John Sydney Buxton

Private John Sydney Buxton – Welsh Regiment, 53^rd Battalion

Another family who moved to the Swansea area were the Buxtons. John Sydney Buxton was born in 1900 in Peterborough, the son of Richard Dilworth Buxton and Beatrice Small.

1901 Census

According to the 1901 Census, the Buxton family were living at 269 Eastfield Road, St. John the Baptist Parish, Peterborough. Richard, aged 29, originally from Staffordshire, was employed as a Brewer’s Agent, and Beatrice, also aged 29, was born in Ireland. Their children were Richard D. (2) and John S. (6 months). Also present was Teresa Small (16), Beatrice’s younger sister.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 4 Alexandra Terrace, West Cross, Swansea, where Richard, now aged 39, was employed as Manager of the Bottling Stores and Ale, Stout & Mineral Department. Beatrice, aged 38, managed the household. Their children were Richard D. (12) and John Sydney (10), both attending school, along with Beatrice Mary (8), George Charles (6), and Florence Teresa (1).

In September 1918, John Sydney Buxton enlisted as a Private with the Welsh Regiment, 53^rd Battalion. His Attestation Papers record his home address as 3 Southend Villas, Mumbles. Like many young men of his generation, John’s service began just as the war was drawing to its close.

The 53^rd (Young Soldiers) Battalion, Welsh Regiment

Attestation Papers

The 53^rd (Young Soldiers) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment was a training and home-service unit, formed in 1917 to accommodate men aged 18 to 19, who were not yet eligible for front-line service overseas. Based in South Wales, it provided basic military instruction, discipline, and preparation for eventual transfer to active battalions once soldiers reached the required age. By 1918, the 53rd Battalion was part of the Welsh Reserve Brigade, which supplied drafts to the 1st and 2nd Battalions serving on the Western Front. For many recruits like John, training took place under difficult wartime conditions, often amid shortages, poor accommodation, and the rapid spread of illness — particularly the deadly Spanish influenza that swept through Britain’s military camps in late 1918.

Tragically, only a month after enlisting, John contracted influenza and died at Kennil Park Military Hospital, Cardiff, during the height of the pandemic. Kennil Park was one of several temporary military hospitals established across Cardiff in 1918 to care for soldiers suffering from influenza, pneumonia, and other infectious diseases. These facilities were often converted from schools, drill halls, and public buildings to provide urgent treatment for the thousands of men affected as the epidemic spread through home-service battalions and training camps.

John Sydney Buxton
Oystermouth Cemetery
credit - findagrave

John Sydney Buxton was just 18 years old when he died. His body was returned home to Mumbles and buried with honour at Oystermouth Cemetery, where his name stands among those of others who lost their lives in the final, devastating months of the Great War.

John’s father, Richard Dilworth Buxton, continued to work in Swansea’s brewing and bottling trade, remaining a respected figure within the town’s commercial community for many years after the war. The 53^rd (Young Soldiers) Battalion was disbanded in early 1919, following the Armistice, as the Army demobilised and training units across Britain were stood down.