Murray Charles Bax

Service No 107

Lance Corporal

3 Light Horse Regiment

Born 24 March 1887 at Hundred of Younghusband, SA.

Eldest son of Charles Forbes BAX and Elizabeth Jane nee BOLT, of Mount Pleasant, SA.

Occupation prior to enlistment Auctioneer.

Enlisted 27 August 1914 at Morphettville, SA. The Unit embarked Adelaide per HMAT Port Lincoln on 22 October 1914. Served in Gallipoli May 1915. Sick, treated at Lemnos, Malta and England.

Returned to service in Egypt January 1916.

Promoted to Lance Corporal 19 August 1916. Received gunshot wound to liver and chest 10 January 1917.

Died of wounds 10 January 1917, 1 LH Field Ambulance, El Arish, Palestine.

Buried ½ mile north of village of Sheik Zowiat on 10 Jan 1917, in grave no. 1

Commemorated Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt

The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929) Saturday 20 January 1917 p 10 Article Illustrated

LATE LCE-CPL. M. C. BAX

Official notification has been received by Mr. C. F. Bax, of Mount Pleasant, that his eldest son, Lce-Cpl. M. C. Bax, had died of wounds in Egypt. The deceased soldier was born at Neeta Bend, River Murray, in 1887 and received his education at the Mount Pleasant State School and St. Peter’s College.

He was a brilliant horse-man, and participated in show-ring contests and at race meetings. On one occasion he assisted to bring down a mob of horses from one of Mr. Sidney Kidman’s stations in Queensland to the Kapunda sales. In 1909 he entered the employ of the firm of Bagot, Shakes, & Lewis, Limited, at Mount Pleasant. He gave promise of being a splendid auctioneer, and was a good judge of stock. With two brothers he enlisted in September, 1914, in a light horse regiment, and left for the front with the first contingent. He was on Gallipoli, where he became ill, and was sent to England, but later rejoined his regiment in Egypt. He was a great coursing enthusiast, and owned the well-bred bitch Tadanga. First Contingent, a winner at various coursing contests, was owned by him at the time of his death. A brother, Pte. A. H. Bax died in May last from wounds received at the front.

Brothers Alec Hartley Bax and Benjamin Bax also served during WW1, with the former also making the supreme sacrifice at Gallipoli.