This picture appeared in the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday, 24th August 1918 with the caption “Corpl. R.S. Thaxton, Lowestoft, died in Mesopotamia”.
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website :-
THAXTON, ROBERT STANLEY
Rank:…………………….Corporal
Service No:………………45556
Date of Death:…………...18/07/1918
Age:……………………...38
Regiment:………………..South Wales Borderers, 4th Bn.
Grave Reference:………..III. D. 5.
Cemetery:…….BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Husband of Edith Clara Eliza Thaxton, of 1, Volta Terrace, Norwich Rd., Lowestoft.[1]
Soldiers Died in the Great War, a multi-volume book published by the HMSO in the 1920’s, records that Corporal 45556 Robert Stanley Thaxton “Died” on the 18th July 1918 whilst serving with the 4th Battalion, South Wales Borderers. He was previously 30494 Bedfordshire Regiment. Robert was born Bridgwater, Somerset and enlisted Lowestoft. No place of residence is shown.[2]
_____________________________________________________
1880 – Birth
The birth of a Robert Stanley Thaxton, mothers’ maiden name Collard, was registered in the Bridgwater District of Somerset in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1880. [3]
1881 Censuses of England & Wales and Scotland
The 11 month old Robert S Thaxton, born “Bridgewater”, Somerset, along with his mother,Mary Thaxton, (aged 20, born “Bridgewater”, Somerset), were recorded living at No.2 Magpie Road, St Augustines, Norwich. This was the household of his paternal grandparents, (and her inlaws). They were Robert, (aged 46. Brewers Drayman, born Besston St Andrews, Norfolk) and Maria Thaxton, (aged 45, born Norton, Suffolk). Also living with them are their married son George, (21, Domestic Coachman, born Norwich), and their unmarried children:-
Sarah L…….aged 14…born Norwich…Bootfitter to Machines
John R……..aged 13…born Norwich…Errand Boy
Caroline E…aged 7…..born Norwich
Robert S……aged 4….born Norwich
As Mary and Robert appear on the last lines of the household record, its not clear if George is her husband and his father. [4]
1891 Census of England and Wales
The 10 year old Robert S, born Bridgewater, Somerset, and employed as a Newsboy, was recorded living at 26 Starling Place, Coburg Street, Norwich. This was the household of his parents George A, (31, Cab Driver, born Norwich), and Mary Jane, (aged 30, born Bridgewater, Somerset). As well as Robert their other children are:-
George….aged 7….born Norwich
Frank……aged 4….born Norwich
Alfred E…aged 3….born Norwich
Rose May.aged 9 months..born Norwich. [5]
The births of a George Thaxton, (Q4 1883), Frank, (Q3 1886), Alfred Edward, (Q1 1888) and Rose May, (Q3 1890), all with mothers’ maiden name Collard, were registered in the Norwich District. [3]
1901 Censuses of England & Wales
There is no obvious match for Robert on these censuses.
There is a 20 year old “Stanley” Thaxton, born “Norwich”, single and a labourer at the Electric Tram Works, who was recorded as a boarder in one of the households at Gilbord’s Yard, Pitt Street, St. Augustine, Norwich. This was the household of a married couple, John H and Emily Baker. Living with them was their daughter Edith Baker, aged 21, single, born Norwich, and a Tailoress. [6]
His parents were still living at Starling Place, Norwich. As well as George A, (41, Cab Driver) and Mary J, (40), there were also their children:-
George…..aged 17…Machine Minder
Frank…….aged 14…Syphon Labeller, Mineral Water Factory
Alfred E….aged 13
Rose M…..aged 10
Gertrude M..aged 8…born Norwich
Ethel ?........aged 7…..born Norwich
Horace W…aged 1….born Norwich. [7]
Boer War…………………
It may be a co-incidence but there is a Trooper 41566 R S Thaxton, 36th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, who is listed on the Queens South Africa, (QSA) Medal Rolls. [8]
His 1 year short service enlistment in the Imperial Yeomanry and associated service record refers to him throughout as R.S. Thaxton. But he enlisted at Norwich on the 14th January 1902, and stated he was aged 21 years and 9 nine months, and his next of kin was father George, mother Mary, brothers George & Frank and sisters Rose & Gertrude, all of 4 Starling Place, St. Peters, Norwich.
That Yeomanry Trooper was stated to have been born in the parish of St. Johns, Bridgewater, Somerset, and he worked as a Labourer. He was a single man.
He was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 126lbs, and had brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. His faith was CofE.
He went out to South Africa on the 26th May 1902. Returning at the end of the year and then being discharged time served on the 13th January 1903. His discharge record shows he served with the 159th Company of the 36th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. His intended place of residence on discharge was 4 Starling Place, St. Peters, Norwich. [9]
1904 Marriage
The marriage of a Robert Stanley Thaxton to an Edith Clara Baker was recorded in the Norwich District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1904. [10]
1911 Census of England and Wales
The 30 year old Robert S Thaxton, born Bridgewater, Somerset and a Tramway Motorman for the Borough Council, was recorded as the married head of the household at 24 Norfolk Street, Lowestoft. He lives there with his wife of 6 years, Edith, (aged 31 and born Norwich). So far the marriage has produced no children.
