Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Mary ADCOCK

William Joseph Adcock was born in Gawler, South Australia sometime around April 1889 to parents Mary Ann Adcock and Henry Thomas Adcock. He worked as a pipefitter in Port Pirie West prior to the war. William Adcock was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. According to his attestation papers, he was 5'8, had brown hair, dark brown eyes and a medium complexion.

On the fifteenth of November 1915 at the age of twenty-six and a half, he enlisted in the AIF. Unmarried, he listed his mother Mary as his next of kin. He was posted as a private on the first of December and trained with the "B" Company of the 2nd Depot Battalion. He joined the engineers on the 22nd of March 1916 and was promoted to Sapper. His unit embarked on board the H.M.A.T Makarini from Sydney on the 1st of April 1916, bound for Egypt.

Upon arriving in Egypt on the 3rd of May, he joined the miscellaneous reinforcements at Tel-El-Kebir where he would stay for 25 days before departing for France on board the SS Briton. Upon arrival in Étaples, he waited for roughly two weeks before being taken on strength by the 6th Field Company Engineers.

His unit spent time in Ypres, building shelter and digging trenches in September and October of 1916, this did not coincide with any major battles. On the 30th of October 1916, his unit was transported to the 'Somme area'. At this point, the battle of the Somme -a battle which would cause over 1 million casualties- was in full swing.

On the 31st of October 1916, just one day after arriving at the Battle of The Somme, Adcock was admitted to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Synovitis -inflammation of the synovial nerve- in his right knee. He returned to his unit on the 23rd of November. His unit spent months digging dugouts and repairing infrastructure that had been destroyed during the battle of the Somme, such as roads, improving communication and the construction of temporary Decauville railways.

In April and May of 1917, Adcock was involved in the Arras offensive, specifically the battle of Bullecourt where his unit was in charge of consolidation - fortifying captured enemy positions after an offensive-. Although the Allies were successful in the battle of Bullecourt, the 6th Field Company engineers lost many men in these offensives since they were often some of the first soldiers to enter enemy trenches.

Adcock was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 8th of June 1917. Not long after being promoted, he fell ill and was admitted to the 7th Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Trench Fever. On the 18th of June, he was put on the 3rd ambulance train which took him to a hospital in Rouen where he spent 5 days before being sent to England onboard the hospital ship 'Western Australia'. Upon arriving in London, he was admitted to the Bethnal Green military hospital where it was noted that he was still suffering from synovitis knee along with trench fever. While in hospital, William Adcock reverted to sapper at his own request on the 30th of June 1917. He was transferred to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital on the 13th of July, before being admitted to the Weymouth Hospital on the 31st, still suffering from trench fever. Before being discharged from the hospital, he was classified as Permanent Base.

After being discharged, he attached for duty with the Australian Army General Corps. He was granted two weeks furlough on the 31st of July and was admitted to the No 2 command depot in Weymouth upon returning. He returned to duty on the 17th of August, rejoining the 6th Field Company Engineers on the 25th, 71 days after falling ill.

William Adcock was present during the 3rd battle of Ypres, a terrible battle known for its rainy conditions. Although he survived with no reports of injury, many soldiers suffered from trench foot due to the muddy conditions. His unit was also involved in defending against the Kaiserschlacht or Spring Offensive where Germany attempted to encroach into Allied territory before the Americans were able to fully deploy their army. He also participated in the second battle of the Somme and was a part of the Hundred day offensive between August and November of 1918.

Almost a month after the war was officially ended, his unit was visited by His Majesty King George V, The Prince Of Wales and Prince Albert on the 1st of December 1918. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 21st of December. On the 27th of February 1919 he was admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford England, again suffering from Synovitis. He reverted to a permanent grade of private on the 4th of March. He stayed in hospital for another month before being discharged to the Hospital Ship 'Karoola’, suffering from osteomyelitis -inflammation of bone, often caused by infection- in his right Femur.

After travelling on the Karoola, he reached Adelaide on the 21st of June 1919 and was discharged from the military on the 15th of October. He was awarded with the Victory Medal on the 25th of April 1922. While not much is known about his life after the war, we do know that he married a woman named Lilly May Adcock. Unfortunately, she died tragically in 1952 at just 62 years old. William Joseph Adcock never remarried and would live for another 24 years, eventually passing some time in 1976. He was buried with his wife in grave 209 of section 3 in the Roman Catholic plot of the Lilydale Lawn cemetery on the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria.

