James Adams

Under Afghan fire, a chaplain dragged trapped men to safety.

At Killa Kazi near Kabul on 11 December 1879, the Reverend James Williams Adams faced a desperate choice. Men of the 9th Lancers had fallen with their horses into a water-filled ditch, and Afghan fighters were closing rapidly. Adams entered the ditch under fire, pulled the trapped soldiers free and helped them reach the bank. Having given up his own horse during the rescue, he escaped on foot. His courage earned the Victoria Cross and made him the first clergyman to receive the decoration.

Born in Cork on 24 November 1839, Adams studied at Trinity College Dublin before entering the Church. He became a deacon in 1863 and a priest the following year, serving in Hampshire and Berkshire before joining the Bengal Ecclesiastical Establishment. His work in India included postings at Peshawar and Allahabad, with long journeys on horseback to minister to scattered communities.

During the Second Anglo-Afghan War, Adams served as chaplain with the forces commanded by Sir Frederick Roberts. Although working alongside soldiers, he remained a civilian ecclesiastical employee. Roberts witnessed his rescue at Killa Kazi. A royal warrant extended eligibility to members of the Indian ecclesiastical establishments serving under military orders, allowing his VC to be announced in August 1881. Queen Victoria presented the decoration that December.

Adams also accompanied the Kabul to Kandahar march and later served during operations in Burma. His campaign honours included the Afghanistan Medal with four clasps, the Kabul to Kandahar Star and the India General Service Medal with the Burma 1885–7 clasp. He was mentioned in despatches three times during the Afghan campaign.

He married Alice Willshire in August 1881; their daughter Edith later recorded his life. After returning to England, he continued his ministry at Postwick and Stow Bardolph before moving to Ashwell, Rutland. His later appointments included royal chaplaincy service, and he received the 1902 Coronation Medal. He died at Ashwell on 20 October 1903, aged 63.