FRANCIS ADAMS

Private Francis Adams was the youngest son of Thomas and Isabella Adams, who farmed a property in Radcliffe Road, Belfast. Like many other Belfast men, Francis had attended the local primary school and then worked at the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company plant, where he was employed as a shepherd, eventually becoming the farm manager. He then joined Sims, Cooper and Co as a sheep buyer and travelled several times to Australia . He was clearly a well-known member of his community, being a past Grand Master of the Belfast Loyal Orange Lodge.

He came from a large family of three brothers and five sisters. His elder brother Thomas was to die of wounds several months later. He enlisted on 17 January 1916 and was posted to the 12th company of the First Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment. He left New Zealand in May 1916, and joined his battalion on the front line at the end of August 1916. His first major battle was his last - he was killed in action on 17 September 1916 in the battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Somme battles. Aged 31 at the time of his death, he is commemorated on the Caterpillar Valley (New Zealand) memorial in France.

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