BUXTON, William Charles

William was born at Inverell in 1897 and educated at Inverell Public School. He lived with his parents William and Annie in Granville Street Inverell. Prior to enlisting William was a carpenter having served a five year apprenticeship with local builder S.H. Curry and completed four years compulsory military training. As he was just underage, his father signed his attestation papers giving consent for his son to enlist.

William left Inverell by train with eighteen other volunteers on 29 March 1916 and became a member of the 36th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement which sailed from Australia on HMAT A72 Beltana in May 1916. With the 3rd Division his battalion went to France at the end of the year, just in time for the severe freezing winter that year. William took part in the Battle of Messines where he was one of many Kurrajongs Killed in Action on 7 June 1917. He was just twenty years old.

Private William Buxton was buried at Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Belgium. His name is inscribed on the Inverell Honor Roll and Cenotaph. In 1919 he was one of the 215 men for whom a memorial tree was planted in Kurrajong Parade.