Lance Corporal Frank ADCOCK (1896-1915)

In February 2009 I received an email from an author who was

"I am looking for information - hopefully a list - of men commemorated on the Pitsmoor WWI War Memorial, if one exists.  Can you tell me if it does, and if there is a transcript someplace?  Or any memorials in the Sheffield area for which there are also transcripts?

I am a member of the Gallipoli Association.  For the past 25 years, I have been compiling a biographical register of all British and Dominion servicemen who died at, and as a result of, Gallipoli.  So far I have also proven 19 Gallipoli deaths and 2 burials to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  Now, the Association routinely forwards requests for information about casualties to me.

I have just completed writing a book about the Gallipoli campaign.  It is a readable history of the campaign - which has been done - but is tied together with accounts about men who were killed - which has not.  I gathered these accounts from personal and unit war diaries, letters, missing in action reports, family lore, etc.  Memorials are an excellent source of information for me, as they are sometimes the only indication I have that a man lived in a particular area, any they also help me identify brothers.  My reason for looking up Pitsmoor this morning is that I am trying to associate this man with a memorial:

ADCOCK, Lance Corporal Frank  - No.10628  6th (Service) Battalion The York and Lancaster Regiment"

Frank's service record gives the following information

Born in Pitsmoor, Sheffield, Yorkshire, a son of Frank Adcock and Jane Adcock of 104, Solly Street, Sheffield.  He was unmarried.  In civil life he was employed as a brass turner and lived with his parents.  On August 10, 1914, at the age of 19 years 201 days, he enlisted in Sheffield.  He had no previous military service.  At the time of his enlistment he was described as being 5' 3¼" tall and weighing 127 lbs. with fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair and a scar on the left side of his forehead.  On May 19, 1915, he was appointed unpaid lance corporal and on September 13 he was posted to the 6th (Service) Battalion from the 11th (Reserve) Battalion.  Killed in action on December 13, 1915, aged 20 years. Buried Hill 10 Cemetery, Suvla. 

From Frank's British Army Service Record

Hill 10 Cemetery Sulva Turkey - where Frank is buried

Name: ADCOCK
Initials: F
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: York and Lancaster Regiment
Unit Text: 6th Bn.
Date of Death: 13/12/1915
Service No: 10628
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. F. 15.
Cemetery: HILL 10 CEMETERY

The only personal effect that could be sent to Lance Corporal Adock's parents, from the Infantry Records Office in  York, Yorkshire, was his identity disc (received by his mother on April 12, 1916).

In October 2011 I obtained the following information from the 1911 Census -

Personal Information Name Frank Adcock Relationship to Head of Household Son Condition Single Gender M Age 15 Estimated Year of Birth 1896 Occupation Carter Employed Y Working at Home N Industry Steel Manufr Place of Birth Yorkshire Sheffield Enumerator Information Address Court 33 H 9 Upper Allen St Sheffield Parish Sheffield Town Sheffield Type of Building Private House Number of Rooms 2 Inhabited Y Reference RG14PN27874 RG78PN1595 RD510 SD2 ED7 SN192 Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding) Registration District Sheffield Registration Sub District North Sheffield Enumeration District 7

The intensely sad element is that Frank and Jane had thirteen children in total but by 1911 only three of them were alive. By 1916 they were only two alive. His mother had to live with these until she passed away in Sheffield's Royal Hospital aged 62 in 1930

Adcock, Jane (Wife of Frank, age 62).  Died at Royal Hospital; Buried on August 30, 1930 in Consecrated ground;  Grave Number 7501, Section V1 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.

I would of course be pleased to receive any additional information about Frank and his family

Sources

CWGC Website

Ancestry

The Gallipoli Association

This page was last updated on 21/06/21 16:49

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