Captain
Charles Young ADAMSON
Infantry
Died: 17th September 1918 - Age: 43

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Karasouli Military CemeteryF.1293 Salonika
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.115
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Early Life :

Charles Adamson was born in 1875 to John and Annie.

Married in 1905 at Stockton to Katharine nee Lodge of 28 Nevilledale, Durham.

Education & Career :

Charles Young ADAMSON was a rugby union international who unusually played for the British Lions but did not play for England, his country. He played for Great Britain on their Australian tour in 1899, but not for England, his home country. During that Lions tour in 1899 he earned 4 Lions caps against Australia, scoring 2 tries and 4 conversions from half back. He was an ever present in the series which the Lions won 3-1. He is also listed as playing for the Barbarians and as a fly half for Durham. It seems that following (or during) the Lions tour he played in one cricket match for Queensland when he scored 10 runs and bowled 12 overs for 67 runs but no wickets. He was described as a left handed batsman and bowler.

In 1914 he was working at a Stockbroker in Durham.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: Royal Scots Fusiliers 

Action : Salonika 

In October 1915 a combined Franco-British force of some two large brigades was landed at Salonika (today called Thessalonika) with the objective to help the Serbs in their fight against Bulgarian aggression. However before they could be employed the Serbs were beaten. Over the next three years the Salonika front was static, with heavily fortified trench lines, and only minor adjustments by both sides. More troops were sent to Salonika particularly after the withdrawal from Gallipoli. Disease and climate were no lesser enemies than the Turks.

It seems that he stayed in Queensland after the tour as he appears in the list of the Fourth (Queensland Imperial Bushmen) Contingent that departed for South Africa (Boer War) on May 18th 1900 and returned on August 5th 1901. He is listed as ADAMSON Charles Young Private Promoted to Corporal 1st June 1900 and Quartermaster-Sergeant 6th April 1901. This experience explains his rapid promotion when he was commissioned in 1915. He attended Durham School and it seems he was a hotel proprietor as following his death a notice was posted in the Gazette advising that effective 23/10/1917 the partnership of John Adamson, William Henry Wood and Charles Young Adamson, trading as hotel proprietors and spirits merchants of Durham was dissolved. John Adamson was his father who incidentally also played cricket. He played for Durham between 1874 and 1895. Both of Charles Adamson's sons also played for Durham during the inter-war period. A Charles Young Adamson is listed in the London Gazette of 20 January 1915 as Temporary Quartermaster, with the honorary rank of Lieutenant, 23rd Battalion (4th Tyneside Scottish), Northumberland Fusiliers. He then serves as Captain with the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. The 6th Battalion was amalgamated with the 7th to form the 6th/7th Battalion in May 1916 and then reduced to a Training Cadre in June 1918. Before then he was posted to Salonika with the 8th Battalion.

Detail :

He died on 17 September 1918, and is buried in Karasouli Military Cemetery, Salonika, Greece [Grave No F.1293]. He was killed during the Second Battle of Doiran during an attack by his battalion on the Bulgarian trenches called The Tongue, The Knot and The Tassel during which the 8/Royal Scots Fusiliers suffered 50% casualties. Sources Queensland Cricket Archive - http://www.cricketarchive.com/Queensland/Players/15/15672/15672.html Australians Serving in the Boer War - http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/military/bor-qld4.htm ESPN Rugby Archive - http://www.scrum.com/lionstour/rugby/player/1345.html

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : City No. 3568 E.C.Durham

Initiated
Passed
Raised
12th March 1914
14th April 1914
11th June 1914
 

The 13th initiate of recently formed City Lodge, Durham. United Grand Lodge record show a note of Killed in Action 18th September, 1918.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2022-02-02 10:55:33