ADAMS, Ernest C

Ernest Adams was the son of Joseph and Henzey Adams who lived at 37 Hall Street, Oldswinford, with his younger brother, Joseph. He attended Oldswinford C of E School and worked as a bread deliverer for Holdens of Cradley before the war. When he volunteered, he was living at 60 Heath Lane near his parents' home. He served in the 1st Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment during the 1916 Battle of the Somme and at Arras in May 1917. In September they moved to Flanders for the last stage of the Third Battle of Ypres. They attacked at Polygon Wood on the 28th September and again at Poelcappelle on the 9th October. In one of these battles he was seriously wounded and sent to the military hospital at Dozinghem where he died of wounds on the 11th October. Private Ernest Adams was 29 years of age and is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery (IX H 9) and commemorated on Stourbridge, Oldswinford church, St. Thomas's church and Oldswinford C of E School Memorials and on his parents' grave in St. Mary's churchyard. On the same day and in the same battle of Poelcapelle Joseph, his younger brother, was also killed in action and they were buried less than five miles apart.