John Mercer Baxter (1891 - 1926)

Born 14 Jul 1891 in Jervois Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Maggie Lawson Tuckey — married 1925 in Auckland Registry Office, Auckland, New Zealand

Died 23 Nov 1926 at age 35 in Sydney, Australia

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His sister Kate was envious of him, as Jack had his very own room and the girls had to share. His mother doted on him, and the girls thought him spoilt. Indeed Jack did receive a lot of attention as he suffered chronic asthma from the age of 7 years and had medication applied to his chest and burnt in his room regularly to assist his breathing.

Jack attended Devonport School and he was privileged to receive a secondary education at Kings College in comparison to his sisters who were only educated to standard 6, with the exception of his eldest sister who lived with her grandmother. Jack walked to school in bare feet on medical advice to help his asthma.

Jack always seemed to have an itchy back and his sisters loathed scratching it. He could not coerce his sister Kate to oblige without actually paying her to scratch it for him. Kate came to the conclusion from this experience and later observing her son in-laws itchy skin, that Jack had sensitive skin because he had fair hair.

After the announcement of the Great War between the British and German empires in August 1914 Jack signed up to serve with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force as a private in the 3rd Auckland Mounted Rifles.

Jack’s attestation form states that he was a warehouseman at the time and lived at Albert Rd Devonport where he worked for Ted Fergusson. Jack had undergone volunteer military training with the New Zealand engineers No 3 Coy prior to his 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force enlistment. He consented to Vaccination which was later to become an issue for troops in Egypt where he was bound. Jack was described as having a fair complexion with fair hair and blue eyes; he stood 5 ft 10 inches tall, and weighed 154lbs. His teeth were in fair condition and his hearing and sight were normal. Jack declared that he had never been unfit for military service and his asthma was not revealed at his medical examination on September 10th 1914 which would have included the usual ‘short arm inspection’ to examine the genitals to check for venereal disease which was on the increase at this time.

After an official farewell and false start on the 24th of September, crowds of supporters gathered at Queens wharf to send Jack and his comrades off once again aboard the transports Waimana and the Star of India on October the 10th 1914. They were escorted the next day by the Philomel to Wellington where they met up with the HMS Psyche, the HMS Minotaur and the Japanese war ship Ibuki for added protection. They steamed to Hobart and then Albany where they picked up supplies and joined the Australian transports to travel together in a large convoy.

The days on board ship were monotonous, with both the men and horses suffering from sea sickness. The troopers spent their time cleaning the ships and tending to their horses which stood in narrow stalls for the entire 7 week journey. The men were stiff and sore from their inoculations which also made many of them sick. However physical training continued, along with drills, inspections and medical examinations. The quarters were cramped and ventilation was poor, as the climate grew increasingly warmer many of the troopers spent the night up on deck where there was ventilation. They wore as little clothing as possible however were forbidden to be in a ‘nude state’. Smoking was also banned. Blinds were ordered to be pulled down at night to cover the port holes and the power of lighting reduced in order to prevent light being seen, by German cruisers.

The pursuit of the infamous German raider the Emden which passed close by the convoy stirred excitement among the men and morale was boosted at its sinking by the HMAS Sydney which the men saluted when they steamed passed it into Colombo for coal and water.

The soldiers took leave at Colombo and enjoyed the tropical paradise where clouds of butterflies fluttered across the water, palm trees dripped into the sea, and the fragrance of flowers permeated the warm air. What wondrous exotic sights that Jack would have seen both at Colombo and on the next stretch of the voyage where thousands of porpoises frolicked, the fins of flying fish cut through the glassy sea glimmering in the sunlight, and the spectacular sight of a phosphorescent sea could be seen through the port holes at night.

Eventually the port of Alexandria was reached on the 3rd of December and The troops were transported via train to an Eastern suburb of Cairo called Zeitoun on the banks of the Nile River where the set up camp on the edge of the desert in their temporary home where they tended to their horses and prepared for demanding training which included mock battles and long treks over arid dessert. Occasionally there was relief from the thick dust which uncomfortably caked the bodies of the men and horses with 2 and 3 day treks through more lush irrigated areas. And there was opportunity to swim in the Nile River.

