John Demont has sent this obitary of Tony Baxter, 1st December 1930 – 24th December 2021.
Brigadier (ret) Tony Baxter died peacefully in a Nursing home at Burleyon, 24th December 2021. Tony was at School 1941 – 48 and was one of four OBs who went straight from school to go to RMA Sandhurst (which must have been some sort of record!). The others being Johnny English, Tom Farmer and Dougie Sherwood. He was a School Prefect and Sergeant in the OTC, as it was then called.
Tony also was selected to go to Trinity College, Cambridge, where as a Commissioned Officer he got an Engineering degree before joining REME. This was a period he really enjoyed.
Tony was a good all-round sportsman and a member of the famous 1948 1st XI Cricket Team, which at one time provided nine of the Hampshire Schoolboys’ Eleven, when the outstanding Chris Eales was captain. As a medium fast bowler and excellent fielder, Tony often played for the OBs when his military duties permitted. He always enjoyed his cricket and was a lifetime member of the Arundel CC.
He enjoyed an active retirement in Worthing with his late wife Pat, using his talented engineering skills when volunteering with local projects.
Tony Baxter was a distinguished, well-liked OB and a real gentleman in every sense of the word – and a good friend. A real credit to Bournemouth School.