Adam Meade

SEAMAN ADAM WILLIAM MEADE of Camden NJ, died while serving his country in the United States Merchant Marine on July 7, 1945. 

Adam Meade was born in 1896 to Theodore and Anna Meade. He was one of three children, the others being Mary and Theodore Jr. When the Census was taken in 1900 the family was living at 441 Henry Street, and Theodore Meade Sr. was working as an "advertising agent". The 1910 Census shows the family living at 462 Berkley Street. Theodore Meade Sr. was supporting his family by working as a laborer in drum factory. The 1914 Camden City Directory indicates that Theodore Meade Sr. may have passed away. Anna Meade and Adam Meade are both listed at 415 Clinton Street, Adam Meade then working as a "helper".

On June 5, 1917 Adam Meade registered for the draft. He was then married ad the father of one child. Adam Meade was working as a driver for Adams Express, and was living at 1106 Baring Street in South Camden. He had previously served one year as a Private in the New Jersey National Guard. Adam Meade was called to active duty during World War I. He had returned home to his wife and family by January of 1920. The Meades were living at 917 St. John Street. Adam Meade was working as a streetcar conductor.                                                  

In December of 1920 Adam Meade had been appointed to the Camden Fire Department. He began service in January 1, 1921 with Engine Companay 8.He was then living at 609 Mount Vernon Street, and was still at that address a year later. The 1927 Camden City Directory shows that he had moved to 640 Walnut Street. By 1929 he had moved to 620 Spruce Street. The 1930 Census shows the Meade family at 620 Spruce Street. Living there at that time were Adam and Kathryn Meade, daughters Della and Magdalean, son Charles, and Kathryn Meade's brother sister Mary, her husband James Smith and his wife and children. Fire Department records from 1931 show the family residing at 1258 Dayton Street. Adam Meade moved to 1466 South 4th Street during the 1930s. 

Adam Meade was serving as a hoseman with Engine Company 3 in February of 1938 when he was slightly injured fighting a fire at 1190 Chestnut street.

Adam Meade was a member of the Camden Fire Department through at least April of 1942. He was working at Engine Company 8, 619 Kaighn Avenue, when he registered for the draft in the spring of 1942.

The 1940 and 1943 City Directories shows that Adam Meade lived at 1466 South 4th Street with his wife Katherine, and that a daughter, Della T. Mead, who worked as a stenographer for the Camden Police and Fireman's Association 1940 and at RCA-Victor in 1943, lived at home.

America having gone to war, Adam Meade found that he was too old to go back to the military. Like a good number of other men either too old, too young, or for some reason not eligible for military service, Adam Meade went to sea as a member of the United States Merchant Marine, under the name Adam Mead. He died while serving with the Merchant Marine aboard the Liberty Ship USS  John H. Hammond on July 7, 1945. The John H. Hammond was damaged by a mine off Elba, 42°55'30"N, 10°08'00"E. The three U.S. Naval Armed Guard sailors were uninjured in the incident, but three merchant sailors died and four are injured. The ship was subsequently towed to Piombino, Italy. Adam Meade was buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy.

Mrs. Meade and her daughter are not listed in the 1947 Camden City Directory. A Mrs. Katherine Meade was living in East Camden at 48 North 28th Street when the October 1959 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory was compiled, and was still there in the fall of 1970.

Camden Post-Telegram * December 30, 1920

Peter B. Carter - Thomas Nicholas - Walter Browning - George B. Wade - William W. Patterson
Francis Ford Patterson Jr. - Charles H. Ellis - David Jester - Joseph Forsyth

Engine Co. 1 - Alfred E. Green - Charles Errickson  Charles W Cooke - Leroy Hatchett

Engine Co. 2 - Howard Landon - John K. Voll 
Edgar Ellender - Harold Lohrang - Chester Andrus  Harry G. Layton

Engine Co. 3 - Charles B. Haines - Charles Clements
August Haverkamp -  Frank Kuda - Louis Quinton

Engine Co. 4 - Frank A. Obermann - Walter B. Gray
Albert Raeuber - Fred Schucker - Harry Kleinfelder

Engine Co. 5 - Richard A. Farris - Frank Fennrio

Engine Co. 6 - William H. Reed - Manuel J. Kane Edward Perairia - Thomas Shanahan
Rocco De Varro

"Frank Fennrio" is for the moment a mystery

Engine Co. 7 - August Scholl - Nicholas Romaine
Lawrence H. Mathews

Engine Co. 8 - Samuel Oshushek - Edward C. Crane Adam Mead - Frank Sapp - William J. Taylor Sr.

Engine Co. 9 - Kennard Naylor - Daniel McSurdy John Mohrfeld

Engine Co. 10 - William Schwartz - Hugh Rementer Harry Greenan - Rocco Abbott

Hose & Chemical Co. 2 - Laurence Newton
Edward Hauser - William Getner

Ladder Co. 1 - Thomas Cunningham
Leonard Megee

Ladder Co. 2 - John Gaylor - Walter White

Ladder Co. 3  David Ellis - George W. Attison
John Mulligan - David Humphries - Albert Dukes

Tennie G. Hutchison Jr. - Ladder Co. 4 - George A. Quimby

Charles Errickson  - Wallace Phifer - Adam Mead - Herbert Baxter Sr. - Edward Menzies - Engine Co. 8 -
South 9th Street - Ferry Avenue - Line Street - Atlantic Avenue - Sheridan Street - Liberty Street 
Berwick Street - Yorkship Square - V.I. Chestnut - Marvin Chestnut - Joseph Caputi

A fireman was injured slightly last night when a two-alarm fire damaged the Penn Junk Shop at 1190 Chestnut street.

Hoseman Adam Meade, 41, of 1446 South Fourth Street, attached to Engine Company No. 3. suffered an injured ankle when a fence fell on it 'while he was fighting the blaze. He was taken to West Jersey Hospital where he was treated and released.

The fire, of undetermined origin, started in the single - story frame building owned by Chester Szalanski and had gained good headway in piles of papers and rags before firemen arrived.

The first alarm was turned in at 10:36 p. m. by Alice Saduski, 16, of 1169 Chestnut street, who ran across the snow - covered street in bare feet to pull the fire alarm box.

When Battalion Chief Charles Errickson arrived he ordered the second alarm turned in. No estimate of the loss could be obtained last night.