Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1917 ‘Battle of Cambrai’ M.M. group of four awarded to Private W. J. Adam, Seaforth Highlanders, who was wounded at the battle of Beaumont Hamel on 13 November 1916, and subsequently rewarded for his gallantry with ‘A’ Company, 5th Battalion at Cambrai, for which action Lance-Corporal McBeath, also of ‘A’ Company, 5th Battalion, Seaforths, was awarded the Victoria Cross- Adam’s combination of medals is unique to the Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (265348 Pte. W. Adam. 1/5 Sea: Hdrs. -T.F.); British War and Victory Medals (1586 Pte. W. Adam. Seaforth.); Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (1586 Pte. W. Adam. Seaforth.) good very fine (4) £600-£800

Only 62 Territorial Force War Medals awarded to the Seaforth Highlanders. The combination of Military Medal and Territorial Force War Medal is a unique combination to the Regiment.

M.M. London Gazette 13 March 1918.

William John Adam was born at Burghead, Morayshire, on 6 April 1895, and attested for the 6th (Moray) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Territorial Army) at Hopeman, Morayshire, in February 1914. Mobilised for training soon after War is declared, the 6th Battalion landed in France on 12 May 1915, but for reasons unknown Adam did not accompany the Battalion to the Front (and consequently qualified for the Territorial Force War Medal instead of the 1914-15 Star).

Adam finally joined up with his Battalion on the Western Front sometime in 1916, and was wounded in action at the battle of Beaumont Hamel on 13 November 1916. Transferring to the 5th Battalion in 1917, he served in ‘A’ Company during the Battle of Cambrai, 20-23 November 1917, and for his gallantry during the battle was awarded the Military Medal (Battalion Special Order confirms). For his most conspicuous bravery on the first day of the battle Lance-Corporal McBeath, also of ‘A’ Company, 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders was awarded the Victoria Cross, his citation stating:
‘For most conspicuous bravery on the 20 November 1917 when with his company in attack and approaching the final objective, a nest of enemy machine guns in the western outskirts of a village opened fire both on his own unit and on the unit on the right. The advance was checked and heavy casualties resulted. When a Lewis gun was called for to deal with these machine guns, Lance-Corporal McBeath volunteered for duty, and immediately moved off alone with a Lewis gun and his revolver. He located one of the machine guns in action, and worked his way towards it, shooting the gunner with his revolver. Finding several other hostile machine guns in action he, with the assistance of a Tank, attacked them and drove the gunners to ground in a deep dugout. Lance-Corporal McBeath, regardless of all danger, rushed in after them, shot an enemy who approached him on the steps, and drove the remainder of the garrison out of the dugout, capturing three officers and 30 men. There were in all five machine guns mounted round the dugout, and by putting them out of action he cleared the way for the advance of both units.’

Adam was discharged on 31 March 1920.

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