victoriacross

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/

Hii

From the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Victoria Cross Committee
www.nottinghamshire-victoria-cross-memorial.org.uk/vicker...

He and his brother, William Burnell Vickers, volunteered for service in the army. Charles joined The Sherwood Foresters (7th Robin Hood Battalion), and was in France before the end of 1914, first as a Second Lieutenant, and then as a temporary Captain in 1915. He was promoted to the rank of Major and Second in Command of The 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, in 1918.

Explaining his thoughts about going to war, he later wrote, "In August Germany invaded Belgium, we had a treaty with Belgium, so we all stopped what we were doing and went off to war. It was as simple as that.” He won the Victoria Cross for his actions on the 14th October, 1915, when he held a barrier across a trench in the Hohenzollern Redoubt, France, against heavy German bomb attacks (the 'bombs' of the citation were early grenades), ordering a second barrier to be built behind him in order to secure the safety of the trench, regardless of the fact that his own retreat would be cut off holding back the enemy for long enough for a second barrier to be completed.

His brother, Burnell, was killed in action in action in 1917.

In June, 1918, he commanded a Battalion in the Second Battle of the Marne, for which he was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

DATE OF GAZETTE: 18th November, 1915.
V.C. CITATION:
On 14th October, 1915, at the Hohenzollern Redoubt, France, when nearly all his men had been killed or wounded, and there were only two men available to hand him grenades, Captain Vickers held a barrier for some hours against heavy German bomb attacks, regardless of the fact that his own retreat would be cut off, he ordered a second barrier to be built behind him in order to secure the safety of the trench. Finally, he was severely wounded, but not before his courage and determination had enabled the second barrier to be completed.

After the war he returned to Oxford, and took a pass degree in French, European History and Law in 1919. He qualified as a solicitor in 1923 and, by 1926, was a partner in the leading London law firm of Slaughter and May.

Vickers served in World War II; he was re-commissioned as a Colonel, and was seconded as Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Economic Warfare, in charge of economic intelligence. From 1941 to 1945 he was a member of the Joint Intelligence Committee of the Chiefs of Staff. Charles Geoffrey Vickers was knighted in 1946.

He was also a member of the London Passenger Transport Board (1941–46), and the Council of Law Society (1944–48).

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/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Rickenbacker

William Avery Bishop (1894-1956) www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2035406

On the Berengaria on Oct 3, 1925. San Antonio Light. October 03, 1925, HOME EDITION, page 1 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85060004/1925-10-03/ed-... "BRITISH ACE LANDS IN N. Y. BY PLANE NEW YORK, Oct. 3 (AP) —Colonel Bishop, famous English ace, arrived on the Cunard liner Berengeria was met at quarantine by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, noted American flier, taken aboard a plane and carried to the home of Harry P. Davison at Glen Core, L.I. He is said to be the first passenger thus to have disembarked at New York."

Thanks [https://www.flickr.com/photos/danuneken], Richard Norton, and swanq. We'll update the catalog record.

Some context for the photograph. Billy Bishop travelled to New York for the National Air Races at Mitchel Field, which was essentially an air show with many international pilots. Billy Bishop was a Canadian WWI ace who flew for the Royal Air Force. The Canadian government actually removed Bishop from a combat role in June 1918 considering the effect on national morale if Bishop was to be killed. Air show source: Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.), 04 Oct. 1925. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-10-04/ed-...) "Greatest Flyers to vie for Honors" (left)