Lance Sergeant John Axon Manchester Regiment
John Axon
The Man John Axon (Junior) was born on Thursday 3 September 1914 in Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, son of John a Coal Carter, Weaver, Tram Conductor and a Corporal in the 11th Manchester Regiment during World War I and Mary nee Smith nee Townley, he was baptised four weeks later on 30th September and his religion was Church of England. He had one brother James born in 1923.
Following his education, on 3rd April 1933 aged 18 he attested for service in 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment as a Private with service number 3525605, for a period of seven years followed by five in the reserve. The Regiment was stationed in Egypt at the time but returned to the UK in December 1933.
In 1936 the Manchester Regiment were selected for conversion to a fully mechanised machine gun regiment and by 1937 their training was complete. It seems likely that John served with Lieutenant Rex King-Clark’s No 2 Platoon of A Company. Lt King-Clark was posted to the 1st Battalion in early 1937 (He later wrote a book ‘Free For A Blast’ in which John’s picture appears).
John was promoted to Lance Corporal and transferred to the 1st Battalion in early 1937, possibly following Lt King-Clark as did several other soldiers who had served under him. During the second quarter of 1937 he married Doris Speakman, a Card Room Tenter at a local cotton Mill, in Ashton and their home address was given as 117 Kings Road, Ashton Under Lyne, Doris's family home. They seem to have had no children. John was posted to the Middle East when the battalion moved to Palestine in January 1938. The 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine was a nationalist uprising by Palestinian Arabs in Mandatory Palestine against British colonial rule, as a demand for independence and opposition to mass Jewish immigration. For his service he was awarded the General Service Medal with clasp ‘Palestine’.
Following his education, on 3rd April 1933 aged 18 he attested for service in 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment as a Private with service number 3525605, for a period of seven years followed by five in the reserve. The Regiment was stationed in Egypt at the time but returned to the UK in December 1933.
In 1936 the Manchester Regiment were selected for conversion to a fully mechanised machine gun regiment and by 1937 their training was complete. It seems likely that John served with Lieutenant Rex King-Clark’s No 2 Platoon of A Company. Lt King-Clark was posted to the 1st Battalion in early 1937 (He later wrote a book ‘Free For A Blast’ in which John’s picture appears).
John was promoted to Lance Corporal and transferred to the 1st Battalion in early 1937, possibly following Lt King-Clark as did several other soldiers who had served under him. During the second quarter of 1937 he married Doris Speakman, a Card Room Tenter at a local cotton Mill, in Ashton and their home address was given as 117 Kings Road, Ashton Under Lyne, Doris's family home. They seem to have had no children. John was posted to the Middle East when the battalion moved to Palestine in January 1938. The 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine was a nationalist uprising by Palestinian Arabs in Mandatory Palestine against British colonial rule, as a demand for independence and opposition to mass Jewish immigration. For his service he was awarded the General Service Medal with clasp ‘Palestine’.
General Service Medal 'Palestine'. 1939-45 Star. Pacific Star. Defence Medal. War Medal 1939-45.
In September 1938 the battalion embarked for Singapore on Garrison duties; during the interwar years, Britain had established a naval base in Singapore after the Anglo-Japanese alliance had lapsed in 1923. As part of the Singapore strategy, the base formed a key part of British interwar defence planning for the region. Financial constraints had hampered construction efforts during the intervening period and shifting strategic circumstances largely undermined key premises behind the strategy by the time war broke out in the Pacific.
At the start of World War II on 3rd September 1939 John was still in Singapore and the Regiment involved in beach defences, he re-enlisted on 26 December 1941 and promoted to Lance Sergeant. Until December 1941 the battalion worked incessantly on strengthening their line with wire, anti-boat obstacles and the construction of supporting posts in an effort to defend Singapore from Japanese invasion.
As the Japanese moved swiftly south through Malaya, the Manchester’s were involved in the heavy fighting for the defence of Singapore but at its fall on 15th February 1942, John was captured and taken prisoner by the Japanese, initially held at Changi; he was later one of those to become part of ‘Force F’, prisoners forced to work in the Japanese labour camps on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway, in close proximity to the Thailand-Burma border. He travelled overland in one of the railway box carriages leaving Changi on 26th April the journey taking four or five days in the extreme heat with little food or water. John’s capture was reported in the Manchester Evening News of 14th September.
