Current Information:

Age-19

133, Wightman Road, Hornsey

Bac-du-Sud British Cemetery, Bailleulval, France

Information supplied by Nick Torry

"Private Cecil James Yaxley, 30656, was born on 2nd April 1899 in Stoke
Newington and during the Great War the family moved to Hornsey.He joined
the army on 12th May 1917 and on 2nd April 1918, his 19th birthday, he
sailed to France to join the 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Regiment.On 11th May 1918 he died in action and was buried in the
Bac-du-Sud British Cemetery, Bailleuval, near Arras. The Regimental War
Diarydescribed that day thus: "May 11th/12th: Towards the evening the
enemy carried out a heavy gas bombardment of Blaireville and
neighbourhood.../but did no damage/." and the only report of a death in
regiment in April and early May occurred during a reconnaissance of the
German lines on 17th April.The casualties were: "...other ranks: /1
killed, /1 died of wounds, 2 wounded, 2 missing." Cecil's informal will
records that the document was: "Extracted from a bag of No. 30656 Pt. C.
Yaxley,2/Oxf & Bucks Lt Inftry....9/5/- Officer i/c Reg. Inf. Sec 3rd
Battalion GHQ". It seems that in the confusion Cecil's body was left
behind near the German lines and was not retrieved until 9th May."