John Ogilvy Paxton 1916 - 1942

Family history

John Ogilvy Paxton was born on 1 September 1916 in Shettleston, Glasgow to Andrew Paxton and Jessie Pearsie Ogilvy. His mother’s great-grandparents were Thomas Ogilvie and Janet Millar of Kettins, near Coupar Angus. Jessie and Elizabeth Stewart Hamilton / Bateson were 3rd cousins.

With her three children, she emigrated to South Africa on 19 July 1923, sailing from London to Cape Town onboard the Grantally Castle. Andrew, her husband, an engineer for a brewery, was already in South Africa.

John Ogilvy Paxton

The next record of John (Jock) Paxton is on a passenger list for the SS Themistocles on 7 July 1939 sailing from Cape Town to Southampton. A clerk, he was on a visit to his aunt Mary in Glasgow. He may have enlisted in the Royal Navy at Devonport at this time. His Navy service number was D/KX 97599. He was a stoker.

HMS Jaguar, a destroyer, sailed to join the Mediterranean Fleet on 15 November 1940. It was based in Alexandria.

At 02.27 on 26 March 1942, HMS Jaguar was about 100 miles north-east of Sidi Barrani (Egypt). Commanded by LtCdr. Lionel Rupert Knyvet Tyrwhitt, it was escorting a tanker, RFA Slavok, carrying oil to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla at Tobruk. The Slavok was torpedoed by U-652 and set alight. At 04:45, whilst rescuing survivors, Jaguar was hit by 2 torpedoes from U-652. It broke into 3 parts and sank.

Leading Stoker John Ogilvy Paxton was one of 3 officers and 190 crew who lost their lives.

8 officers and 45 crewmen were rescued by the South African anti-submarine whaler Klo.

John Ogilvy Paxton’s memorial is located at the Naval Memorial, Plymouth (the home port of HMS Jaguar), on Panel 63 Column 3.

In his Will, he left his MG single seat racing car, worth £45, to his brother Swanson.

Images

Sources

* www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-37J-HMS_Jaguar

* Commonwealth War Graves Commission at cwgc.org

* Find a Grave .com