BAXTER, William Roy
| Service Number: | 4131 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 July 1915, Enlisted at Cootamundra, NSW. Oath taken 3rd Sept 1915. Age 20 years 4 months |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia, 13 March 1895 |
| Home Town: | Peak Hill, Parkes, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Peak Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 28 July 1955, aged 60 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Peak Hill Cemetery, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Peak Hill and District Great War Roll of Honor, Wagga Wagga Victory Memorial Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 4131, Enlisted at Cootamundra, NSW. Oath taken 3rd Sept 1915. Age 20 years 4 months | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 4131, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 4131, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 16 Feb 1916: | Transferred 54th Infantry Battalion, Allotted to and proceeding to join 54 Inf Battalion A.I.F at Zeitoun, Morocco from Training Battalion. Transferred from 2nd Battalion. (taken on strength) | |
| 19 Jun 1916: | Embarked Embarked H.M.A.T. “Caledonian” at Alexandria, Egypt to join B.E.F (British Expeditionary Force). 29th Jun 1916 Disembarked H.M.A.T. “Caledonian” at Marseilles, France | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second) | |
| 31 Jul 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood | |
| 24 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Villers-Bretonneux | |
| 16 Jun 1918: | Promoted Driver, 54th Infantry Battalion, Promotion to Driver 54th Battalion TOS (taken on strength) | |
| 1 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Mont St Quentin / Peronne | |
| 29 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Driver, 4131, 54th Infantry Battalion, Breaching the Hindenburg Line - Cambrai / St Quentin Canal | |
| 13 Apr 1919: | Embarked Regiment returned to Australia from Liverpool per H.M.A.T (or SS) Wyreema embarked 13/4/1919. Arrived Australia 3rd June 1919 and disembarked | |
| 4 Jun 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
Help us honour William Roy Baxter's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Baxter
William Roy Baxter (commonly known as ‘Roy’) enlisted at Cootamundra as his Mother had moved to Wagga Wagga from Peak Hill after the death of his Father in 1905.
William Roy Baxter was a member of the AIF 54th Battalion which moved to France in June 1916 and fought their first major battle at Fromelles on the Western Front a week later on 19th July 1916.
Further involvement / battles for the 54th included:
Battle of Fromelles 19th July 1916
Second Battle of Bullecourt 3rd May 1917
Third Battle of Ypres 31st July 1917
Polygon Wood 26th Sept 1917
Villers-Bretonneux 24th April 1918
Anvil Wood / Peronne 1st Sept 1918
St Quentin Canal 29th Sept 1918
William Roy Baxter served in WW1 both as a Soldier and Driver and he said he used to bite the ears of the donkeys to make them move. Both William Roy Baxter and his Brother (Neil Hall Baxter 2126) encountered gas attacks whilst in the trenches during 1917 at Messines (now Mesen) during The Third Battle of Ypres. Fortunately they both survived and returned home after the end of WW1.
During the war, William Roy Baxter enjoyed some periods of leave away from the front line. His Service Records note:
11th July 1917 To England from France on leave.
25th July 1917 Rejoined Unit in France
21st Jan 1918 Leave pass granted from 2.00pm to 8.00pm “for the purpose of proceeding to Boulogne” France.
20th Aug 1918 To Paris on leave
1st Sept 1918 Rejoined Unit in France
It was also noted the 54/56th Battalion was resting out of the line when the Armistice was declared on 11 November 1918.
After the war, William Roy Baxter returned to Peak Hill and he received a Soldiers Settlement block on which he, and his wife Freda, successfully farmed wheat and sheep until his death in 1955.
During his later years, William Roy Baxter had to turn his head to the side to talk as the gas attack he encountered on the Western Front severely affected the back of his throat.
Whilst William Roy Baxter was part of both the 54th and 56th Battalions, he really only ever considered himself a member of the 54th Battalion as he spent over 2 years fighting under the 54th and was only transferred to the 56th one month prior to the end of the War when the two Battalions were amalgamated.
Most men did not was this and when the men of the 54th resisted their disbandment in 1918, their mobile kitchens were taken away and no rations were issued. Men from the other Brigades within the Division sent half their rations to the 54th. After two days of tense negotiating, it was agreed that the 54th would combine with the 56th but each group would keep their own colour patches. On 11 October 1918 the 54th ceased to exist as a separate entity when it was merged with the 56th to form the 54/56th Battalion.
Brother also in service:
Neil Hall Baxter
World War 1 Service Record
Rank Private
Service Number: 2126
AIF 54th Battalion
Enlisted 31/3/1916
Date of embarkation: 19 August 1916
Place of embarkation: Sydney
Ship embarked on: HMAT Boorara A42
Wounded in Action: 17/10/1917
Returned to Australia 20/12/1918
Contribution by:
John R Baxter – Grandson of William Roy Baxter 4131
Sources:
Family Records
Service Record of William Roy Baxter
AWM – Roll of Honour
AWM – 54th Battalion
The Australian Army in World War One 1914 - 1918
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