SGT. Wintour Maurice ADAMS RIP, newspaper tributes (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, March 08, 2014, 23:07 (3924 days ago) @ kellyred15

The Welsh Newspapers website has this tribute,

From the "Brecon & Radnor Express" 25th January 1917

"The Late Sergeant Adams.
TRIBUTES TO LLOINEY HERO.
Further news regarding the death of Sergt. Wintour Adams, well-known at Lloiney, shows that he was shot through the heart by a sniper. Many kind letters have been received from his fellow officers.
Major A. W. Davies wrote:— "Your son was without exception one of the best N.C.O.'s in this company. We were for months in a rather bad part of the line. Whenever a dangerous piece of work came up he was always in evidence. At the very earliest opportunity I proposed recommending him for a D.C.M. I fully appreciate that nothing can be said to compensate you for your great loss. However, on behalf of the officers and men of this company, I tender to you our sincerest sympathy. Your son was buried in a registered graveyard. As things were quiet, we secured a Church of England chaplain to read the service, at which several officers, including myself, were present."
His particular chum, Corpl. A. Griffiths, says he was going on his rounds when the fatal shot was fired. He concludes, "It is useless for me to try to express myself, so believe me when I add that our love was closer than brothers."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/4094475/ART113/wintour%20adams

In case you haven't seen it, I recently posted a different tribute to Sergeant Adams from the same newspaper, please see http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=43231

Sergeant Adams is remembered within the CWGC website:

"ADAMS, WINTOUR MAURICE
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 79360
Date of Death: 28/11/1916
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: Canadian Engineers, 3rd Tunnelling Coy.
Grave Reference: I. J. 2.
Cemetery: BERKS CEMETERY EXTENSION
Additional Information: Son of Hubert and Maria Adams, of School House, St. John's, Cinderford, Glos."

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/94483/ADAMS,%20WINTOUR%20MAURICE
http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/9102/BERKS%20CEMETERY%20EXTENSION

As ever the Long Long Trail website has a most informative section detailing the activities of the Royal Engineers Tunnelling Companies, see http://www.1914-1918.net/tunnelcoyre.htm
Their main role was to place mines under enemy lines to help their soldiers achieve breakthrough, judging by the location of the Berks Cemetery Sergeant Adams and his mates were very much in the thick of it, this area (Ypres / Messines etc) being the site of intensive fighting and mining. I've visited the huge crater left by one of these mines, truly incredible and very sad too. The Berks Cemetery was started during the War, as this excellent website shows in detail. http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/plugstreet.html
This was a dangerous business indeed for these very brave men, as the casualty figures on this website clearly shows, http://www.canadaatwar.ca/memorial/world-war-i/regiment/4/Canadian%20Engineers/