Christopher Berkley (Chris) CLAXTON

Badge Number: S1024, Sub Branch: Keswick Richmond
S1024

CLAXTON, Christopher Berkley

Service Number: 2096
Enlisted: 20 December 1915
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 9th Light Horse Regiment
Born: Adelaide, South Australia , 6 July 1884
Home Town: Brompton, South Australia
Schooling: Unknown
Occupation: Labourer, Councillor
Died: Illness, South Australia, 12 December 1965, aged 81 years
Cemetery: Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia
Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
Memorials: Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards
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World War 1 Service

20 Dec 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private
16 Mar 1916: Involvement Private, 2096, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: ''
16 Mar 1916: Embarked Private, 2096, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918: Involvement Lance Corporal, 2096

Help us honour Christopher Berkley Claxton's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed

Christopher Berkley CLAXTON was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 6th July, 1884

His parents were Christopher Berkley Bailey CLAXTON & Elizabeth PARK 

He married Ethel Hannah HUNT in Christ Church, Mount Gambier, SA on 15th April, 1914

Biography contributed by St Ignatius' College

Christopher Berkley Claxton was born on the 6th of July, 1884, in the small suburb of Brompton, near the city of Adelaide, South Australia. His mother was Elizabeth Park and his father was Christopher Berkley Bailey Claxton. He was enrolled in primary school on the 23rd of April 1894 as shown on the school admission registers. He married Ethel Hannah Hunt on the 15th of April 1914, in Christ Church in Mount Gambier, just under 2 years before enlisting. Christopher worked as a labourer. He was also elected as councillor, representing the Brompton W  ard in Hindmarsh. In his role, he was a councillor for the Labor party and the Government Worker’s Association as shown in the article below.

On Monday, the 29th of November, 1915, roughly three weeks before enlisting, Christopher Berkley Claxton was featured in a newspaper article in ‘The Daily Herald. Adelaide' under the title of 'Municipal Elections – Nominations Received – Every Labor Candidate Requires Support' The subtitle of the article was 'Hindmarsh, ‘Brompton Ward – Christopher Berkley Claxton’.

Christopher enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force on the 20th of December 1915 at the age of 31 and a half at the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society Building. Here, he filled out an attestation form which stated many facts about his experience, beliefs, and appearance such as he is 5 feet & 5 ½ inches tall, has a medium complexion, brown eyes, dark hair, belonged to the Church of England (Anglican), and his next of kin was his wife, Ethel Hannah Hunt.

He first was assigned to the Base Lighthorse at Depot on the 10th of January, 1916, to the 15th of January that same year. From 15th January he was appointed to the 9th Light Horse. During this time, he would have been trained in basic military operations such as military command, operating equipment, and drill.

On the 16th of March 1916, he embarked from Adelaide on the ship, HMAT Anchises A68. He officially started by joining the 15th reinforcement of the 9th Light Horse Regiment in the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. He was a private, specifically a gunner.

He disembarked in Egypt, travelling via the Suez Canal in April and the trip would have taken 4-6 weeks. During this time, he wrote a letter to Alderman Nieass explaining the conditions in Egypt and how he was trying to apply for a transfer because he wanted to ‘try’ his ‘skill’ (in France) which the Daily Herald later published on the 8th of September, 1916 as shown in the article attached (see links to the left of this page). On the 15th April 1916, he joined the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. His deployed regiment were protecting the Nile valley from pro-Turkish Senussi Arab Bands for a short amount of time, dealing with some conflicts, before joining the forces defending the Suez Canal on the 18th of May.

This protection of the Nile Valley involved repelling the Middle East located Turkish forces who had tried to ‘breach British defences on the Suez Canal,’ in an attempt to block British communications with East Africa, India and Asia, and stop the British Empire troops from reaching Europe and the Mediterranean seas. Though their impacts were significantly reversed by the 1st Lighthorse brigade at the battle of Romani, the regiments of the brigade provided support in the immediate follow up of the Turks but were shortly removed to rest.

Following this, on the 7th of July, 1916, Claxton passed his 1st Class Machine Gun Test. Seventeen days later, on the 24th of July, he reverted to the 9th Light Horse Regiment. From then on, for roughly three months, the regiment were following the Turks back across the desert.

