Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A superb Great War and Anglo-Irish War D.C.M. group of five awarded to Brigadier-General G. Adamson, Irish Free State Army, late Private, Machine Gun Corps and Leinster Regiment, who was murdered in Athlone in April 1922

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (48507 Pte.-A.L. Cpl. G. Adamson, 10/M.G.C.); 1914-15 Star (4941 Pte. Pte. G. Adamson, Leins. R.); British War and Victory Medals (4941. Pte. G. Adamson. Leins. R.); Ireland, Free State, General Service Medal 1917-21, combatant’s type with Comrac Bar, bronze, reverse officially named ‘524 George Adamson’, with integral top riband bar, good very fine and rare (5) £1,800-£2,200

Provenance: Mike Leahy Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 1998.

D.C.M. London Gazette 25 February 1920 (Egypt):
‘For conspicuous gallantry on the 20th September 1918 near Selfit. When the enemy made an attempt to capture his gun, this N.C.O. continued to fire with the greatest coolness and disregard for danger, although he was being very heavily engaged with enemy shell and machine-gun fire. Throughout the day he behaved with extreme gallantry.’

George Adamson attested for the Leinster Regiment and served with them during the Great War in the Egyptian theatre of War from 2 February 1915, before transferring to the Machine Gun Corps, and was awarded the D.C.M. for his gallantry in Egypt in the final months of the War. After demobilisation he joined the Irish Volunteers and took a prominent part in the Irish struggle. He was Vice-Commandant of the Athlone Brigade I.R.A., and was one of the best and bravest officers in the flying column in their many engagements. He was one of the officers with Commandant Tormey at the ambush in Cornatulla in February, 1920, in which Commandant Tormey was shot dead. When trying to cover the retreat of his men, Brigadier-General Adamson was seriously wounded, and later when he had recovered from his wounds was again wounded in another attack on Crown Forces.

There is a mystery about how he came to be shot in Athlone on 25 April, 1922. Late at night on 24 April, Adamson returned to Custume Barracks to Moate, where he was on a visit to his parents. Sometime afterwards, for certain military reasons, he, with a party of officers, were sent out to take in a suspicious motor car standing on the street. They succeeded in getting the car, but on arrival at the Barracks they discovered that two of the officers were missing. The Brigadier-General, with courage characteristic of him, volunteered to go out in search of the two officers. Three others accompanied him. As they got to Irishtown the Brigadier-General saw a man in a door-way and challenged him. The man replied: “I know you, George, and you know me.” He asked about the car that was taken. Before the conversation proceeded further, several men appeared and ordered “hands up.” Being surrounded, they had no alternative but to comply with the order. Adamson’s comrades were disarmed, and immediately some shots rang out and the Brigadier-General fell, mortally wounded to the ground. The subsequent inquest concluded that Adamson was ‘murdered at Athlone on Tuesday, 25 April, by some person or persons unknown.

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