J. Baddams

Port Adelaide News (SA :1913 - 1933) Fri 15 Dec 1916 Page 16 Pertinent Personal Pars. Pertinent Personal Pars. First-Class Constable John William Baddams, who will shortly reach the age limit and retire from the police service on .pension, was brought prominently under the notice of the people of South Australia in 1910 on account of his services valiantly rendered in connection with the fire on the steamer South African, for which he was awarded the King's medal. So many years has he been in the police service in Port Adelaide, where he is attached to the Water Police, that there will be a sense of something missing amongst the citizens when he retires. Mr Baddams was born at London in 1847. His father, who was a commercial traveller, dying when he was only about two years of age, left his mother with' himself and a sister only a few days old. " He was educated at the Commercial Travellers' School near Harrow, and in 1862, when 14 years of age, was apprenticed to the mercantile marine, entering a sailing ship. . He worked his way up in the service until he obtained a master's certificate, and at the time of entering the police force in 1882 he was mate of the Adelaide Steamship Coy.'s steamer Franklin, of which Capt. Crocker was master. A year previously he had married an English-born lady residing in the State, and was desirous of settling ashore. In 1884 he resigned from the police service and entered the Governor Musgrave as mate, that vessel then carrying a permanent crew under command of Capt. Clare, who is now in West Australia. The permanent crew of the Governor Musgrave having been paid off, he rejoined the police force in December 1886, and has remained in the service ever since, principally in Port Adelaide. Mrs. Baddam is still living, and the aged couple have a surviving family of three sons and two daughters—Mr. William Frederick Baddams, what was a chief officer in the service of the Adelaide Steamship Coy., but who is now engaged in transport service somewhere the other side of the world; Mr. Harold Baddams, who is married, and resides at Edithburgh; Mr. Herbert Baddams, who is just finishing his apprenticeship to the engineering with the Adelaide Steam Tug Coy.; Mrs. Griggs, of the Henley Beach Kiosk and Pavilion; and Miss Marie Baddams, who is a teacher at the Port Adelaide school. : Mr. Baddams to-day attaint his 69th year we wish him "many happy returns of the day."