Name
William Charles Paxton
18 June 1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/08/1917
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18455
Coldstream Guards
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY
II. H. 38.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
William Charles Paxton was born on 18 June 1892 in Islington, London, the son of John and Jane Paxton, and baptised on 31 July 1892 at St Mary's Church, Islington. At the time, the family were living at 63 Albert Street, Islington and his father was a Greengrocer.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 13 Collier Street, Clerkenwell where his father was working as a Furniture Dealer on his own account. They remained at the same address in 1911 at which time William was working as a Carman.
He married Rose Chandler in 1914 in Islington. (Her address on pension records was given as 24 Richmond Crescent, Barnsbury, London and later changed to 39 Charles Street, Weymouth, Dorset).
Wartime Service
He enlisted in London and served with the Coldstream Guards.
He was wounded sometime during the Third Battle of Ypres and taken to the 47th Casualty Clearing Station, (positioned at Dozinghem), where he died on 2 August 1917, aged 25.
He is buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His wife, Mrs R E Wright, 6 Wyeths Road, Epsom, Surrey, ordered his headstone inscription: “UNTIL THE DAY BREAK”. His widow received a war gratuity of £4 and pay owing of £2 8s 3d. She also received a pension of 13s 9d, which rose to 19s 3d in January 1919. The connection with Hemel Hempstead for this soldier is not known, however he is the only W C Paxton listed on the CWGC website for WW1.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
