The Soldier's Details

Thomas enlisted at Claremont however his hometown was Kellerberrin and Boulder. He joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘C’ 10 Platoon.

He missed reboarding ‘Aquitania’ when she sailed for Singapore on 16 January 1942.  He was one of about 90 men from 2/4th who then departed a week or so later, but had to arrive Java instead of Singapore which was about to fall to the Japanese.

Eddie’s name has been included on the Boulder WW2 Memorial.

Please read about ‘Blackforce’

From Java Eddie was selected to work on Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand, Java Party No. 6 A Party arriving Singapore 7 Jan 1943.   This Force was in fact referred to as Dunlop Force, ‘Weary’ Dunlop was their Officer in Charge.

Please read further about O & P  Parties.

From records accessed recently, we can confirm Ted departed Singapore by train for Thailand and at some point moved from ‘P’ Battalion to ‘O’  – a total of 20 men from 2/4th were spread across these Battalions.

When the railway was completed by end of December 1943, the Japanese began moving POWs from Burma and Thailand south to one of 4 or 5 larger camps, such as Tamarkan, Tamuang.

It would have been in early to mid 1944 Adams was selected from Tamuang as being fit by the Japanese to work in Japan.   Eddie was with a large number of 2/4th men selected to sail on ‘Rashin Maru’.  The men were returned to Singapore to stay River Valley Road Transit Camp to await their ship.

‘Rashin Maru’ took 70 days to reach Moji, Japan.

Please read about ‘Rashin’ Maru Story

Eddie was amongst a large number of 2/4th men sent to Yamane and Niihama copper mine, Japan.  He worked with Jim Elliott in the carpenters section

 

Below:  Farewell  Party at Kellerberrin with  Pat O’Meara and Alf Stevens.

 

Above:  September 1945.

 

 

Edwin ‘Eddy’ Adams spent most of his life in Kellerberrin.  His father was a builder-carpenter and moved there with his wife Edith Lucy and two or three eldest children sometime between arriving in Fremantle from England in 1908 and 1912 when their names were recorded on WA Electoral Roll.  Both Horace John Adams and Edith ‘Lucy’ Pook were born in England, they married Paddington 1905.

 

Please read about the boys from Kellerberrin.

There were three sons and three daughters in the family.

Eddy played several sports for Kellerberrin, including Footy and cricket often with brothers Bill and Allan.  His father took a great interest in his son’s sporting events.    Below are some of the descriptions found about him.

 

 

 

 

 

Below: 1935 .

Below:  1936 cricket

 

The family holidayed at Rottnest.

 

 

Below:  happy family wedding of eldest daughter Madeline.

 

 

 

 

 

Eddie’s father died 1942. He would not have learnt the news of his father’s death until after the end of the war.

 

Below:  Eddie’s mother Lucy Edith died in 1953.

 

Eddie sailed from Manila to Sydney on ‘Speaker’ please read.

 

Also read about the other 2/4th men from Kellerberrin where Eddie spent his formative years.

There appears to be no record of Eddie marrying.

Edwin Thomas Adams died 15 August 1958, aged 44 years just a few years after his mother died.   His ashes were taken by War Graves Karrakatta Cemetery.

At  the time of his death he was residing in Nedlands and his occupation was recorded as carpenter.

Unfortunately we have no further knowledge of his life prior to 1958 and his his return from war.