Hereoes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Private Graham Ralph Adams

 

Hereoes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Private Graham Ralph Adams

Graham Ralph Adams was seventh child of William Harold Adams 1864-1913 and Ellen “Helen” Eliza Durrant 1866-1939.  Graham was born on October 7, 1898 at Gorleston-on-Sea and baptised on November 9, 1898 in the local parish church.  His father was a well-known Gorleston lifesaver, having saved 140 people from drowning.  As an avid swimmer, his father taught all his children to swim well.  Their children were:

1.      Hannah "Annie" Eliza Adams 1885–1958

2.      Nellie May Adams 1886–1942

3.      Abel Arthur Adams 1888–1935

4.      William Sidney Adams 1891–1922

5.      Stewart Allen Adams 1893–1946

6.      Percy Clifford Adams 1896–1951

7.      Graham Ralph Adams 1898–1918

8.      Henry Ernest Adams 1904–1974

At the age of 16, Graham joined the 1/4^th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment where he fought in the Dardenelles where he was injured.  Later, he fought in Egypt in the battle of Gaza, when he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war by the Turks on April 19, 1917.  He languished in the Turkish prison for 10 months as a prisoner of war and eventually died of illness on February 26, 1918. 

According to the Commonwealth Graves Commission records, Graham’s body was exhumed from Nidge, Turkey and was reinterred in the North Gate Cemetery in Baghdad, Iraq.

Graham Ralph Adams was only 19 years old at the time of his death.

His obituary as published in The Mercury, read:

“The sad tidings have been received recently by Mrs. W. Adams and family, of 199, Bell’s road, Gorleston, that one of her sons, No. 4357 [Reg. No. 200879] Pte. Graham Adams, of the Norfolks, died on February 26th last at Bore, near Nidge, Turkey, while a prisoner of war.  Pte. Adams, who was only nineteen years of age, joined the 5th Norfolks at the early age of 16, and went through the Dardanelles fighting, where he was wounded.

  After recovery he was in hospital again for dysentery.  Later he was transferred to Egypt and took part in the battle of Gaza, when he was taken prisoner by the Turks on April 19^th last year.  He was an old Stradbroke Road School boy, and was subsequently employed at Messrs. Mills’ Box Factory, Southtown.  He, like all his four [older] brothers, was well known to many in Gorleston as on who could swim like a fish, for which his father, the late Prof. W. Adams, was a noted instructor.  Of his brothers, Abel is a mechanic in the Air Service and Percy has been discharged from the Army, while two other brothers are a present engaged on Government work in this country.  To his mothe4r and family relatives we tender our sympathy in the loss of a brave and gallant son who fought and died for his country and the cause of freedom.”

 

 

Genealogy:  Graham Ralph Adams was the son of William Harold Adams 1864-1913 was the husband of Ellen "Helen" Eliza Durrant 1866-1939 and her father was William Durrant 1845-1918 and his son was Arthur Anthony Hart Durrant 1886-1953 and his son was Reginald A Durrant 1910- and his wife was Elsie Wooden 1911- and her father was Samuel George Wooden 1870-1934 and his father was Samuel Wooden 1833-1906 and his son was William Isaac Wooden 1866-1949 and his wife was Azelia Peek 1867-1928 and her daughter was Mary Ann Forster 1848-1894 and her father was Samuel Forster 1825-1907 and his father was Isaac Forster 1801-1890 and his son was Thomas Forster 1837-1888 and his daughter was Caroline Forster 1864-1906 and her husband was George “Pikey William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.