Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Robert Donald Waddell, a railway and public works contractor, born on the 11th June 1864 in Bathgate, Linlithgowshire, Scotland (son of John Waddell, 1829 and Margaret Donald, 1822) and his wife Margaret Barclay Waddell (married in 1887 in St. Nicholas’s Church, Aberdeen, Scotland), born on the 6th November 1864 in Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (daughter of Morison Barclay, 1835-1906 and Elspet Adams, 1837-1879). David Adams was born in on the 16th December 1889 in Burntisland, Fifeshire, Scotland, he had one sibling, Lilian Mary, born 1889 in Burntisland, in April 1891 the family home was at 4, Carlton Road, Twyford Abbey, Ealing, Brentford, Middlesex. In March 1901 David was residing in the family home at 41, West Chislehurst Park, Eltham, Lewisham, Kent together with his father, a railway contractor, his mother and siblings, Lilian, Morrison Barclay, born on the 4th December 1893 in Ealing Middlesex and Margaret Phyllis, born in the July quarter of 1899 in Eltham, Kent. In April 1911 David was absent from the family home at 41, West Park, Eltham, residing there was his father a coal merchant, his mother and siblings Lilian, Margaret, a schoolgirl and Elsie Norah, born in the October quarter of 1906 in Eltham, meanwhile David was employed as an assistant colliery manager and was residing as a boarder at Ashby Road, High Street, Measham, Leicestershire.
David’s Army enlistment documents were not researched, and as such all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted as a Private into the 1/4th Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders (Territorial Force) on the 9th October 1914, first entering the theatre of war with this Battalion on the 19th February 1915. On the 1st April 1915 he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, returning to England on the 9th April to take up his commission with the 2/4th Battalion Gordon Highlanders for his officer training, re-joining the 1/4th Battalion in France in June 1915. He was admitted to the Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital, Millbank, London on the 5th October 1915 suffering from nephritis, being discharged to Highgate Hospital on the 11th October 1915. The date of his return to France is not known. He was promoted Lieutenant on the 18th May 1917, with precedence from the 2nd November 1916. He was killed in action near Arras on the 6th April 1917. David was mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette, 1st January 1916) by Field Marshall Sir John (now Lord) French for gallant and distinguished service in the field. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 6 Apr-17 – BRAY. Men getting cleaned up and inspection of equipment was carried on with parties reconnoitring trenches. Whilst doing this 2nd Lieutenant WADDELL and Company Sergeant Major THORN killed and Sergeant SKENE severely wounded, all “D” Company.