Also Served: Paxton Bronllys Garrett - Paxton Bronllys GARRETT
25 Church Street, Prescot Sapper 30153, Postal Section, Royal Engineers Paxton Garrett was born in Cardiff sometime around 1889. He attested to the army in London on 9th November 1914. He worked for the Post Office as a Sorting Clerk and telegraphist and was assigned to the Postal Section of the Royal Engineers. He went to France on 18th January 1915 and on 25th October 1915 he left Marseilles with the 25th Division, bound for Alexandria in Egypt, arriving there on 1st November.
With regard to Prescot connections, the earliest link with the town is the 1901 census, which shows Paxton, aged 11, living with his parents at 25 Church Street. His father, Edwin Garrett, was the town's Head Postmaster. The dates on the census suggest that the family moved to Prescot in the late 1890's. By 1911, he was living in Newcastle, where he worked as a Sorting Clerk and telegraphist for the Post Office.
His name was included in the Prescot Reporter list of May 1915 of local men serving in the forces, showing him to be with the RE.
Throughout the summer and autumn of 1916, he suffered from repeated bouts of pyrexia and malaria, then on 24th October 1916 he was assigned to the Army Post Office in Malta. He remained there until 22nd June 1917 when he embarked for the UK on Home Service, arriving in London on 1st July.
On 17th April 1919, Paxton was discharged to Class 'Z', Army Reserve. His discharge documents show a home address of 14, Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle-on-Tyne. These papers also refer to him spending 10 months in Salonika, some of which appear to have been in the 5th Canadian General Hospital. The malaria which he picked up in Egypt seems to have remained with him throughout his service.
Paxton was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
He died in Croydon in 1963, aged 74. Ref. No.:
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