Edward Charles Adams was born on 23 July 1898 in Marylebone, the eldest of the three children of Charles Stone Adams (1867-1927) and Emma Susanna Adams née Kirby (b.1866). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1898 in the Marylebone registration district, London. He was baptised on 11 September 1898 in St Paul's Church, 5 Rossmore Road, London, NW1, where the baptismal register shows the family living at 4 King Street, Marylebone and that his father was a carman.
The 1901 census shows him still living at 4 King Street, Marylebone, with his parents and his sister Winifred Adelaide Dorothy Adams (1900-1995). He was shown 'at school' on the 1911 census still residing in the two roomed property at 4 King Street, Marylebone together with his parents, his sister and his brother Arthur George Adams (1902-1988). His two siblings were also recorded as being at school and his father described himself as a furniture removal carman.
The London Gazette confirms that on 29 April 1915 without competition he was appointed as a temporary assistant postman in the London Postal Service.
He served as a private in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Corps of Hussars, with initially a service number of 1989 that was renumbered in 1917 to 265705. He was part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force and was killed in action, aged 19 years, on 21 November 1917. He was is buried in in Plot D, Grave 48 of the Jerusalem War Cemetery, Churchill Boulevard, Jerusalem, Israel.
On 3 June 1918 his army effects totalling £5-19s-7d were sent to his father who was also sent his £11-10s-0d war gratuity on 7 November 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal and these would have been despatched to his father at 106 Clifford Gardens, Kensal Rise, London, NW10.
He is commemorated as Adams, E. C. on the Western Postal District war memorial now located in Mount Pleasant, London, EC1, as well as on Page 5 of The Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's, Book of Remembrance 1914-1920, on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
