Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

3 Light Horse, Lance Corporal, Originally buried Sheik Zowiat Military Cemetery on 10 January 1917

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Son of Charles Forbes and Elizabeth Jane Bax of Mount Pleasant South Australia.

Brother of 524 Pte Alexander Hartley Bax, 3rd Light Horse, killed in action, Gallipoli, 30 May 1915;

106 Pte Ben Robert Bax, 3rd Light Horse, returned to Australia, 13 October 1918.

"THE LATE LANCE-CORPORAL M. C. BAX.

General regret was expressed at Mount Pleasant at the news of the death from wounds of Lance-Corporal Murray C. Bax, eldest son of Mr. C. A. Bax, the well-known auctioneer for Messrs. Bagot, Shakes, & Lewis. He was one of the earliest to enlist, and was in action at Gallipoli, where he saw his brother, the late Private Alex. Bax receive his fatal wound from a sniper. After being invalided to England on his return to Egypt, Private M. C. Bax was promoted to lance-corporal, and was engaged in the operations in the Sinai Peninsula, where apparently he met hie death. He comes of old established families. His maternal great-grandfather, Mr. George Dunn, was the founder of the township of Mount Torrens, and on his father's side his family reaches back to early settlement. He was educated at Mount Pleasant public school and St. Peter's College. After an engagement with Mr. S. Kidman in Queensland, he entered the service of Messrs. Bagot, Shakes, & Lewis. He was an excellent judge of stock, and proved a good auctioneer and agent till his enlistment in September, 1914. He was well known for his cheerful and obliging disposition, and also for his horsemanship, for he was a born horseman and rode in race meetings in Adelaide." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 27 Jan 1917 (nla.gov.au)

From the book Fallen Saints 

Murray Charles Bax of Mount Pleasant was born near Mannum, a busy Paddle Steamer Port on the Murray River, South Australia.

His maternal great grandfather, Mr George Dunn, was the founder of the township of Mount Torrens, and on his father’s side his family reaches back to early settlement.[i]  

He received his early education at Mt Pleasant School and after completing it at the Collegiate School of St. Peter found employment in Queensland where he worked for the legendary Australian Cattle King, Sydney Kidman. Murray was an excellent judge of stock, a skill that proved most useful when later employed as an auctioneer and agent by the Adelaide based firm of Bagot, Shakes & Lewis.

He enlisted at Keswick on 27 August 1914 and with his brothers Ben and Alexander (Alex) all in A Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment sailed from Adelaide aboard HMAT Port Lincoln on 22 October 1914.

Alexander, the youngest of the brothers was shot in the head by a sniper at Anzac, evacuated to HMS Gascon but died and was buried at sea on 30 May 1915; he was 21 years of age.

Murray was evacuated to 26th Casualty Clearing Station suffering with diarrhoea in July, and after a number of weeks in 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, Lemnos was transferred to St David’s Hospital Malta. After a week of rest and further treatment in Malta, he was evacuated to England via the Hospital Ship Ascanius.

At the end of December, he embarked with No 15 draft aboard the Oriana and after reaching Egypt rejoined A Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment 26 January and was appointed lance corporal at Romani Wells on 9 August.

Trooper Murray Bax was severely wounded during the Battle of Rafa on 9 January and was evacuated to 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance at El Arish with wounds to his liver and chest, but died the following day; he was 29 years of age.

He was well known for his cheerful disposition, and also for horsemanship, for he was a born horseman and rode in race meetings in Adelaide. [ii]

Ben Robert Bax returned to Australia in October 1918.