Description
General Service Medal 1962, bar Northern Ireland, Major Stuart Alistair Tom Baxter, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Served in Londonderry from 1973 to 1975.
Officially impressed: “Major S.A.T. Baxter. REME.”
According to some research with the group, it used to reside with a Watercolour of the Gate of Derry (Shipquay Gate) painted by B. Mullen, which featured an engraved plaque at the bottom which read:
“Present by the Officers of 8 Inf Bde HQ and Sig Sqd Major S A T Baxter BEME REME July 1973 – Feb 1975.”
Major Stuart Alistair Tom Baxter, was born during April 1941 in Kidderminster, Herefordshire.
He was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, followed by Wellbeck College and then RMC Sandhurst, being commissioned aged 20 on 3rd October 1961, with service number 468943.
His promotions:
Lieutenant, 25th January 1963
Captain, 28th July 1967
Major, 24th September 1974
Retired on 26th May 1978.
During his service he served in Northern Ireland during a turbulent period of the “Troubles”, serving with the 8th Infantry Brigade HQ as Signalling Squadron Major as a “BEME” Brigade Electrical and Mechanical Engineer.
At that time, the 8th Infantry Brigade were stationed at Ebrington Barracks in Derry.
“During the Troubles Ebrington Barracks were the base of the 8th Infantry Brigade. In March 1973 the Provisional IRA bombed the compound causing damage but no injuries.
On the 11th January 1974, the Official Irish Republican Army killed 2 Civilians who worked as contractors for the British Army when they exploded a bomb under their car as they left the barracks.”
The victims were 2 local Cleaners, Cecilia Byrne and John Dunn, both Roman Catholic Civilians from the Creggan Estate in Londonderry who worked as cleaners at the Ebrington Barracks.
It was believed that the car had been booby trapped the previous night with the intention of it exploding whilst the car was parked in the army base.
By a stroke of misfortune, the two of them were out in John’s car at Lunchtime as he was giving Cecillia driving lessons when the bomb went off along the Limavady Road.
