Corporal Walter Dennis Adams (1914-1942)

Service Number 7919496 8th Armoured Brigade, Royal Army Corps.

Walter Dennis Adams was born 16 Sep 1914, the second of four children born to Walter Adams and Minnie Ada Cowles. The records of his death shows that he was married to Gweneth, also known as Gwendoline, of Castle Bromwich. The 1939 census show the couple living at 10 Hazelhurst Road, Castle Bromwich with Walter working as a traveller selling hairdressing sundries and his wife as a hairdresser and exhibitor.

We’re not sure when Walter entered the Theatre of War, but he served with the 8th Battalion of the Royal Army Corps which was formed in August 1941. In February 1942, the Armoured Brigade moved to the Khatatba region of the Western Desert in Africa. After a period of training, it first went into action at the end of August 1942 at Bir Ridge at the Battle of Alam el Halfa; whichtook place between 30th August and 5th September 1942 south El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War.

We have no specific details of Walter’s involvement in the war, but Corporal Vernon Summer Inghan of the same brigade gave his account of his experiences:

Life as a Desert Rat

On arrival at the desert headquarters I was further posted to the 8th Armoured Brigade which was attached to the 10th Armoured Division, so I became one of the Desert Rats.

Now things became much different. It was obvious that I, along with many more, was going to be really amongst the fighting. The Brigade consisted of heavy tanks and armoured cars. Fortunately for me I was one of the signal office crew, five in number. The office was a fifteen cwt truck on which was fixed a switch board with room for provisions and kit, together with a sort of canvas side tent which could be erected with the aid of steel supports whenever it was necessary to stay put for one or more nights. When travelling, two rode on the front seat, three on the back seat behind the switch board. When we did stay put for one or more nights linesmen would connect the switchboard to several telephones held by senior officers in order that communications could be kept moving. The switchboard was worked on a shift basis, day and night.

We had to make our own meals, bully beef and very hard biscuits being the chief items on the menu. Sometimes we got bread which quite often had cockroaches cooked inside. Milk was powder, the potatoes and other vegetables were in tins. Fruit and carnation milk we had to buy when the NAAFI van came in the area which was not often, so when it did arrive the aim was to buy as many tins of fruit etc as one could afford. It was very rough living in a very hot climate surrounded by sand and very little protection from the hot sun. We did get a weekly ration of fifty cigarettes [no use to me so I gave them away] and a bar of dark chocolate.

Having settled in as it were with the 8th Armoured Brigade exercises became the order of the day, these being in preparation for the next offensive. Much activity was taking place; then on 23rd October 42 battle commenced in reality. The moon had risen and was shining, but visibility was poor because the guns were firing on the enemy artillery, infantry was advancing. We too were on the move passing through clouds of smoke with shells flying overhead hoping that none would hit the truck as it kept moving forward. It was a terrible battle. On the following morning one could see gun crews lying dead besides their big guns, tanks burnt out and crews lying dead, some on the ground, some who had been trying to get out of the tank with head partly blown off by a shell. However in spite of what could be seen we had to keep moving, advancing, hoping that the truck would not get a direct hit.

As we drove on following another vehicle which was approximately 15 to 20 yards in front of us something unexpected happened. It blew up; driver and passenger were killed and the truck was blown to fragments. We stopped dead because we had driven into a minefield. The problem was how to get out without a disaster so a short discussion took place between the five of us. It was decided that the driver should turn the truck round in as small a circle as possible and drive out of the minefield on, as far as possible, the tyre marking made in the sand as we came into the minefield, so we all boarded the truck not knowing what would happen but fortunately the idea was successful and we came out safe.

Walter himself died 12 Sep 1942 and is buried and commemorated Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery and on the war memorial in Castle Bromwich. His headstone reads: