Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Kandahar (Major F. J. S. Adam, Bo. S.C. Asst. Qr-Mr. Genl.) extremely fine £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers.

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Frederick John Stewart Adam was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer on 22 September 1836, the son of John and Susan Adam, his father having been a Surgeon in the Madras Army. He was educated at the College of Boulogne-sur-Mer and was appointed Ensign in the 77th Foot on 11 May 1855. Although he went to join his regiment in the Crimea in December 1855 he did not qualify for a medal. He joined the Indian Army on 20 December 1856, being posted to the 22nd Bombay Native Infantry, and is stated to have served during the Indian Mutiny with Sir Hugh Rose’s force in Hyderabad but, once again, he did not receive a medal. He transferred to the Bombay Staff Corps in February 1861, was promoted to Captain in December 1866, and to Major in December 1876.

Between April and August 1878, Adam served with the Indian Expeditionary Force sent to Malta during the ‘Eastern Crisis’ as Assistant Quarter-Master General to the force. Following this service he returned to England on sick certificate until June 1879, when he returned to India to his post as A.Q.M.G. in Bombay. During the Afghan war, Adam served as A.Q.M.G. to the Kandahar Field Force from January 1880, and played a distinguished part throughout the defence of the city, the sortie against Deh Khoja, and in the battle of Kandahar on 1 September 1880.

Adam was one of the three officers who who went out from the besieged city to meet the advanced guard of Sir Frederick Roberts’ relief force, as recounted in the Official History by Major Cardew:

‘... on the following day [25 August 1880] the A.Q.M.G. [Adam] with a party of the Poona Horse, rode out to reconnoitre and found Baba Wali strongly held, but the country around quite deserted. Passing through Deh Khwaja the bodies of Col. Newport, Captn. Cruickshank and others were found and on the return of the party to Kandahar arrangements were made for their burial... At length, about 12 noon on the 27th August, a heliograph was seen flashing in the east; communication was difficult at first due to the dense haze, but when it was established, it was ascertained that General Gough was at Robat with two regiments of Bengal Cavalry. The A.Q.M.G. rode out with Col. St. John and arrived there at about 5.30 p.m.; and thus established communication with the advance guard of Sir Frederick Roberts’ force. The A.Q.M.G. remained at Robat until the following day and saw the Bengal Division march in. With the arrival of the Bengal force in the neighbourhood of Kandahar, the trying four weeks of siege were brought to an end.’

From 1884 to 1891, Adam was again on the Staff, first as Deputy Q.M.G. and afterwards as Quartermaster General, Bombay, and in 1894 he was placed on the Retired List. His final promotion came in 1912 when he was appointed Hon. Brigadier-General. He lived in Dover from 1905 until 1920, but died at Cheltenham on 7 March 1920. Since he was a resident of Dover, his body was taken to Dover for burial in the Charlton Cemetery there.

Sold with additional research including numerous extracts from published works mentioning Adams and his part in the Afghan War.