| Personal Details | |
| Date of Birth | July 13, 1897 |
| Place of Birth | Rat Portage (Kenora), Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Next of Kin | Mrs Mary Jane Baxter, 275 Ominica St W, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan |
| Trade / Calling | Stenographer |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Service Details | |
| Regimental Number | 1009010 |
| Service Record | Link to Service Record |
| Battalion | 229th Battalion |
| Force | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Branch | Canadian Infantry |
| Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
| Address at Enlistment | 275 Ominica St W, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan |
| Date of Enlistment | December 16, 1915 |
| Age at Enlistment | 18 |
| Theatre of Service | Europe |
| Prisoner of War | No |
| Survived War | Yes |
| Death Details | |
| Date of Death | January 18, 1992 |
| Age at Death | 94 |
Baxter, John Milford
Private John Milford Baxter was born on 13 July 1897 in Rat Portage (now Kenora) Ontario. His parents, John Bruce Baxter (1866-1944) and Mary Jane Botterel (1869-1948) had married in Rat Portage in 1892. John Sr. had been born in India, but spent time in Scotland and Thunder Bay, Ontario before coming to this small town in Northwestern Ontario to work as an engineer. He and Mary had three other children in Rat Portage: William Gordon (1894-1965), Robert Leslie (1899-1900) and Mary Josephine (b. 1901).
By 1906 the family had relocated to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and that is where John Milford enlisted with the 229th Battalion for service in World War One. Signing his attestation papers on 16 December 1915 John was single and working as a stenographer at the time. After training in Canada for 15 months he headed to England aboard the ‘Northland’ embarking from Halifax on 17 April 1917. Upon his arrival John was placed with the 15th Reserve Battalion until being sent to France with the 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion on 08 December 1917. A month later he was attached to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Headquarters and served there for the remainder of the war. John had a two week leave to England in November 1918. He returned to England in March of 1919 and spent 12 days in hospital being treated for venereal disease. John was struck off strength to Canada in April 1919 sailing from Liverpool aboard the S.S. Baltic. His official discharge due to demobilization came on 15 May 1919.
After the war John moved to Portland, Oregon. He married Eleanor ‘Nellie’ Brown (1893-1988) and their son Donald James Baxter was born in 1922. John worked as a claims adjuster for the railroad. By 1935 the family had moved to Oakland, California.
Predeceased by his wife in 1988, John Milford Baxter passed away on 18 January 1992 in Walnut Creek,California.
John’s WW1 discharge papers
