Captain John Valentine Adair, MC
John Valentine Adair was born on 13 February 1889 at Beechy Park, Rathvilly, County Carlow, the second of four children of land agent John Olphert Adair and his wife Elizabeth Frances Adair (nee Hall-Dare). He was educated at Harrow (1903-07). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living as a boarder at Glenmore, 1 Lunham Road, Upper Norwood, London, and was working as an engineering student.
On 28 November 1914 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the North Irish Horse and seven months later was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Adair embarked for France on 1 May 1915 with D Squadron of the North Irish Horse. (The D Squadron diary includes a number of references to him.) He was gazetted as temporary captain from 16 November 1916, a promotion that was later confirmed, with seniority from 10 May 1916.
During 1918 Adair was attached to the 12th Lancers, and while serving with that regiment was awarded a Military Cross for 'conspicuous gallantry' in the last days of the war.
In the operations east of Landrecies from 5th/11th November, and particularly in the neighbourhood of Hestrud on 10th November, 1918, he carried out several personal reconnaissances of the enemy's position under very heavy fire, never failing under the most trying circumstances to obtain a definite and accurate report of the situation, and exposing himself fearlessly on every occasion to obtain it.
He relinquished his commission on 1 April 1920, later rejoining the military to serve in Iraq. He was one of a number 'brought to notice' in a report dated 16 June 1927 from Air Vice-Marshal Edmund Leonard Ellington, Air Officer commanding British forces in Iraq, for distinguished service in operations during April and May 1927. He was also awarded an Iraq Active Service Medal.
On 13 February 1939 he was removed from the Reserve of Officers, having reached the age limit of fifty years. On 15 June 1940, however, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Pioneer Corps (No.59060).
On 1 October 1931 Adair married widow Alice Mary Savile (nee Thorne) in St Martin's in the Fields Parish Church, London. He gave his address as Ballynoe, Tullow, County Carlow, and his profession as a Retired Officer, British Army. He died in Dublin on 4 January 1976 and was buried in the Mount Jerome Cemetery, Harlod's Cross, County Dublin.
The photo above, from Harrow School Photographs Of Pupils & Masters 1869-1925, is sourced from the Find My Past website.
This page last updated 16 September 2026.