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First Name: Tom Edwin Initials: T Surname: ADLAM Rank: Temporary 2nd Lieutenant Service: Army Regiment:Bedfordshire Regiment (7) Service: BA Nationality: British Campaign Medals:Victory Medal British War Medal Duty Location: France & Flanders Gallantry Awards: Victoria Cross, Gazette Info: 11525 Gazette Date: 25/11/1916 Copyright ©2012: www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ViewRecord/2846194?reference... London Gazette, 25 November 1916 ], Thiepval and Swaben Redoubt, France, 27 - 28 September 1916, Second Lieutenant 7th Bn, Bedfordshire Regiment. "For most conspicuous bravery. A portion of a village which had defied capture had to be taken at all costs, to permit subsequent operations to develop. This minor operation came under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. Second Lieutenant Adlam, realising that time was all-important, rushed from shell-hole to shell-hole under heavy fire, collecting men for a sudden rush, and for this purpose also collected many enemy grenades. At this stage he was wounded in the leg, but nevertheless he was able to out-throw the enemy, and then seizing his opportunity, and in spite of his wound, he led a rush, captured the position and killed the occupants. Throughout the day he continued to lead his men in bombing attacks. On the following day he again displayed courage of the highest order, and, though again wounded and unable to throw bombs, he continued to lead his men. His magnificant example of valour, coupled with the skilful handling of the situation, produced far-reaching results." Following the end of World War I, Tom Adlam became headmaster of the village school in Blackmoor, Hampshire, where he and his wife Ivy raised their four children. Called into service again during World War II, he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1944. Tom Adlam died, aged 81, on the 28th May 1975, during a family holiday on Hayling Island, Hampshire. He is buried in St Matthew's Churchyard, Blackmoor, near Liss, Hampshire.

UK Victoria Cross Medals database shows Name:Tom Edwin Adlam Birth Date:21 Oct 1893 Birth Place:Waterloo Gardens, Salisbury, Wiltshire Death Date:28 May 1975 Death Place:Hayling Island, Hampshire Tom Adlam's Wikipedia page is here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Edwin_Adlam www.victoriacross.org.uk has biographical details & medal entitlement here www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbadlam.htm www.bedfordregiment.org.uk has more detail about the regiment's actions here www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/7thbn/tomadlamvc.html In 1901 the Adlam family lived at 14 Waterloo Gardens, Milford, Salisbury, Wiltshire. John Adlam was a Coach Wheelwright and he and Evangeline had 6 children aged between 16 and 6mths. At the age of 17 in 1911 Tom was a Pupil Teacher living at 2 Farley Road, Waterloo Gardens, Salisbury. maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc... His father was not at home on census night but his married sister, Evelyn Violet Purdie and her 2 children were in residence, along with Tom and his older brother Ewart. 8 of them occupied 6 rooms. Ewart John Adlam served in the Wiltshire Yeomanry, regimental number 1917. He had enlisted on 5th Nov 1915 but was discharged 26th Jul 1916. Cause of discharge 'Nervous Tremours' ? [sic]

His grave:

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Charles Frederick Bilson - born 1889 Hornsey, died 1948 Sunderland. Commissioned 2nd Lt 30.1.1916; awarded MC - see London Gazette 9 Jan 1918

The bravery of these men is worthy of acknowledgement in full. In the case of Lieutenant Charles Frederick Bilson RE it was recognised with the award of a Military Cross on 9th January 1918, the citation for which reads as follows:

T/Lt Charles Frederick Bilson. RE,

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He took charge of a convoy which had failed three times under enemy shelling to get their loads through, and by his personal example and power of command over men who belonged to a unit not his own, succeeded at the fourth attempt in getting the wagons to their destination. On another occasion he carried out personal and fearless daylight reconnaissances under continuous sniping and machine-gun fire, and sent in accurate and useful reports as to the position of our front line.//

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Poor fello. He almost survived the war.

Acting Captain Frank Calder Tilbrook, b. 1895 in Caistor, near Grimsby, was the son of Edmund Montague Tilbrook (b. 1859) and Diana Tilbrook, later of 2 Pelaw Leazes, Durham, Co Durham.

