Pioneer 316963. "J" Special Company, Royal Engineers. Died Thursday 26 September 1918. Age 32. Born at Perth. Son of Bailie and Mrs. Baxter, of Perth; husband of Elsie Norah Baxter, of Regent St., Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Enlisted Dunstable. Buried in NIEDERZWEHREN CEMETERY, Kassel, Hessen, Germany. Plot II. Row F. Grave 5. See also Dunstable War Memorial and also Dunstable, Waterlow & Sons Ltd

Extract from Luton Reporter - Tuesday 24 December 1918, page 3:

MURDERED BY GERMAN GUARD.
TERRIBLE NEWS FOR DUNSTABLE WIDOW.

Feeling in Dunstable has been aroused to a high pitch by the receipt of news of the cowardly and callous way in which Pioneer James Baxter, R.E., son-in-law of Mr. J. H. Proverbs, High-street North, was brutally done to death by a German guard in a prisoners of war camp at Frieburg. Pioneer Baxter, who was 32 years of age and leaves a widow and little boy living in Great Northern-road, Dunstable, belonged to Perth, and was a lithographer, and after completing his apprenticeship served for two years in Messrs. Valentine's lithograph department at Dundee before coming to Dunstable to work at Mears. Waterlow and Sons works. He joined up in the R.E. in August, 1917, proceeded to France after three months' training, and was taken prisoner on March 21st last. His death occurred in September and the revolting circumstances associated with it are narrated in a letter to his mother by Pte. F. Bungay, North Staffs Regiment, who knew deceased at Dunstable, was taken prisoner the same time as he, and spent some time in the same prisoner's camp.

"One day," writes, Pte. Bungay, "we were picking leaves for the Germans, and while going up the bank to start work the guard went after Mr. Baxter and nearly murdered him with the butt of his rifle, and then shot him straight through the back. I went to his assistance and, the guard having gone, I put Mr. Baxter in a better position, but he died soon after. I and my pals dug his grave in a cemetery in the village. When we buried him there was a German priest present, and the rest of the boys."

Pte. Bungay has supplemented this story since he has arrived home. "The affair," he says "happened at the end of September. While w were working the guard yelled out to Baxter who, having a slight cold, did not hear at once, but he afterwards started to run, and, being weak from want of food, stumbled at the bank. The guard then went forward and beat him with the butt of his rifle, and then shot him through the back, the bullet reaching his heart. It was awful to see a chum murdered in cold blood like that, but it would have been no good for me to interfere, for he would have shot me too. The affair was hushed up, and I heard that the guard declared that he killed Baxter in self-defence. It is a lie; for Baxter had his back to the guard."

Another soldier who has arrived home at Perth from Frieburg camp says be heard of the cruel fate of his friend on arrival at the camp, and the terrible deed was the general topic of conversation at the camp. The guard, it seems, had accused the deceased of picking and eating the blackberries he was gathering for the Germans to make tea of.

Private 235794. 24th [Tyneside Irish] Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Formerly 200647 Bedfordshire Regt. Died Tuesday 23 October 1917. Born Dunstable. No known grave. Commemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 19 to 23 and 162. See also Dunstable War Memorial and also Dunstable, Waterlow & Sons Ltd

Extract from Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle - Thursday 29 November 1917, page 6:

PTE. T. HOUSE MISSING.

The War Office have officially notified Mr. and Mrs. T. House, of Ashton Villa. Waterlow-road, Dunstable, that their second son, Pte. T. House, of the Northumberland Fusiliers, has been missing Oct. 26th. As a Dunstable friend and comrade of the gallant soldier had shortly before apprised his parents that he was killed, though the sender of such sad intelligence could not be absolutely certain, Mr. and Mrs. House naturally feared the worst, especially as they had not heard from their son for a month.

Pte. T. House, who until wse transferred was in the Bedfords, had not been in France three months, thoughin the Army three years ago. Prior to that the missing soldier was on the staff of Messrs. Waterlow & Co. His age was 22.

The elder son Mr. and Mrs. House, Herbert, is in the Beds Regt., and his stirring experiences include two years in Egypt, where dysentery has led to prolonged illness, though now convalescent.

The Navy was preferred the third son, Charles Ernest, now 20 years of age. who is an A.B. on service in a torpedo boat.