Soldier honoured for bravery under fire in Afghanistan

Aug 7 2008 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

A LANARKSHIRE soldier has been honoured for his bravery in Afghanistan.

David Baxter, a sergeant with 4 Regiment Royal Artillery, was Mentioned in Despatches in recognition of his role in two fierce engagements in Helmand province.

The first occurred in November last year when 6ft 5ins Sgt Baxter, known as ‘Stan’, was commanding a gun section providing covering fire for troops fighting the Taliban.

His section were under heavy fire from Taliban small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

Sgt Baxter was wounded during the fighting but commended for continuing to direct fire in support of comrades. Praising commando-trained Sgt Baxter for his action, senior officers said that, during the engagement, enemy fire intensified and shells began to land “within metres”.

The citation continued: “He remained calm throughout and his exemplary leadership skills allowed his detachment to continue fire despite being wounded in the upper arm.

"He routinely and knowingly risked his life to inspire his own soldiers who were in real and sustained threat of their lives, and his actions were in keeping with the best traditions of the Royal Artillery.”

Sgt Baxter was further commended for a second engagement in March when he and his detachment again provided covering fire for troops battling the Taliban.

Sgt Baxter’s father, Andrew, who lives in Holytown, said his son was now home from Afghanistan and reunited with wife Amanda (37) and children Thomas (14) and Olivia (8).

Mr Baxter (60), who is retired and lives in Holytown, said he and his partner Linda McGuinness were proud of career soldier Sgt Baxter, who has signed on with the Army for 22 years.

“When he was wounded, he was treated on the spot and continued with his duties,” he added.

“David is a modest guy who doesn’t talk too much about what he does but he is a good and dedicated soldier. We are really chuffed.”

Sgt Baxter was brought up in Larkhall with sister Laura (36), who served in the Royal Navy for six years and now works as a paramedic in Australia.

His grandfather William served during WW2 with the King’s Own Liverpool Regiment and the Highland Light Infantry, and later with the Territorial Army.

His mother Agnes now lives south of the border but he has aunts Morag Gold and Janet Barrie still living in Larkhall.

Sgt Baxter attended Hareleeshill Primary and Larkhall Academy and joined the Army 19 years ago.

He signed on at the service’s Hamilton recruitment office with pals from Larkhall John McNaughton and David ‘Dodger’ Gardiner.

Sgt Baxter was at first a member of 16th Air Defence regiment, known as the ‘Strathclyde Gunners’, but later joined 4 Regiment Royal Artillery.

He has now completed two six-month tours of duty in Iraq and also served in Germany, Sierra Leone and Belize.

His detachment returned from Afghanistan in April and last week thousands of people thronged the streets of Sunderland to welcome them home. 4 Regiment are known as the ‘North East Gunners’ and recruit two-thirds of their soldiers from the region.