Frank Calder Tilbrook joined 10th Lincolns, the Grimsby Chums, probably with friends from his schooldays, as they formed in Grimsby and was allocated the Regimental Number 10/622. They initially trained in Post Office uniforms on the Earl Yarborough's estate at Brocklesby. In May 1915, equipped with rifles and in proper uniforms, the battalion went to Ripon in North Yorkshire for skill at arms training, and then, with other elements of 101st Brigade of 34th Division, to Sutton Veney on Salisbury Plain. At one time warned for service in the Dardanelles, but then stood down, the men of 10th Lincolns were anxious that the war would be over before they were ready for deployment. (They eventually embarked for France in January 1916 - to suffer terrible casualties on the first day of the Somme on 1st July 1916).

Rapidly promoted to Corporal, Frank Tilbrook was meanwhile selected for officer training and was commissioned into 7th Durham Light Infantry on 1st August 1915, but immediately volunteered for secondment to the Royal Engineers. His attachment to 231 Fd Coy RE being published in the London Gazette of 8th September 1915, to be effective from 9th September 1915. 231 Fd Coy, raised in Doncaster, (together with 224 Fd Coy and 229 Fd Coy), was assigned to the recently formed 40th Division (a 5th New Army Division) and landed in France on 10th November 1916.

231 Fd Coy RE initially saw operations during 1917 in the Ancre area. On 3rd December 1917 they moved to Cambrai. When the Ludendorff Spring Offensive struck on 21st March 1918, 231 Fd Coy moved to St Quentin, and then withdrew on 24th March to Bapaume, before being rushed forward into action at Estaires on 9th April 1918.

The massed German attack on the British line, Operation Georgette, later described as the Battle of the Lys, commenced with the Battle of Estaires 9-11 Apr 1918. The German attack opened at 7am on 9th April 1918 with heavy gas and HE shelling, heralding German infantry assaults streaming forward using 'Hutier tactics' to storm the British positions under cover of thick fog. 231 Field Company would have been committed to the denial of crossings over the Rivers Lawe and Lys, by demolition of bridges, whilst enabling the infantry of 40th Division to withdraw in contact over reserved demolitions and temporary bridging - specifically around Bac St Maur. It is of note that Lieutenant Mark Christopher Ball RE of 231 Fd Coy RE was killed in action on 9th April 1918.

A/Capt Tilbrook is noted elsewhere as having died of wounds on 10th April 1918, it is likely that he was mortally wounded during the actions by 231 Fd Coy on 9th April.

Lance Corporal George William Beighton and Sapper Percy Horner of 231 Fd Coy RE were respectively awarded the French Croix de Guerre and Belgian Croix de Guerre for their gallantry at this time [LG 19 Jun 1919 and LG 4 Sep 1919]. Company Sergeant Major A C Stead and Corporal R W Burne of 231 Fd Coy both received the Meritorious Service Medal [LG 18 Jan 1919]. T/2Lt H Bowman RE and Sjt S J Richardson were Mentioned in Despatches [LG 4 Jul 1919].//

This portrait appears to have been taken at the photographic studios of George A Edes in Durham.//

The database UK Soldiers Died in The Great War 1914-1919 notes that he 'died of wounds'.

Born in 1895 he was the son of Edmund Montague and Diana Tilbrook and had 2 older sisters: Mary Lister and Annie Elizabeth. In 1901 the family lived at Laburnum Villa, Queens Parade, Great Grimsby where his father was Chief Clerk (Post Office). They employed a Housemaid.

The house was known by its number, rather than its name, a decade later and was now 7 Queens Parade. The house no longer exists but must have been a fairly substantial residence since the 1911 census shows the family occupied 8 main rooms plus ancillary rooms.

The Tilbrooks had been married for 22yrs and had had another two daughters: Edna Mabel and Catrina Diana. Edmund was now Superintendent of the Post Office at Grimsby.

National Probate Calendar shows that Frank Calder Tilbrook was of 2 Pelaw Leazes Durham at the time of his death. Probate granted to his father, now postmaster,. Effects £296 6s 6d.
This address is shown on his Medal Roll Index Card as being that for his father. It does not exist as Pelaw Leazes but may reflect the type of residence now shown as 2 Leazes Place maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=2+pelaw+leazes+durham&am...

Of his sisters, only Annie Elizabeth appears to have married. The others all died unmarried in Claro Registration District (Harrogate).

2nd Lieut Tilbrook is remembered on 3 War Memorials see the following links
www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=10969#listlink AND www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=7051#listlink AND www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=10584#listlink