Royal Navy – HMS Vivid
George Stephen Braxton was born in Birmingham on 2 June 1891 according to his Service Record in the National Archives (ADM188/907). However, this cannot be verified. He died on 11 February 1921 at Gloucester and the age given in the Register of Deaths is 37, which would equate to birth in 1884.
He is shown as having signed on for 12 years service in the RN, as a stoker, on 15 August 1913. His previous occupation was a boatman. On 27 April 1914 he joined the dreadnought battleship HMS Bellerophon, which was completed in February 1909. He became a Stoker First Class on 10 December 1914. Bellerophon was one of the ships of the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916.
Braxton progressed to Acting Leading Stoker on 1 January 1917 and to Leading Stoker on 1 July 1917. From 17 January 1918 until 4 February 1920 he was posted to shore establishments (HMS Gunner and Ganges). He was invalided out of the service with syphilis.
A death notice in the Gloucester Citizen of 14 February 1921 stated that he lived at 4 Goodwin Cottages, Southgate Street, Gloucester and his age was 37.
Following his death he was buried in Gloucester Old Cemetery, with a standard CWGC headstone. According to the CWGC Register he was married to Minnie Braxton, of 4A Park Street, Lytham, Lancashire.
Researched by Graham Adams 4 May 2014 (revised)