Corporal William Oscar Adams Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers
The Man William Oscar Evans was born on Saturday 20th October 1901 in Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales. Son of William James, a Coal Miner Hewer and Lydia, previously Snook nee Sharman who was 11 years older than husband and hailed from Sussex.
William was one of eight children, his half siblings were Hamilton Snook born in 1887, Gertrude Lydia 1888, Maud Bessie 1890, Lillian Geraldine 1894 and full blood Rosina Evans 1899, who sadly died aged three in 1902, Dorothy May 1904 and John 1910.
The 1901 census, taken before William’s birth shows the family living at 1 White Street, Caerphilly and it is likely William was born here, his mother also being shown as a ‘Coal Worker’. By 1911 they lived at 11 New High Street, Mynyddislwyn, Monmouthshire and William was aged nine.
It is probable William also worked in the coal mines following his education and during the second quarter of 1923, aged 21 he married Evelyn Maud Griffin in St Luke’s Church, Ramsgate, Thanet, their bans being read on 29th April, 6th and 13th May. Following their marriage they moved to Croydon, living at 6 Guildford Road.
William became an Electrician and in 1933 now aged 32, was member 508 of the Electrical Trades Union, London Station Engineers No 1 Branch, his trade given as LTT. He enlisted into the Territorial Army, Royal Engineers on 1st March 1938 with service number 1855281 and posted to the 315th Anti-Aircraft Company. He was awarded The Territorial Army Badge number 195895 on 29th July.
William was embodied aged 37 following the outbreak of World War II and transferred to the Royal Artillery 30 S/L Regiment on 1st August 1940. He served at home on anti-aircraft duties until 20th January 1943 when he was posted to North Africa, seeing active service as part of the 1st Army. Following the Allied victory, he was posted to Italy on 12th May 1943 as part of the Central Mediterranean Force, being transferred again to the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers on 9th November 1944. He would no doubt have seen action in some of the fiercest fighting during the Liberation of Italy.
William returned to the UK following the Victory in Europe on 8th May 1945. He joined the M.S. Batory, a Polish ocean liner, requisitioned as a troop carrier during the war and dubbed The Lucky Ship, on Monday 2nd July 1945. Sailing via the Straits of Gibraltar and Bay of Biscay to the mid Clyde near Glasgow, he alighted on 9th July, keeping a diary of the entire journey.
Upon his return William was sent by train to Military Dispersal Unit in Guildford, E Section, 750 Base Workshops, REME, his trade still an electrician. He was released from the Army later in July and his Military Conduct was given as Very Good. The Major writing his testimonial said of William:
“This man is a good worker and willing. Is fair at his trade, needs more experience”
For his service William was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with 1st Army Clasp, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and the Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’, the latter appearing in Army Order 134 of 1946.
William died during the third quarter of 1980 aged 78 in Surrey and Evelyn on 12th February 1983 at Smallfield Hospital, Horley, Surrey aged 86.
William was one of eight children, his half siblings were Hamilton Snook born in 1887, Gertrude Lydia 1888, Maud Bessie 1890, Lillian Geraldine 1894 and full blood Rosina Evans 1899, who sadly died aged three in 1902, Dorothy May 1904 and John 1910.
The 1901 census, taken before William’s birth shows the family living at 1 White Street, Caerphilly and it is likely William was born here, his mother also being shown as a ‘Coal Worker’. By 1911 they lived at 11 New High Street, Mynyddislwyn, Monmouthshire and William was aged nine.
It is probable William also worked in the coal mines following his education and during the second quarter of 1923, aged 21 he married Evelyn Maud Griffin in St Luke’s Church, Ramsgate, Thanet, their bans being read on 29th April, 6th and 13th May. Following their marriage they moved to Croydon, living at 6 Guildford Road.
William became an Electrician and in 1933 now aged 32, was member 508 of the Electrical Trades Union, London Station Engineers No 1 Branch, his trade given as LTT. He enlisted into the Territorial Army, Royal Engineers on 1st March 1938 with service number 1855281 and posted to the 315th Anti-Aircraft Company. He was awarded The Territorial Army Badge number 195895 on 29th July.
