Sergeant Gideon Paxton

Sergeant Gideon Perrie Paxton, 11th ( Service ) Battalion, Royal Scots. He was killed in action in France on 21st March 1917, aged 23. He had been born in Cockburnspath and was the son of William and Jane Paxton of Old Linhead, Cockburnspath and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. William Paxton was a shepherd and he lost four sons in the War ( see below ). Before enlisting Gideon had worked on the farm for the farmer Mr Hood. He fell in a reconnaisance in force made by the Battalion prior to the Battle of Arras which entered the German trenches and slew many foemen. Casualties, however, were not light, being 5 Officers and 75 men.