Ronald Baxter: War hero and family man was a 'tower of strength' (From Oxford Mail)

Ronald Baxter: War hero and family man was a 'tower of strength'

4:00pm Thursday 10th November 2011 in Obituaries

A Second World War veteran and aircraft carrier “torpedo man” has died aged 86.

Ronald Baxter, from Abingdon, passed away after suffering heart failure at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford last Tuesday.

The great-grandfather had served on HMS Activity, an escort aircraft carrier, from 1943, where he fired the ship’s torpedoes.

During his war service, he travelled to Russia, Australia, Singapore and Burma, and crossed the Arctic Circle twice. Among medals he was awarded were the Atlantic Star, the Pacific Star and the Burma Clasp.

Mr Baxter’s son Mark, 54, said: “Dad didn’t like to talk about the war much, especially in earlier years.

“I think he spoke about it more when mum died and when my eldest son became a history teacher.

“But he was very proud of his medals.”

As a child, Mr Baxter lived in Cowley and attended St Christopher’s Primary School and then Temple Cowley School.

Following his marriage to Jinetta Lewis in 1950, they moved to Abingdon Road, then Botley, before moving to Virginia Way, Abingdon, in later life. Mrs Baxter died in 2008, also from heart failure.

They leave two children, Mark and Christine, and four grandchildren.

Mr Baxter’s first great-grandchild, Harvey, was born just one week before his death. They never met.

His son said: “Dad was very family orientated. He was a tower of strength to us all, an oracle of knowledge and certainly a very stabling influence for us all.

“When you asked him anything, you always knew the answer would be very well considered and from experience.

“He was just a superb dad.”

Mr Baxter worked at Pressed Steel in Cowley as a teenager and then BT until 1987. He then worked at Wheatley Park School as a craft technician until 1991.

Outside work, he was a keen member of the Royal British Legion, the Milton Hill Bowls Club and 4th Oxford Scout Group. He collected for the Poppy Appeal every year.

The funeral is at 11.30am today at St Mary Magdalene Church, Shippon.