Richard Adcock

A Private with 8th Battalion. Richard died on 26th of September 1916 at the age of 21.

Richard was born at Lowestoft in 1895, a son of Thomas Charles and Elizabeth Adcock. In 1901 his family lived at 14 Saint John's Road, Lowestoft. By 1911 his family were living at Brickyard Cottages, Oulton Broad, and Richard worked as a bench boy at a saw mill. Later his mother lived at Colville Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.

Richard began working for the Great Eastern Railway Civil Engineer's Department, as a permanent way labourer, in March 1914. He volunteered to join the Army and enlisted at Lowestoft in September 1914. He served with the Suffolk Regiment and arrived in France with the 8th Battalion on 25 July 1915.

From 24 September 1916 the 8th Battalion were involved in a Brigade attack intending to drive the enemy off of the Thiepval Spur. The first objective was the Schwaben Trench, the second objective the Zollern Trench, and, the ultimate goal was the Schwaben Redoubt and Midway Line. 

The battalion moved into position on the 24th and the attack commenced at 12.35 p.m. on the 26th and as soon as the bombardment of the enemy positions commenced the battalion moved off. Within six minutes Joseph Trench had been captured along with a large number of prisoners. Around ten minutes later the first objective had been taken and, within an hour and following the barrage closely, they had taken their second objective. At 2.14 p.m. the advance resumed and at this point they encountered heavy resistance and machine-gun fire from both flanks. By midnight consolidation of the Zollern trench was completed and string points created. The attack was resumed on 28 September. 

The battalion’s casualties from 24 to 29 September were:

Officers: three killed, four wounded
Other ranks: 25 killed, 161 wounded, 15 missing

Richard was killed in action on 26 September. 

Richard's nephew, Alan Richard Adcock, served with the Royal Marine Engineers and died in 1944.