Also in the household are Ediths’ parents, Henry J Baker, (aged 68, a Boot Repairer, born Norwich) and Emily Baker, (62, Norwich). [11]
Roberts parents were still living at No.4 Starling Place, Coburg Street, Norwich. George Alfred, (51, Domestic Coachman) and Mary Jane, (50), have been married 31 years and have had 11 children, of which 10 were then still alive. Still single and living at home are Rose Mary, (20, Domestic Servant), Violet Maud, (17, Housemaid), Horace Wilfred, (11) and Constance Victoria, (9, born Norwich).[11]
Post August 1911 it had become compulsory when registering the birth of a child with the Civil Authorities in England and Wales to also record the mothers maiden name. A check of the General Registrars Office Index of Births for England and Wales produces one possible child of Robert and Edith. The birth of a Violet R M Thaxton, Violet Rose May Thaxton, mothers maiden name Baker, was registered with the civil authorities in the Mutford District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1912.[3]
Roberts’ brother Alfred Edward Thaxton, born Norwich on the 9th February 1888, served initially as a Boy Sailor before enlisting for 12 years in the Royal Navy on the 9th February 1906. He served throughout the Great War, being temporarily assigned to the Royal Australian Navy from November 1917. He was still serving with them when he was demobilised in March 1919. [12]
The Great War service records for Robert appear to have gone up in flames during the Blitz, when German bombs burnt out the London Warehouse where they were stored. [13]
The Medal Index Card for Corporal 45556 Robert S Thaxton, South Wales Borderers, shows him to be entitled to the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. This combination of medals means he did not serve in a Theatre of War until some point on or after the 1st January 1916. [14] held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/19/197932 [14]
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5520585
The associated Medal Roll document I believe shows him as part of a general draft that was transferred to the South Wales Borderers at an Infantry Base Depot after arriving in a Theatre of War. He was then posted to the 4th Battalion. [15]
The 4th Battalion was raised for service in the Great War, and during 1915 had seen service at Gallipoli as part of the 40th Brigade of the 13th (Western) Division. It was among the last units evacuated in the opening weeks of 1916. It would subsequently serve in Egypt and Mesopotamia. [16].
On the 12th February 1916 the 13th (Western) Division, “began to move to Mesopotamia, to strengthen the force being assembled for the relief of the besieged garrison at Kut al Amara. By 27 March, the Division had assembled near Sheikh Sa’ad and came under orders of the Tigris Corps. It then took part in the attempts to relieve Kut. After these efforts failed and Kut fell, the British force in the theatre was built up and reorganised.” [17]
On the day
“Died” in SDGW terms usually means anything other than Killed in Action or Died of Wounds (received in action).
The campaign in Mesopotamia appears to have died down after May 1918, as the Allied forces took a break from campaigning in the heat of summer, before resuming in October with a successful drive to seize the oilfields around Mosul, in which the 4th South Wales Borderers took part. As always through-out the campaign, significant losses were experienced as much from disease as battle. Given that Corporal Thaxton has a known grave, and Bagdhad was the main hospital base, there is a reasonable possibility that he died as a result of illness.
His first entry in the Army Register of Soldiers Effects simply records him as having died at the 39th Field Ambulance. The balance of his pay was scheduled to be sent to his widow & sole legatee Edith in August 1919. A revised calculation appeared in a second record in the Army Register of Soldiers, and it was this revised amount plus his war gratuity that was sent on that August date. [18]
A brief note of his death appeared in the Births, Marriages and Deaths column in the editions of the Norwich Mercury dated Wednesday 31st July 1918 and Saturday 3rd August 1918
The Government Probate Service holds a Soldiers Will for 45556 Robert Thaxton who died on the 18th July 1918. [19]
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=Thaxton&Su...
Mildly photoshopped to address damage suffered by the source image.
Sources.
[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission webpage retrieved 26/02/2017. www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/635472/THAXTON,%20ROB...
[2] Soldiers Died in the Great War entry retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[3] GRO register of births retrieved 26/04/2025.
[4] 1881 Census of England & Wales retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[5] 1891 Census of England & Wales retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[6] 1901 Census of England & Wales retrieved Genes Reunited 26/04/2025.
[7] 1901 Census of England & Wales retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[8] Queens South Africa Medal Roll sourced Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[9] Imperial Yeomanry service record retrieved Ancestry 06/02/2023.
[10] GRO quarterly index of marriages in England & Wales retried Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[11] 1911 Census of England & Wales x 2 retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[12] Register of Seamans Services for 228512 Alfred Edward Thaxton retrieved from the National Archive catalogue 26/04/2025.
[13] Indexing for military records on Ancestry, Fold 3 and FindMyPast checked 26/04/2025.
[14] Medal Index Card retrieved from Ancestry 06/05/2023. Subsequently checked in the National Archive catalogue 26/04/2025. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5520585
[15] Victory Medal and British War Medal Roll entry retrieved Ancestry 06/05/2023.
[16] The South Wales Borderers webpage on the Long, Long Trail website retrieved 27/04/2025.
[17] 13th (Western) Division webpage on the Long, Long Trail website retrieved 27/04/2025.
[18] Army Register of Soldiers effects entries retrieved Ancestry 06/05/2023.
[19] Probate Calendar details retrieved 26/02/2017 from probatesearch.service.gov.uk/ - that website no longer allows the permanent links to individual entries.