OUR story about Company Sergeant Major Tommy Aitken and the finding of his wartime grave in France sparked new interest about 2nd Lieut Rowland Baxter, also of the 5th Battalion Border Regiment, who served alongside Tommy and was killed by the same German shell in 1916. Tommy was 48; Rowland was just 19. Rowland Percival Baxter is one of the casualties of war listed on the Cleator Moor Roll of Honour, which is being researched by Joseph Ritson. Lt Baxter was a mining engineer and an Old St Beghian (an old boy of St Bees School) and has no known grave. Like Tommy, he is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, and also the war memorial at Egremont and at St John’s Church, Cleator Moor. Mr Ritson told us: “After John Brotherston’s research discovered where CSM Aitken is buried, I feel there is a possibility Lt Baxter’s remains were also interred in the same cemetery, assuming they were recovered by the burial parties. “It seems Mr Brotherston may well have identified Lt Baxter’s actual grave as well. There is one Border Regt 2nd Lt (currently unidentified) nearby to CSM Aitken’s grave. “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission would need to be convinced Lt Baxter was the only casualty this could be, for them to change their records. But at least there is a chance they may consider it.’’ Rowland Baxter was the son of James and Mary Baxter (née Lowry). His father, James Dawson Baxter was a partner in Chapman & Baxter Solicitors of Whitehaven. Rowland, named after his grandfather, a Yorkshire-born accountant who married a Cleator lass, was born at 25 Crossfield Road, Cleator Moor, in 1896 and later moved with his family to Cross Side House, Egremont. He was one of six children and educated at Cleator Moor School, Bookwell School, Egremont, and at St Bees public school. It is thought he had passed a preliminary law exam and may have been intending to follow his father into a legal career, although he had also received training in mine engineering. Whichever, he got the chance to follow neither career path, cut down in his prime like the rest of his generation in World War One. Article written by Joe Ritson for Whitehaven News 28/7/2011