Category Archives: Commemorated name/s

William Adnams

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Primitive Methodists' Memorial

William Adnams
Gunner 129930
99th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

Division 71
Extension

ADNAMS W CEM

William Adnams died of gas shell wounds on 28th June 1916.  He was the son of William and Emily Adnams, of Reading.  William was the husband of Lizzie Adnams, of 55 Spring Gardens, Whitley, Reading.    He is commemorated on the family grave. Number 18121.  The Berkshire Family History Society classification is 71J13.

The notification of his death appeared in The Standard July 13th 1918 commented, “He was a dutiful son and devoted husband and beloved by all”, together with the following poem.
Not now, but in the coming years.
It may be in a Better Land,
We’ll know the meaning of our tears,
And then sometime we’ll understand.

 William Adnams was aged 32.  He was buried in Aire Communal Cemetery, pas De Calais.  Location III.E.5.  Aire was a peaceful centre used by Commonwealth forces as corps headquarters.  Burials in plots II.III.IV. rows A – F, relate to the fighting of 1918, when the 54th Casualty Clearing Station came to Aire and the town was, for a short time, within 13 kilometres of the German lines.

 *Further research is required to discover the service career of William Adnams.

Arthur George & Charles William Thear

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave, Somme

 Arthur George Thear
Private 2613
13th Kensington Battalion London Regiment

 AGThear photo  CIMG2145

Arthur George Thear was the  son of Charles and Carrie Thear,  of 12, Victoria Street, Kings Road, Reading. He died of wounds and is buried in a registered war grave number 16097.  His name is commemorated on the scroll headstone of the family grave.

Arthur Thear joined up very soon after the war was declared but as the following newspaper article shows he had hardly been at the front any length of time before he was seriously injured.

The Chronicle April 9th  1915:

“ Private Arthur George Thear, 13th (Kensington Batt.), wounded at Neuve Chapelle, died on Saturday 3rd April at Wandsworth Hospital, and was buried on Wednesday at Reading.  He was only in France two weeks before being wounded.  The toes of one foot were shot off, and the other foot was altogether blown off.  Previous to joining the Army he was a footman in the service of Lord Ilchester at Holland House Kensington W., and at the funeral there was a wreath from the Countess of Ilchester, besides wreaths from many of his friends.

 

 

Charles William Thear
Lance Serjeant 2496
Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders 

Charles W Thear photo

Charles William Thear was the  son of Charles and Carrie Thear,  of 12, Victoria Street, Kings Road, Reading. He was killed in action on 5th August 1916 aged 30.  He is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval. Plot XVI. K. 10.

He is  commemorated on the scroll headstone of his brothers grave. The inscription on the scroll states that Charles Thear was killed in action and buried at Martinpuch.  This may have been the case but after the Armistice a number of smaller cemeteries and battlefield graves were concentrated in larger cemeteries.  Caterpillar Valley is such a cemetery and has been chosen by the Royal Mail to feature on one of its Millennium stamps.

On August 5th 1916 the Somme battle was still raging and a particularly important objective was High Wood on the way to Martinpuch.  Thousands of men died in a number of attempts to capture the wood so that they could press on the Martinpuch, situated near the Albert to Bapaume road.  It was not until 15th September in a major offensive involving tanks that this objective was finally taken.  Charles Thear was killed in one of the unsuccessful earlier attacks.