William was embodied aged 37 following the outbreak of World War II and transferred to the Royal Artillery 30 S/L Regiment on 1st August 1940. He served at home on anti-aircraft duties until 20th January 1943 when he was posted to North Africa, seeing active service as part of the 1st Army. Following the Allied victory, he was posted to Italy on 12th May 1943 as part of the Central Mediterranean Force, being transferred again to the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers on 9th November 1944. He would no doubt have seen action in some of the fiercest fighting during the Liberation of Italy.
William returned to the UK following the Victory in Europe on 8th May 1945. He joined the M.S. Batory, a Polish ocean liner, requisitioned as a troop carrier during the war and dubbed The Lucky Ship, on Monday 2nd July 1945. Sailing via the Straits of Gibraltar and Bay of Biscay to the mid Clyde near Glasgow, he alighted on 9th July, keeping a diary of the entire journey.
Upon his return William was sent by train to Military Dispersal Unit in Guildford, E Section, 750 Base Workshops, REME, his trade still an electrician. He was released from the Army later in July and his Military Conduct was given as Very Good. The Major writing his testimonial said of William:
“This man is a good worker and willing. Is fair at his trade, needs more experience”
For his service William was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with 1st Army Clasp, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and the Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’, the latter appearing in Army Order 134 of 1946.
William died during the third quarter of 1980 aged 78 in Surrey and Evelyn on 12th February 1983 at Smallfield Hospital, Horley, Surrey aged 86.
The Story The medal group awarded to William Oscar Adams were acquired from the Malvern Flea Fair on Sunday 27th June 2021, having previously been viewed at the same event on 31st May. They were of interest because of the paperwork with the group, particularly relating to and confirming award of the World War II medals, together with his Soldier’s Release Book and other items of interest.
As William’s Release Book included his date of Birth and middle name, although the DoB was wrong by a year and showed 20th October 1900 rather than the correct 20th October 1901, it enabled a search of Ancestry.UK and Forces War Records and with the paperwork enabled a biography to be produced.
Interestingly some of the medal entitlement documents have been annotated, presumably by William, to include the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. Although this was an initial block to purchasing the group, further searches of Ancestry revealed no obvious WWI Medal Index Card and in any event, William would have been too young to have seen service in WWI, aged 17 in November 1918. Even had he lied about his age (possibly why his records show 1900) he would have only formally enlisted in October 1918 and probably not have seen service overseas. He may have felt however that he was still entitled.
Also included within the papers were William’s copy of the ‘D’ Day Dodgers Ballad and an interesting diary of his return to the UK from Italy in June-July 1945.
An interesting lot and another hitherto unknown World War II Veteran’s memory now hopefully preserved for posterity.
As William’s Release Book included his date of Birth and middle name, although the DoB was wrong by a year and showed 20th October 1900 rather than the correct 20th October 1901, it enabled a search of Ancestry.UK and Forces War Records and with the paperwork enabled a biography to be produced.
Interestingly some of the medal entitlement documents have been annotated, presumably by William, to include the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. Although this was an initial block to purchasing the group, further searches of Ancestry revealed no obvious WWI Medal Index Card and in any event, William would have been too young to have seen service in WWI, aged 17 in November 1918. Even had he lied about his age (possibly why his records show 1900) he would have only formally enlisted in October 1918 and probably not have seen service overseas. He may have felt however that he was still entitled.
Also included within the papers were William’s copy of the ‘D’ Day Dodgers Ballad and an interesting diary of his return to the UK from Italy in June-July 1945.
An interesting lot and another hitherto unknown World War II Veteran’s memory now hopefully preserved for posterity.
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Africa Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Italy Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded
- Efficiency Medal 'Territorial: 1855281 CPL.W.O.ADAMS. R.E.M.E.
Page last updated 2 Jul 21
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