ADAMS
Brother Nathaniel Ray Adams
(b. 14/2/1895 Hawker – 29/7/1957 Kapunda)
Brother Leo Thomas Leslie Adams service #366
(b. 31/7/1896 Carrieton - returned from service - d. 23/5/1973 Dandenong, VIC)
Brother Stanley Livingstone Adams service #15792
(b. 20/2/1900 Quorn - 31/8/1986 Edwardstown)
m. Edna Clarice Traeger (15/1/1927 Tanunda)
1 child - Geoffrey Trevor (18/12/1927)
He was among one of the first to volunteer for service from the Clare district.
He was much liked by all who knew him. He was in the employ of Mr A. J. Davey for a number of
years prior to enlisting, and was always most conscientious in his attention to his duties.
Described on enlisting as: eldest of 6 siblings; 23 years 2 months old; 5' 7" tall; fair complexion;
blue eyes; light brown hair, Single; Methodist; mole on right side of neck.
26/8/1914 Completed medical at Kadina, SA
28/8/1914 Enlisted at Morphettville, SA
20/10/1914 Embarked from Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide on board HMAT Ascanius A11
as a Private in A Company, 10th Infantry Battalion
Arriving into Egypt, and the Mena training camp.
2/3/1915 Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
(Gallipoli Campaign) on the SS Ionian with the 3rd Brigade.
The 10th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served as part of the AIF during World War I. The battalion was completely recruited from South Australia in August 1914 and together with the 9th, 11th and 12th Battalions, it formed part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division. It served at Gallipoli from April to December 1915.
26/3/1915 Admitted with Influenza to No 1 Australian Stationary Hospital, Lemnos
31/3/1915 Discharged to duty
It was this 3rd Brigade that was selected to land first at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. These men were very proud, confident and full of anticipation to serve their King and Country. They were there with their mates, together they would use this as a way to prove themselves worthy of the British Empire. Little did these young Aussies realise what would happen to them soon.
27/4/1915 377 Sgt G Cowan (10th AIF A Co. III Platoon), stated that
"ADAMS was in a trench with Private 380 Kent Williams,
when a shell hit them, and they were both killed
- Dardanelles, Gallipoli Peninsula."
NO KNOWN GRAVE.
His name is commemorated on Panel 32 at the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula,
Cannakkale Province, Turkey.
His name is located at panel 58 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.
Medals:
1914-15 Star (2294); British War Medal (4534); Victory Medal (4533);
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (305829).
Egypt photo's and “Farewell to a Soldier” article courtesy of the Clare Regional History Group Inc.
Sourced and collated by Julianne T Ryan - 23 May 2014. Lest we forget.
Click images to start slideshow.