Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Mary Adcock, a widow and a Charwoman who was born in 1863 in Alsager Bank, Staffordshire. Whattoff was a Shoe Finisher and was born in 1889 in Syston, Leicestershire, his siblings were Adelaide, a Hosiery Griswold Hand, born 1887, Ernest, a Shoe Trade Hand, born 1892 and David a Shoe Finisher, born 1895, all the children were born in Syston, Leicestershire. In 1911 the family home was at School Street, Syston, Leicestershire. On Monday January 15th 1917 The Leicester Mercury published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL MEN IN THE CASUALTY LISTS” The following local casualties are reported under various dates. All are Private’s except where otherwise shown. The town shown against each soldiers name is the home of his next-of-kin. MISSING. SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT. Adcock, 24396 W. (Syston). The War Diary entry for the 15th November 1916 records. MAILLY-MAILLET - TRENCHES. 4th ROYAL FUSILIERS relieved the Battalion. The bulk of the Battalion went back to ELLIS SQUARE at 9.30am but the detachments in MONK were not relieved until 10.00pm owing to a heavy barrage of that trench. The Battalion were taken back to MAILLY-MAILLET during the afternoon by Major -?-. Battalion HQ reached MAILLY-MAILLET at 11.30pm.