William Joseph Adcock was born in Gawler, South Australia sometime around April 1889 to parents Mary Ann Adcock and Henry Thomas Adcock. He worked as a pipefitter in Port Pirie West. William Adcock was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. According to his attestation papers, he was 5'8, had brown hair, dark brown eyes and a medium complexion.

On the fifteenth of November 1915 at the age of twenty-six and a half, he enlisted in the AIF. Unmarried, he listed his mother Mary as his next of kin. He was posted as a private on the first of December and trained with the "B" Company of the 2nd depot battalion. He joined the engineers on the 22nd of March 1916 and was promoted to sapper. His unit embarked on board the H.M.A.T Makarini from Sydney on the 1st of April 1916, bound for Egypt.

Upon arriving in Egypt on the 3rd of May, he joined the miscellaneous reinforcements at Tel-El-Kebir where he would stay for 25 days before departing for France on board the SS Briton. Upon arrival in Étaples, he waited for roughly two weeks before being taken on strength by the 6th Field Company Engineers.

His unit spent time in Ypres, building shelter and digging trenches in September and October of 1916, this did not coincide with any major battles. On the 30th of October 1916, his unit was transported to the 'Somme area'. At this point, the battle of the Somme -a battle which would cause over 1 million casualties- was in full swing.

On the 31st of October 1916, just one day after arriving at the Battle of The Somme, Adcock was admitted to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Synovitis -inflammation of the synovial nerve- in his right knee. He returned to his unit on the 23rd of November. His unit spent months digging dugouts and repairing infrastructure that had been destroyed during the battle of the Somme, such as roads, improving communication and the construction of temporary Decauville railways.

In April and May of 1917, Adcock was involved in the Arras offensive, specifically the battle of Bullecourt where his unit was in charge of consolidation - fortifying captured enemy positions after an offensive-. Although the Allies were successful in the battle of Bullecourt, the 6th Field Company engineers lost many men in these offensives since they were often some of the first soldiers to enter enemy trenches.

Adcock was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 8th of June 1917. Not long after being promoted, he fell ill and was admitted to the 7th Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Trench Fever. On the 18th of June, he was put on the 3rd ambulance train which took him to a hospital in Rouen where he spent 5 days before being sent to England onboard the hospital ship 'Western Australia'. Upon arriving in London, he was admitted to the Bethnal Green military hospital where it was noted that he was still suffering from synovitis knee along with trench fever. While in hospital, William Adcock reverted to sapper at his own request on the 30th of June 1917. He was transferred to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital on the 13th of July, before being admitted to the Weymouth Hospital on the 31st, still suffering from trench fever. Before being discharged from the hospital, he was classified as Permanent Base.

After being discharged, he attached for duty with the Australian Army General Corps. He was granted two weeks furlough on the 31st of July and was admitted to the No2 command depot in Weymouth upon returning. He returned to duty on the 17th of August, rejoining the 6th Field Company Engineers on the 25th, 71 days after falling ill.

William Adcock was present during the 3rd battle of Ypres, a terrible battle known for its rainy conditions. Although he survived with no reports of injury, many soldiers suffered from trench foot due to the muddy conditions. His unit was also involved in defending against the Kaiserschlacht or Spring Offensive where Germany attempted to encroach into Allied territory before the Americans were able to fully deploy their army. He also participated in the second battle of the Somme and was a part of the Hundred day offensive between August and November of 1918.

Almost a month after the war was officially ended, his unit was visited by His Majesty King George V, The Prince Of Wales and Prince Albert on the 1st of December 1918. He was promoted to lance corporal on the 21st of December. On the 27th of February 1919 he was admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford England, again suffering from Synovitis. He reverted to a permanent grade of private on the 4th of March. He stayed in hospital for another month before being discharged to the Hospital Ship 'Karoola’, suffering from osteomyelitis -inflammation of bone, often caused by infection- in his right Femur.

After travelling on the Karoola, he reached Adelaide on the 21st of June 1919 and was discharged from the military on the 15th of October. He was awarded with the Victory Medal on the 25th of April 1922. While not much is known about his life after the war, we do know that he married a woman named Lilly May Adcock. Unfortunately, she died tragically in 1952 at just 62 years old. William Joseph Adcock never remarried and would live for another 24 years, eventually passing some time in 1976. He was buried with his wife in grave 209 of section 3 in the Roman Catholic plot of the Lilydale Lawn cemetery on the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria.