Description
India General Service Medal 1854, bar Burma 1887-89, 1264 Pte J. Adams D.C.M., 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment.
Official script engraved naming, 3 slight nicks to obverse rim.
On the 29th March 1900, during the Boer War in South Africa, at Karee Siding, Private James Adams of the 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment went out under heavy fire to attend to a wounded comrade, during this he was wounded, receiving a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
This led to a mention in despatches in the London Gazette, 10th September 1901, with an award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, London Gazette, 27th September 1901.
James Adams, was born circa 1866 in Paddington, London. Having worked as a Porter, he attested for service at Great Yarmouth for the Norfolk Regiment on 18th April 1885.
He saw the following service:
Home, 15th April 1885 – 11th Dec 1885
Gibraltar, 12th December 1885 – 5th July 1886
Home, 6th July 1886 – 4th October 1886.
East Indies, 5th October 1886 – 31st October 1886
Burma, 1st November 1888 – 5th March 1890.
Discharged to pension 6th March 1890.
Returned to Service recalled for the Boer War.
Served with the “Upper Burmah Field Force” to earn this medal between 1888-89.
His later service in the Boer War earned him the Distinguished Conduct Medal, a Queen’s South Africa Medal, with 3 bars and the King’s South Africa Medal.
Discharged again as medically unfit, due to his abdominal wound from the gun shot received when he earned his DCM on 23rd May 1902.
Yorkshire Evening Post 16th December 1903 which seems to be him, there being no other living James Adams awarded a DCM at the time:
“OSSETT SHOEMAKER CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
An Ossett Shoemaker named James Adams was brought up at Wakefield today on a charge of attempting to commit suicide.
Adams was formerly a soldier, and holds a medal for distinguished conduct in the field.
A week ago, he visited Wakefield, and purchased a small quantity of laudanum, which he took.
Late at night he was found in a field, police assistance was obtained, and he was taken to the police station, where he was medically attended.
Prisoner said that he did not take the laudanum with the intention of committing suicide, but on account of pains in his head.
He begged to be allowed to go back to Glasgow, and eventually it was arranged that the Chief Constable should purchase a railway ticket for him and see him off.
It was mentioned that since Prisoner had been in custody his wife had also attempted to commit suicide at Ossett.”
Another article states that his wife “Was remanded by the Ossett Magistrates on Monday, for attempting to commit suicide by cutting her own throat.”
1881 Census records that a 17 year old James Adams, an “Oil Man” with his brothers, born in Paddington, London as the son of George Adams, a Paddington Shoemaker, which ties in with him working as a Shoemaker in Ossett during 1903.
