Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

Pair: Private W. Adams, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment
Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (6361 Pte. W. Adams. Notts: & Derby: Regt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (6361 Pte. W. Adams. Notts. & Derby: Regt.) claw to KSA re-pinned and tightened, contact marks and polishing, fine

Three: Sergeant A. A. Adams, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment
1914 Star, with copy clasp (10954 L. Cpl. A. A. Adams. 2/Notts: & Derby: R.); British War and Victory Medals (10954 Sjt. A. A. Adams Notts. & Derby R.) mounted for display with an unrelated Silver War Badge, the reverse officially numbered ‘11609’, heavily polished, fair (5) £260-£300

Dix Noonan Webb, June 2013.

Walter Adams was born in Swindon, Wiltshire. He enlisted into the 45th Regiment at Aldershot on 5 August 1880, aged 18 years 4 months, having previously served in the 5th Middlesex Militia. Adams deserted on 3 September 1886 but claimed the Queen’s Pardon having confessed his desertion in August 1887. In 1888 he was also imprisoned for theft. He subsequently served with the regiment in South Africa during the Boer War from 18 March 1900 to 28 June 1902, and was discharged to a pension in 1907. He was admitted to the Royal Hospital on 5 March 1935, and died in Derby on 14 October 1944.

Sold with the recipient’s soldiers’ pay book in leather cover; damaged marriage certificate; several photographs, including some as a Chelsea Pensioner; Royal Hospital Chelsea Christmas Card to ‘Albert Adams’ from ‘Dear Old Dad, Xmas, 1939’; together with copied research.

Albert Arthur Adams, the son of the above, was born in Derby on 28 August 1891. A wagon builder by occupation, he enlisted into the Derbyshire Regiment on 16 September 1908. In the Great War he served with the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters from 8 September 1914 to 9 April 1919, and was wounded on 13/15 September 1918 at ‘Arrowhead Copse’, Guillemont. Awarded the ‘Appreciation Card’ on 5 June 1918 by the Divisional Commander for courage between 21-31 March 1918, during the German Spring Offensive, after the War he served with the 2nd Battalion in India and was on the Razmak March of 1926. Promoted to Company Quartermaster Sergeant in October 1926, he was discharged on 18 December 1933 and applied to be a postman. He died on 16 April 1964.

Sold with a quantity of original photographs, military and civil; postcard photographs, some inscribed; Notts. & Derby Regiment embroidered Christmas Cards (2); Divisional Appreciation Card - for ‘Gallantry, west of Peronne, on March 26th 1918’; Sherwood Foresters Old Comrades’ Association Life Membership Card; letter re his application for employment as a Postman, 1935; Programme Card bearing signatures including that of Adams; Simple Prayer Book, belonging to Annie Adams; Marksman’s Certificates (2) awarded to Sergeant W. Stretton, 1895-96 and 1896-97; and copied research.

Note: Silver War Badge 11609 was awarded to Private Samuel Turner, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, who enlisted on 7 September 1914, and was discharged due to sickness on 6 May 1916.