The Soldiers

15/1296 Private A.C. Axe

Born Heworth, North Yorks - 1886
Killed In Action 1st July 1916

Arthur Cecil Axe, born in 1886 was one of two sons to Mr & Mrs Harry Axe of Heworth near York, North Yorkshire.
He was educated at Archbishop Holgate’s school in York and often officiated as organist at York Minster. Prior to the war was, for nine years music master and organist at St John’s College, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex.

When war broke out, Arthur travelled to Colsterdale and enlisted into the Leeds Pals. He was posted to C Company, 11 Platoon Section 12. His platoon commanding Officer being Lieutenant George Stephen Ward. He served with the “Pals” at Colsterdale, Egypt and France. When the battalion attacked the German front line at Serre on 1^st of July 1916, Arthur like so many other “Pals” was posted missing, which probably gave some hope to his family. However, the details of his whereabouts were given in a letter, written by 15/1284 Pte H Evans, (wounded in hospital) to Arthur’s brother, T H Axe, of 5 Bayswater View, Roundhay road, Leeds, and reproduced in the local paper.

Yorkshire Evening Post
Monday 31^st July 1916  

“Your noble brother succumbed to a wound in the thigh. I went over the top along with him and he was quite cool. We had got about 20 yards when Arthur received the wound. I tried to bandage his thigh, but I had to press on. A bullet broke my leg when I had got about 10 yards from him. I lay there all day, and at night, with a great effort. I crawled back to our lines. I passed Arthur on the way back and saw that he was dead.”

Arthur Cecil Axe is buried in Serre road No1.cemetery.

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