The environment did not agree with Jacks health and he was to be hospitalized for 2 days on the 9th December and again on the 18th December with chronic asthma and emphysema. He was never to experience the action that his comrades were to be involved in. As it was recommended that he be discharged and his records note that he embarked on the 22nd of January 1915 on the Athenic for home. However according to the news papers the Athenic actually arrived at Auckland on the 22nd January after a 30 day voyage from Alexandria carrying 13 sick men and 45 men who had not fulfilled their obligations. Jack was discharged on the 8th March 1915; he received the British war medal and victory medal, and was decorated with the 1914-15 star.

Newspapers of the day suggest that those men who did not fight for what ever reason, were shirking their duty. Jack now had to live with the stigma of being sent home unfit for duty. Jack found it a challenge to hold down a job for any length of time and had many different occupations including working in a warehouse, and labouring. It was working in a bake house that the warm moist air provided relief from his asthma. Jack seldom visited his family he usually showed up when he needed to borrow money and seemed to be frequently broke.

Jack was a “chip off the old block” and just like his father enjoyed whisky and was quite a ‘ladies man’ too.

Jack Married Maggie Lawson McIntyre on the 8th of October 1925 at the Auckland Registry Office the very day after her divorce was finalized from Aubrey Campbell McIntyre whom she married in 1904. Jack’s occupation was recorded at his marriage as being a Grocer. Both of their ages were recorded as 39yrs however Jack was aged 35 and Maggie 42. Maggie and Jack lived in Papatoetoe, Auckland, Maggie had two daughters Doris Irene Forrester McIntyre and Agnes Margareta McIntyre who were aged 21yrs and 16yrs as well as a son Alexander Campbell McIntyre aged 17 years who may have been living with them at this time.

Just 4 months later Jack and Maggie moved to Sydney Australia, where building was booming at the time. And Jack found employment as a labourer. They had been in New South Wales, Australia only 9 months and were living at 102 Alfred St North Sydney in what was likely to be an apartment with companion and work colleague Jack Seeny when both men were struck by lightning while working on a building site.

Smoke puffed from the site of impact and Mr. Millyard and the foreman Mr. Brown ran to the area knowing that the two men were working there. Jack Seeny had been knocked off his feet and lay moaning before slipping into unconsciousness and Jack Baxter lay motionless beside the 8 ft high foundations. His face appeared burnt, his hair singed, his trousers in shreds and the heels of his boots blown off. He was pronounced dead when medical assistance arrived at the scene. This was the very first afternoon on the job for the pair who were working for Mr. C A Millyard building a villa in Springdale Rd Kallara. Jack Seeny was reported to have fortunately regained consciousness later that tragic night.

Black clouds had appeared and brought a shower of rain so the work party sought shelter in a near by shed. Once the rain eased they began to return to work without possibly realizing that the storm was not yet over. The winds reached speeds of 55 miles per hour that day causing damage throughout the whole metropolitan area with the worst occurring in the northern suburbs.

The coroner’s inquest found that Jack’s death was accidental and he was buried on Nov 25th 1926 in the Presbyterian section of the new established Macquarie Park Cemetery Area G plot 7. John Calder gave the ceremony. The widow Maggie Baxter and William Ernest Hull were recorded as witnesses to Jacks burial.

- Catherine Currie

Sources

Burial records Macquarie park cemetery Evening Post 16th March 1915 Grey River Argus 2nd Feb 1915 and 4 Aug 1920 Images of war – Glyn Harper Memories Catherine Baxter Memories of Gordon Laing Memories of Shirley Edwards Military file Archives NZ AABK 18805 W5520 62 0012669 NSW Registry BDMs 1926/018319 Registrar General NZ Birth1891/8587 Registrar General NZ Mar 1904/17289 Registrar General NZ Mar1925/7798 Sydney Morning Herald 24th Nov 1926 The devils own war, diary of Brigadier – General Herbert Hart – John Crawford The diary of Lieutenant - Colonel Mc Carroll transcribed by Steve Butler NZMRA The New Zealanders at Gallipoli chapter 11 the voyage to Egypt nzetc.org The story of two campaigns – Sgt C. G. Nicol