Arrival was followed by a 300-kilometre march and John was held in Block B Son Krai (No.2) Camp, just south of Three Pagodas Pass. He succumbed to the harsh treatment by the Japanese and died of cholera on 29 May 1943, perhaps mercifully dying within the hour of catching the disease. He was described as ‘a big man of more than 14 stone but after capture had become a bag of bones in a very short time’. He was initially buried at the camp but after the war his remains were re-interred in Thanbyuzayat Cemetery, Burma, plot B6.B.11.
John was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, which were sent to his wife and his name added to the Aston Under Lyne War Memorial.
Doris re-married to William Finnegan in 1948.
At the start of World War II on 3rd September 1939 John was still in Singapore and the Regiment involved in beach defences, he re-enlisted on 26 December 1941 and promoted to Lance Sergeant. Until December 1941 the battalion worked incessantly on strengthening their line with wire, anti-boat obstacles and the construction of supporting posts in an effort to defend Singapore from Japanese invasion.
As the Japanese moved swiftly south through Malaya, the Manchester’s were involved in the heavy fighting for the defence of Singapore but at its fall on 15th February 1942, John was captured and taken prisoner by the Japanese, initially held at Changi; he was later one of those to become part of ‘Force F’, prisoners forced to work in the Japanese labour camps on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway, in close proximity to the Thailand-Burma border. He travelled overland in one of the railway box carriages leaving Changi on 26th April the journey taking four or five days in the extreme heat with little food or water. John’s capture was reported in the Manchester Evening News of 14th September.
Arrival was followed by a 300-kilometre march and John was held in Block B Son Krai (No.2) Camp, just south of Three Pagodas Pass. He succumbed to the harsh treatment by the Japanese and died of cholera on 29 May 1943, perhaps mercifully dying within the hour of catching the disease. He was described as ‘a big man of more than 14 stone but after capture had become a bag of bones in a very short time’. He was initially buried at the camp but after the war his remains were re-interred in Thanbyuzayat Cemetery, Burma, plot B6.B.11.
John was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, which were sent to his wife and his name added to the Aston Under Lyne War Memorial.
Doris re-married to William Finnegan in 1948.
Manchester Evening News. 14th September 1943.
The Story The medal groups awarded to John Axon and his father, also John Axon were acquired from Noonans Auction on 15th May 2024 and of interest because John junior had died working on the Burma Railway, a sub-theme of this collection.
Most of the research had already been completed for both men by the previous custodian, enabling brief biographies of father and son to be completed.
Interestingly John Axon junior is mentioned in two books ‘Free For A Blast’ by Rex King-Clark (who John served under) and ‘Such Men As These’ by Charles Frisby. Copies of both were acquired to keep with the research one including a very small photograph of John, at least giving an idea of what he looked like.
At the time of writing, it is still not advised to visit Myanmar, thus visiting John’s grave will be difficult until the situation eases in the country.
Most of the research had already been completed for both men by the previous custodian, enabling brief biographies of father and son to be completed.
Interestingly John Axon junior is mentioned in two books ‘Free For A Blast’ by Rex King-Clark (who John served under) and ‘Such Men As These’ by Charles Frisby. Copies of both were acquired to keep with the research one including a very small photograph of John, at least giving an idea of what he looked like.
At the time of writing, it is still not advised to visit Myanmar, thus visiting John’s grave will be difficult until the situation eases in the country.
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Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery
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Ashton Under Lyne War Memorial
John AXON is one of 27 soldiers in this collection who perished whilst working on the Burma Railaway and whose final resting place is Kanchanaburi or Chungkai Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand or Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Click on each name to read about:
- Thomas BURNS
- William James Johnstone BYERS
- Walter Richard COLBERT
- Percy Denis CORNWELL
- Joseph DUCKWORTH
- Harold Edward EKE
- Kenneth Robert EYLAND
- Charles Nevil Worton FOX
- Denys John HYDE
- George Sidney JOHNSON
- Charles Roger LLOYD
- Stanley Richard LOVEDAY
- Myles McMANUS
- Raymond Ernest MADGETT
- Alexander MALCOLM
- Alfred Arthur MANNING
- John MARKS
- Horace Edgar MAXWELL
- James Gordon MITCHELL
- Edward John PHILLIPS
- George Edward RUDDICK
- Kenneth William SHIPP
- Harold Norman SPALDING
- Alfred Henry STEVENS
- Walter Leonard TAYLOR
- Henry Garnsey VEITCH
Medal Details
- General Service Medal: 3525605 PTE. J.AXON. MANCH.
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
This page last updated 15 Jun 24
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