Friends of the Family part III
Craftsman Horace Edgar Maxwell Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers
The Man Horace Edgar Maxwell, named after his maternal step uncle, Edgar Horace Reeve Toone, was born on 30th April 1920 at 28 Queen Street, Leamington Spa, son of David Henry and Alice nee Chamberlain. Horace had one older brother Arthur Henry who was born in in 1913. In 1927 when aged only 7 years old Horace’s mother died and he lived with Arthur, his Grandparents, Henry & Sarah and his Father at 28 Queen Street. Upon leaving school Horace became a Turner.
On 25th July 1940 during World War II He enlisted into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps Territorial Army as a Private with service number 7639667 and attested at No 5 Training Battalion in Chepstow. He was described as 5’ 7½” tall, weighing 143 lbs with brown eyes and auburn hair. His girth was 37” with a 2½“range of expansion. His religion was Church of England and his medical grade B1. Horace saw service at home until he was posted overseas to Malaya, embarking on 3rd January 1941. Sadly his Father David also died very young aged 53 in June the same year. Horace’s brother Arthur went to live with their Uncle & Aunt Flo and Bill Pears at 1 Cliff Row, New Cubbington, Leamington Spa. The Malayan Campaign to which Horace had been sent to fight, was fought by Allied and Axis forces in Malaya, from 8th December 1941 until 31st January 1942. It was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army with minor skirmishes at the beginning of the campaign between British Commonwealth and Royal Thai Armed Forces. For the British, Indian, Australian and Malayan forces defending the colony, the campaign was a total disaster. Following bitter fighting for the next 12 months, on 31st January 1942, the last organised Allied forces left Malaya, and engineers blew a 70 ft wide hole in the causeway that linked Johore and Singapore; a few stragglers would wade across over the next few days. Japanese raiders and infiltrators, often disguised as Singaporean civilians, began to cross the Straits of Johor in inflatable boats soon afterwards. In less than two months, the Battle for Malaya had ended in comprehensive defeat for the Commonwealth forces and their retreat from the Malay Peninsula to the fortress of Singapore. Nearly 50,000 Commonwealth troops had been captured or killed during the battle. The Japanese Army invaded the island of Singapore on 7th February and completed their conquest of the island on 15th, capturing 80,000 more prisoners, including Horace who was reported as ‘missing in Malaya’ the same day. The final battle before the surrender was with the Royal Malay Regiment at Bukit Candu on the 14th February. Horace was taken Prisoner and forced to work on the notorious Burma Railway in Thailand close to the River Kwai. He was transferred into the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers as a Craftsman on 1st October 1942 and died of wounds on 14th June 1943 aged 23. The cause of death was given as Cholera and his body together with 300 comrades was cremated and his ashes buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, close to Special Memorial 9 M.4. Horace was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45 for his services and left £197 4s 4d to his Brother Arthur in his will. Horace is also commemorated on the Royal Leamington Spa War Memorial, together with his step uncle Edgar Horace Reeve Toone who was killed in World War I.
On 25th July 1940 during World War II He enlisted into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps Territorial Army as a Private with service number 7639667 and attested at No 5 Training Battalion in Chepstow. He was described as 5’ 7½” tall, weighing 143 lbs with brown eyes and auburn hair. His girth was 37” with a 2½“range of expansion. His religion was Church of England and his medical grade B1. Horace saw service at home until he was posted overseas to Malaya, embarking on 3rd January 1941. Sadly his Father David also died very young aged 53 in June the same year. Horace’s brother Arthur went to live with their Uncle & Aunt Flo and Bill Pears at 1 Cliff Row, New Cubbington, Leamington Spa. The Malayan Campaign to which Horace had been sent to fight, was fought by Allied and Axis forces in Malaya, from 8th December 1941 until 31st January 1942. It was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army with minor skirmishes at the beginning of the campaign between British Commonwealth and Royal Thai Armed Forces. For the British, Indian, Australian and Malayan forces defending the colony, the campaign was a total disaster. Following bitter fighting for the next 12 months, on 31st January 1942, the last organised Allied forces left Malaya, and engineers blew a 70 ft wide hole in the causeway that linked Johore and Singapore; a few stragglers would wade across over the next few days. Japanese raiders and infiltrators, often disguised as Singaporean civilians, began to cross the Straits of Johor in inflatable boats soon afterwards. In less than two months, the Battle for Malaya had ended in comprehensive defeat for the Commonwealth forces and their retreat from the Malay Peninsula to the fortress of Singapore. Nearly 50,000 Commonwealth troops had been captured or killed during the battle. The Japanese Army invaded the island of Singapore on 7th February and completed their conquest of the island on 15th, capturing 80,000 more prisoners, including Horace who was reported as ‘missing in Malaya’ the same day. The final battle before the surrender was with the Royal Malay Regiment at Bukit Candu on the 14th February. Horace was taken Prisoner and forced to work on the notorious Burma Railway in Thailand close to the River Kwai. He was transferred into the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers as a Craftsman on 1st October 1942 and died of wounds on 14th June 1943 aged 23. The cause of death was given as Cholera and his body together with 300 comrades was cremated and his ashes buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, close to Special Memorial 9 M.4. Horace was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45 for his services and left £197 4s 4d to his Brother Arthur in his will. Horace is also commemorated on the Royal Leamington Spa War Memorial, together with his step uncle Edgar Horace Reeve Toone who was killed in World War I.
The Story For the detailed background to this research See Henry Maxwell, Horace's Grandfather. Also see David Maxwell for his Father's biography.
Royal Leamington Spa War Memorial
Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, Thailand
March 2022
Victoria Park, Leamington Spa
Horace Edgar MAXWELL is one of 16 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:
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star - Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star - Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal - Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45 - Unnamed as awarded.
Page last updated 5 Apr 20