John Adams (SN 3226) was a 39 year old labourer from Drummond Street, married to Alice, and father of three children when he enlisted on July 17th 1915. He embarked on October 11th aboard the Nestor as a reinforcement for the 5th Battalion but in March 1916 he was transferred to the 1st Pioneer Battalion for service in France. In August 1916 illness forced his evacuation to hospital in France and for most of 1917 he served in various administration roles with Anzac Headquarters, the Sanitary Section and the Australian Employment Company. He returned to the 1st Pioneer Battalion in November 1917 but after a month in the field he was withdrawn to England where it was decided he should return to Australia. He returned aboard the Durham Castle and was discharged as medically unfit "due to age, hernia and deformed feet."
His nephew Alfred Edward Thomas Adams also served in the AIF and is honoured with a tree in the Avenue.
(John "Jack" Adams actually married his brother, Thomas' widow, Alice [Alfred's parents] in 1911 and so was both Alfred's uncle and stepfather.)