THEXTON, William George
| Service Number: | 2434 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 8th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, 5 March 1885 |
| Home Town: | Bairnsdale, East Gippsland, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Wy Yung State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Died of Illness, Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, 15 May 1916, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia Portion Church of England, Plot C.I, Grave No. 407 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2434, 8th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 2434, 8th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan MacCorquodale embarkation_ship_number: A6 public_note: '' | |
| 6 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 2434, 8th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Clan MacCorquodale, Melbourne |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Bainbridge and Elizabeth Mews Thexton’s first son, William George, was born at Heathcote in 1885. He was the oldest of five sons to serve his country in World War 1. Three of the Thexton brothers died in the effort. The family had moved to Bairnsdale in 1896 and started farming at Wy Yung where the children were schooled. William had been in the local 13th Light Horse regiment for five years and the Citizen Military Forces before the war. At 31 years he enlisted for overseas service in January 1916 with the 8th Light Horse. During May 1916 William left Melbourne on a ship headed for Fremantle before leaving Australian waters. He was admitted to sick bay while on board and once the ship arrived in Western Australia on 13 May he was transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Subiaco. He died of spinal meningitis and pneumonia two days later. William was buried with full military honours at the Karrakatta cemetery. The firing party was from his 8th Light Horse Regiment and they marched from the mortuary to the cemetery accompanied by the army chaplain who conducted the funeral.
His brother 4609 Pte James Winwick Thexton 59th Battalion was killed in action at Fromelles, France, 19 July 1916.
Another brother, 3399 Pte George Clifton Thexton 37th Battalion, also died of illness in Lancaster, England, 10 April 1918.
Another brother 4608 Pte John Edward Thexton 59th Battalion AIF, was also at Fromelles and was wounded in the knee on the 19 July 1916. He returned to Australia medically unfit during early 1917.
Another brother 5890 Pte Percy Bainbridge Thexton 23rd Battalion AIF, returned to Australia during June 1919. He served again during WW2.
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