Cleator Moor World War One Project

Rowland Percival Baxter

Birth 1896 Death 16th Sep 1916 Pte
Border Regiment

Personal Details

GRO Ref
Place of Birth	25 Crossfield Road, Cleator Moor
Residence at Enlistment
Residence (Roll of Honour)	Cross Side House , Egremont
Residence 1911 Census	Cross Side House , Egremont
School(s) Attended	Bookwell school Egremont ,St Bees School
Religion/Church Attended	C of E
Organisation Membership
Employment/Trade	It is thought he had passed a preliminary law exam and may have been intending to follow his father into a legal career, although he had also received training in mine engineering.
Place of Work
Family (Parents and Grandparents)	James and Mary
Siblings	Constance Mary,James Frederick ,Ernest Lowry ,Florence Elizabeth ,Ada Louise
Wife's Name and Maiden Name
Remarriage of Widow
Children's Christian Name(s)
Family Connection to Roll of Honour

Military Details

Regiment at Enlistment	Artists Rifles (The London Regiment )
Battalion at Enlistment	28th
Rank at Enlistment	Pte
Naval Vessels Served
Service Number at Enlistment
Date of Enlistment	1 Oct 1915
Place of Enlistment	Whitehaven
Other Regiment	Border Regiment
Other Battalion	5th
Other Rank
Date of Transfer to other Regiment
Service Facts
Battalion Diary or Nautical Facts

Death and Memorial Details

Age at Death	19
Date of Death	16th Sep 1916
Regiment at Death	Border Regiment
Battalion/Vessel at Death	5th
Rank at Death	2nd Ltn.
Circumstances of Death	Killed in Action
Service Number at Death
Field of Action at Death	France
Place of Death	Somme
Battle at Death	Battle of the Somme
Grave/Memorial Image
Location of Grave/Memorial	THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Grave Position	Pier and Face 6 A and 7 C.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Link	https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/770376/baxter,-rowland-percival/
Grave/Memorial Country
Private Memorial	St Johns Church War memorial

Other

Notes	OUR story about Company Sergeant Major Tommy Aitken and the finding of his wartime grave in France sparked new interest about 2nd Lieut Rowland Baxter, also of the 5th Battalion Border Regiment, who served alongside Tommy and was killed by the same German shell in 1916. Tommy was 48; Rowland was just 19. Rowland Percival Baxter is one of the casualties of war listed on the Cleator Moor Roll of Honour, which is being researched by Joseph Ritson. Lt Baxter was a mining engineer and an Old St Beghian (an old boy of St Bees School) and has no known grave. Like Tommy, he is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, and also the war memorial at Egremont and at St John’s Church, Cleator Moor. Mr Ritson told us: “After John Brotherston’s research discovered where CSM Aitken is buried, I feel there is a possibility Lt Baxter’s remains were also interred in the same cemetery, assuming they were recovered by the burial parties. “It seems Mr Brotherston may well have identified Lt Baxter’s actual grave as well. There is one Border Regt 2nd Lt (currently unidentified) nearby to CSM Aitken’s grave. “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission would need to be convinced Lt Baxter was the only casualty this could be, for them to change their records. But at least there is a chance they may consider it.’’ Rowland Baxter was the son of James and Mary Baxter (née Lowry). His father, James Dawson Baxter was a partner in Chapman & Baxter Solicitors of Whitehaven. Rowland, named after his grandfather, a Yorkshire-born accountant who married a Cleator lass, was born at 25 Crossfield Road, Cleator Moor, in 1896 and later moved with his family to Cross Side House, Egremont. He was one of six children and educated at Cleator Moor School, Bookwell School, Egremont, and at St Bees public school. It is thought he had passed a preliminary law exam and may have been intending to follow his father into a legal career, although he had also received training in mine engineering. Whichever, he got the chance to follow neither career path, cut down in his prime like the rest of his generation in World War One. Article written by Joe Ritson for Whitehaven News 28/7/2011

Notes

OUR story about Company Sergeant Major Tommy Aitken and the finding of his wartime grave in France sparked new interest about 2nd Lieut Rowland Baxter, also of the 5th Battalion Border Regiment, who served alongside Tommy and was killed by the same German shell in 1916.

Tommy was 48; Rowland was just 19.

Rowland Percival Baxter is one of the casualties of war listed on the Cleator Moor Roll of Honour, which is being researched by Joseph Ritson.

Lt Baxter was a mining engineer and an Old St Beghian (an old boy of St Bees School) and has no known grave. Like Tommy, he is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, and also the war memorial at Egremont and at St John’s Church, Cleator Moor.

Mr Ritson told us: “After John Brotherston’s research discovered where CSM Aitken is buried, I feel there is a possibility Lt Baxter’s remains were also interred in the same cemetery, assuming they were recovered by the burial parties.

“It seems Mr Brotherston may well have identified Lt Baxter’s actual grave as well. There is one Border Regt 2nd Lt (currently unidentified) nearby to CSM Aitken’s grave.

“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission would need to be convinced Lt Baxter was the only casualty this could be, for them to change their records. But at least there is a chance they may consider it.’’

Rowland Baxter was the son of James and Mary Baxter (née Lowry). His father, James Dawson Baxter was a partner in Chapman & Baxter Solicitors of Whitehaven.

Rowland, named after his grandfather, a Yorkshire-born accountant who married a Cleator lass, was born at 25 Crossfield Road, Cleator Moor, in 1896 and later moved with his family to Cross Side House, Egremont.

He was one of six children and educated at Cleator Moor School, Bookwell School, Egremont, and at St Bees public school.

It is thought he had passed a preliminary law exam and may have been intending to follow his father into a legal career, although he had also received training in mine engineering.

Whichever, he got the chance to follow neither career path, cut down in his prime like the rest of his generation in World War One.
Article written by Joe Ritson for Whitehaven News 28/7/2011

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Rowland Percival Baxter

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