Next, on the 13th of November 1916, he went to the Rest Camp at Port Said in Egypt. Port Said, to the North of the Suez Canal, was a significant hospital centre which helped the wounded. Here, although soldier's were away from the battlefield in more comfortable accommodation and amenities,they still had to work and train. Drilling, marching, kit cleaning, lecture attending, and working on repairs, were all day-to-day activities at the rest camp.

After his stay was over, on the 23rd of December, Claxton was at the Palestine frontier and involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outposts of Maghdaba, a village in the northern desert of Sinai. Here, the Turkish forces who were interfering with the route to Palestine, were attacked by Major General Harry Chauvel’s ANZAC Mounted Division, containing the attached Imperial Camel Corps. This battle was difficult as the terrain was difficult, with cold weather conditions, the added weight of blankets, overcoats, and as much water as possible (there was no accessible water to the troops). Once the battle began, the Turks had rifle and machine gun fire at a 1200-yard range causing casualties to occur. Claxton was injured in the first week or so, (an abrasion to the leg) on the 2nd of January 1917. Consequently, a medical transfer certificate was completed and he was admitted to the 24th Station Hospital in Egypt on the 9th of January and transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital on the 12th January 1917.

On February the 8th, 1917, he rejoined the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment. Ten days later, on the 18th of February, he had officially taken on strength to the 9th Light Horse Regiment from the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment. On the 8th of March, he was discharged to the 8th Mobile Veterinary Section. On the 2nd of April, he was attached or arrived to the 8th Mobile Veterinary Section from the 9th Light Horse Regiment which was part of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

The Royal Army Veterinary Corps gave important veterinary care to animals used in the war such as horses, mules, and even camels from the Middle East. The RAVC were deployed to the Western front, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Salonika, and Palestine and suffered many issues that the animals suffered such as wounds, injuries, and gas exposure. The animals also needed to be immunised against disease. Additionally, the RAVC set up four farriery schools to train people in the care of horses’ hooves.

For the majority of April, they had evacuated the animals to Forges-les-Eaux, in France. This was most likely due to the Verdun and Somme offensives when many additional animals would have been wounded or needed medical care.

During this time, the Daily Herald Adelaide published a letter Claxton wrote requesting some new war glasses as he had left his pair in enemy territory (See attached link “Our Heroes”, 1917).

During May, it is believed that his unit travelled back to Egypt as hinted in the above article – ‘writing from Egypt’ - which would have been written around the 17th – 23rd of May with the postal time taken into consideration.

Later, on the 28th of August, he proceeded back to the Rest Camp in Port Said as an exchange from his unit, where he stayed for 19 days, and on the 16th of September, he returned.

Next, he was fighting in the significant battle of Beersheba. Beersheba was a strongly protected town 43km from the Turkish rampart of Gaza. There was a charge on the 31st of October 1917. The attack started at dawn, but only little ground was gained by late afternoon due to the Turk’s aid of 9 machine guns and 2 aircrafts. When the 4th and 13th regiments of the 4th Lighthorse Brigade were ordered to and did charge at the Turkish defences, the Turks were so surprised that Lighthorse’s momentum got them through the opposing defences. Additionally, the much-needed water supplies were acquired as there was only one source in the region of ‘dependable water’, taking 1 800 000 litres of water to hydrate the 58 000 light horsemen and 100 000 animals in Beersheba. More than 1000 Turkish prisoners were taken, and the fall of Beersheba thus opened the way for a general outflanking of the Gaza-Beersheba Line. After severe fighting, Turkish forces abandoned Gaza on 6th of November and began their withdrawal into Palestine.

Though the overall result was positive, 31 Light horsemen died, 36 were wounded, 70 horses at least died and 60 were wounded by the end of the battle on the 31st of October. Additionally, due to the fall of Gaza close after this battle, on the 7th of November, ‘the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed.’ This meant that ‘the 9th participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the capture of Jerusalem in December.’ In order to respect the religious history of the place and its importance to many faiths, this was peaceful promised by a proclamation made from the British stating:

 “Since your city is regarded with affection by the adherents of three of the great religions of mankind and its soil has been consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages of multitudes of devout people, I make it known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayer will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred.”

