Private John William Thaxton Army Service Corps
The Man John William Thaxton (Jack), was born on 16th January 1879, in the Parish of St Julian, Norwich. Son of William, a Brewers Labourer and Sophie nee Hook, who had been married twice before to John Field and Robert Nash. He was one of three children, Sarah Ann born in 1878, James Arthur 1884 and had two stepbrothers from his mother’s previous marriage, Robert and George Nash born 1868 and 1870 respectively. In 1881 the family were living at 240, Thorolds Buildings in Norwich. By 1891 William had moved on and Sophie together with Sarah, James, Robert and Jack, who was now an errand boy, lived at 49 King Street, Norwich. Following his schooling Jack found employment as a Porter, working at the exclusive Grand Hotel on West Parade, Cromer, and was listed as such in the census of 1901. He also served in the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) Territorial Force for eight years during this time with service number 3736. On release he was placed onto the Supplementary Reserve. On 23rd April 1910 aged 31 Jack emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in the United States aboard the SS Arabia, sailing from Liverpool. He found work as a chauffeur, living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He returned to the UK in 1911, before sailing again aboard the SS Franconia from Liverpool back to the US on 31st October 1911, becoming a naturalised citizen on 9th January 1912. He sailed again 3rd Class aboard the Arabia on 28th January 1913, and on his occasion one wonders if the SS Titanic was on his mind, she having sunk only nine months previously on a similar transatlantic journey. Whilst in the UK he stayed with his brother James at 99 York Street, Norwich. Whilst Jack was working in the US, World War I began in Europe on 4th August 1914. As a supplementary reservist he was called up and returned to the UK sailing aboard the SS Laconia arriving in Liverpool on 22nd September 1914. He attested back into the RGA on 13th October 1914 at Great Yarmouth aged 34 and posted on 28th with rank Gunner to the 21st Company. Upon enlistment, which was for either 'one year', or 'the war' he was described as 5'.6 ½" tall, weighing 148lbs with a girth of 39", of sallow complexion, brown eyes and hair. His physical development was good and his religion given as Congregationalist. Following his medical examination he was deemed fit for the Army and general service.
On 4th December he applied and was granted a transfer into the Mechanical Transport (MT) Branch Army Service Corps (ASC) with a new number M2-021325. As he had applied before the issue of a War Office letter of 9th January 1915, he was eligible to be paid 6/- per day. On 4th December 1914 Jack was sent from Queensferry to the MT Reserve Depot ASC, Grove Park, London arriving on 5th. On 17th December 1914 he was posted oversea aboard SS Dallard, sailing from Avonmouth and landing in France for service on the Western Front as part of the British Expeditionary Force. During the conflict he saw service at ASC General Headquarters, MT School of Instruction, No 1 Water Tank MT company, the 65th Auxiliary Reserve Company as a Locomobile driver and 4th Mobile Company as a Lorry Driver. His ability was described as Very Good. During early 1918, John returned to the UK as he had contracted influenza and was admitted to hospital on 15th March where he remained for 22 days until 5th April. On 17th July he returned to the Western Front aboard the SS King Edward sailing from Southampton and attached to the 545 siege Battery and finally on15th October to the 335 MT Company. As his release from the Army approached in 1918 his sobriety was described as good, and he was reliable and intelligent. He had shown a special aptitude for driving American Lorries. Following the Armistice on 11th November 1918, he was returned to the UK on 5th February 1919 for ultimate repatriation to the US. Upon his medical examination the same month he claimed not to be suffering from any disabilities. Jack was discharged on 12th March 1919 aged 39 and transferred to the Z Class Reserve. He gave his next of kin details as his Sister Sarah and stepbrother Robert, both still living at 99 York Street in Norwich. For his war service he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal. Following the war Jack began the lengthy process of applying for free passage back to US to resume his pre war life. This was granted and on 9th August 1919 he sailed from Liverpool aboard the SS Carbonia to Boston. During 1919 he married Mary from Massachusetts and in the census of 1920 they were shown as living at Buildings 210, Bowdoin Street, Dorchester, Boston. Sadly during 1924 and aged just 45, Jack died and was buried in the ‘poor lot’ at Mount Benedict Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA. Thus ended the life of a man who had done and seen so much in a few short years.
The Story The World War I trio awarded to John William Thaxton were purchased from a militaria stall within Looses Emporium, Magdalen Street, Norwich on a wet, cold, miserable day in November 2019. The medals, which were loose, were in a tray with a small number of others and initially aroused no interest. However, after discussion with the dealer, including the fact the recipient’s surname was ‘local’, the fear the group may eventually be split to sell them on and gentle persuasion from a colleague, an offer was made well below the dealer’s asking price. The offer was initially refused, but after some very unusual haggling and the flip of a coin, they were acquired for the initial offer! Ancestry.UK was checked and Thaxton’s medal index card and rolls found quickly, confirming his first name as John. Next the search was tightened using Norwich as the location for John W Thaxton. The results were immediate, with only one match and included his extensive surviving WWI service records, which confirmed the service number as appearing on the medals, thus pulling everything together. However, after the initial success, research slowed as there was no further record of John Thaxton in the 1911 census or post WWI and checks confirmed he had not been killed during the war. Upon closer examination a family tree already existed on Ancestry for John, with a photograph and showed him emigrating to the United States in 1911. This would explain why he did not appear in the UK records after this time, but as he had apparently returned to the UK to fight in WWI and then gone back to US afterwards, it seemed too convoluted to be the same man. Without definitive proof that the picture or US records were him, the search for a link continued, albeit slowly. Some weeks later the family tree on Ancestry was re-visited, and the service records checked against those previously downloaded. They contained many more pages of detail, 51 in total and included within were letters from John Thaxton to the Army after World War 1, requesting repatriation to Boston, Massachusetts as he had travelled to the UK in 1914 in order to enlist into the Army. This produced the evidence required that the picture and US link were indeed the same man, and that he was known as ‘Jack’. A photograph of his dog tags were also on the site, but sadly cannot be traced to the current owner. Ancestry Worldwide was subscribed to, allowing copies of the US records to be downloaded, including his marriage and death records. Thus as a result of this lengthy process it has enabled a reasonable biography to be pieced together for Jack. Another previously forgotten veteran of The Great War has been remembered for posterity and his medal group kept together. One wonders where they have been lying for the last 100 odd years.
Medal Details:
- 1914-15 Star: M2-021325 PTE. J.W.THAXTON. A.S.C.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: PTE. J.W.THAXTON. A.S.C..
- Victory Medal: PTE. J.W.THAXTON. A.S.C.
This page last updated 17 Feb 20