A World War One soldier from Brighton, who was injured, sent home, and later returned to the front where he was killed, has finally been laid to rest in Belgium—just weeks before Remembrance Sunday.
Rifleman (Rfn) Frederick Thomas Adams, who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in November 1917, was given a full military burial yesterday (October 16, 2024) at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Passchendaele New British Cemetery. The service was organized by the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the War Detectives.
Rfn Adams’ remains were discovered in 2018 during roadworks in Passchendaele, and after extensive research and DNA testing, he was identified. His first cousin twice removed, Bob Adams, provided the DNA sample that confirmed his identity.
Bob Adams attended the burial and said, “We are very proud to be related to someone with such a distinguished service record, and we want to give him the respect that he truly deserves. We are honoured to attend the burial service today, to commemorate his life that was sacrificed in the service of his country.”
Rfn Adams was a career soldier who fought on the Western Front shortly after World War One began. After being wounded near Armentières in 1914, he was sent home to recover. He returned to the front in 1917, only to be killed in Passchendaele later that year. He had been missing and was commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial before his remains were identified.
JCCC Caseworker Rosie Barron, who played a key role in researching Rfn Adams’ case, said, “It has been an honour to work with The Rifles to give Rfn Adams the full military funeral he deserves. Rfn Adams was a career soldier, and I am sure his knowledge and experience would have been invaluable to the men around him. May he now rest in peace alongside his comrades.”
The service was conducted by the Reverend Huw Ryden CF, Chaplain to the 3rd Battalion The Rifles, with support from a bearer party from the battalion. Reverend Ryden remarked on the emotional significance of the event: “We, by proxy, represent the generations who so deeply wanted to be here… We now stand for those loved ones, deeply moved by the weight and depth of meaning that this service carries.”
The CWGC will care for Rfn Adams’ grave in perpetuity, along with the graves of his fellow soldiers. Geert Bekaert, Director for Central and Southern Europe at the CWGC, said, “As we move closer to the period of Remembrance, we are honoured to be able to commemorate Rifleman Adams from Brighton, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Rifleman Frederick Thomas Adams has now been laid to rest near where he fell, finally receiving the respect and recognition he deserves for his service and sacrifice.