On the 25th of November that year, Claxton was appointed Lance Corporal.

The following year, 1918, British operation’s focus moved to the Jordan Valley. At this time, Claxton discovered he had malaria while on duty however he was not admitted to a hospital at this point.

During early May 1918, the 9th Light-Horse Regiment was included in the Es Salt raid. Es Salt was a village in Palestine and where ‘heavy’ fighting was located during the 30th of April and the 3rd of May in 1918. It was ‘part of the second “raid” mounted east of the Jordan River’. The raiding troops included the Australian Mounted, ANZAC Mounted, Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, and British 60th Infantry Divisions with the aim to ‘secure a launching point for operations against the key railway junction at Deraa.’ It started well, as by the evening of the 30th of April, Es Salt was seized but because the Turks resisted with counter-attacks threatening the ‘flanks and rear of the advanced elements of the raiding force,’, they eventually caused a withdrawal on the 3rd of May, 1918, back to Jordan. Although the raid failed to achieve its aim, it still encouraged Turkish commanders to believe Allenby’s next major effort would be launched across the Jordan whereas it was actually going to be along the coastal plain.

On the 27th June 1918, Claxton was treated by Field Ambulance with pyrexia. His condition became worse and he was admitted to 14 Stationary hospital on 4th July AIF due to malaria.  Approximately three months later, on the 3rd of October, he was removed from the hospital and rejoined the 9th Light Horse who were at Damascus.

Damascus was the capital of Syria and Palestine which the Turkish occupied and the ‘first objective of the great offensive launched by Allied forces on the 19th of September 1918.’ Emir Said, the person who was installed as Governor of Damascus the previous day, gave up Damascus to Major Arthur Olden, the 5th Light Horse’ Regiment’s second-in-command at around 5 am. By 9am, T.E Lawrence, or “Lawrence of Arabia” and the Arab forces of Faisal, the Sherif of Mecca’s son, arrived in Damascus. Meanwhile, the Turkish troops were still in Damascus so the 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade, including Christopher, were ‘ordered to cross the gorge and cut the only other available escape route for the Turkish troops from Damascus, the road to Homs.’ Due to the direct route’s roughness, the Australian commander decided to travel through Damascus itself the following morning.

So, at 5am on the 1st of October, when they arrived, they immediately galloped into the city with their swords drawn. The Turks had deserted it by then, but the Arabs were very excited to see other people. Eventually, after some difficulties with getting through the welcome, the Australians located the Homs Road and went after the Turks. This resulted in their capture of two groups of Turks and Germans, being 750 men in total and was one of the last actions of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade’s in the war. Consequently, on the 30th of October 1918, an armistice was signed which entailed the unconditional surrender of Turkey. From then on, his unit awaited to go home.

The following year after the war had ended, on the 11th of February 1919, Claxton was admitted to the hospital for treatment of malaria.

On the 15th of March that year he embarked from Kantara, a place where soldiers trained and demobilised, on the ship ‘HT Euripides’ for his return to Australia, invalided from the AIF.

His embarkation on the “Euripides” ship was at the age of 34 after 4 years of service. On the 22nd of April, after disembarking, he was admitted to the Ashworth hospital in Keswick, SA, for treatment of malaria and on the 5th of May he was discharged. On the 19th of June, he was officially medically discharged from the 4th Military District as he was deemed Medically unfit, having a ‘Disability – Debility, post malaria’.

Christopher had at least one child with his wife, Ethel, named Robert Berkley Bailey Claxton.

Post-war Christopher joined the Returned Soldier’s League, and attended its meetings. One meeting in particular, when he was 44 years old, was featured in the paper with the Governor(see attached article GOVERNOR MEETS EX-SOLDIERS, 1928)

‘Last week the Governor (Sir Alexander IIore-Riithven, V.C.J paid a visit In the Returned Soldiers' League Room….delegate to the State council meeting.’

He spent his later years living in Plympton, Glenelg, on in Galway Gardens, as indicated in the electoral rolls in the year of 1943.

On the 12th of December 1965, he died in South Australia at the age of 81 and is buried at the Centennial Park Cemetery in South Australia as well. His son died 10 years later in 1975, and his wife, Ethel, died one year after her son, in 1976.

 

 

Bibliography

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