Raymond Baxter RIP

Please see Saturday Telegraph’s Motoring Section, James May makes a nice little tribute, obviously written before RB’s death.

I grew up fascinated by tomorrow’s world and later spellbound by the air shows. Raymond Baxter was everything you could describe as being a perfect english gentleman. I wish we had more like him. He will certainly be missed and thanked by so many.

RIP Sir, and thank you.

Roy.

I have his 1983 RAF At Home St Athan display on video.

He referred to the RAF Phantom at that show as a ” heavy old hammer”.

He also commentated from the right hand seat of the Vintage Pair’s Vampire T11. It was raining heavilly (it was Wales, after all) and over the radio link you could hear the Vampire’s little wipers clattering away in a vain attempt to ckear the windscreen, which he thought highly amusing.

A sad loss – commentators with so much aviation influence and enthusiasm as his are few and far between. Lucky enough to meet Raymond at Farnbrough several year ago, 1974 I think, when he was preparing to fly in the two-seater Harrier G-VTOL to broadcast from, for BBC TV. Have lots of memories of him commentating on the Biggin Hill Air Fairs and Farnborough shows on DVD. One of his famous broadcasts was during the first flight of Concorde 002 from Filton in 1969. As she lifted off, he excitedly exclaimed, “She flies, she flies”!
A true English gentlemen of which there are far too few left.

I can think of no better tribute by the BBC than to show a few classic airshow programmes from the 1960/70s that feature this great broadcaster and hero.

I’ll always remember his description of an RAF Phantom, when he was commentating on the BBC during a BoB display (rememember when there used to be air displays on the telly!).
“an old warhorse, but stills packs a punch”

Rather described the man himself, I think.
Fond memories, RIP.

Very sad news.

We all wish that Raymond Baxter and his like could be around, to meet, listen to and learn from forever, but as we all know this can sadly never be the case.

What we do have however, through books, broadcasting and memories, is a lasting testament to ensure that we and future generations will never forget their kind.

For a lifetimes service to the nation – both in the military and out – we thank and applaud you sir, may you rest in peace.

Steve

A very sad loss.

I remember his airshow commentaries very well and his presentations in Tomorrows World like they were yesturday.

You will be greatly missed Raymond 🙁

My earliest memories, apart from the ’70s commentaries on Farnborough and Biggin shows, was sitting with my Grandfather (ex 19sqn) in the early ’70s watching something on TV (I know not what) and Raymond Baxter was showing Douglas Bader around Hendon Museum whilst my Grandfather pointed out the other Spitfire Pilots standing in the background.
Great voice, great enthusiasm, sadly missed

I commentated with Raymond Baxter at the Brooklands show in the late 1990s that Moggy may be referring to. He did most of the airshow and I did the public service announcements and appeals for money. He was already frail by then and he found it hard to hold pieces of paper. I supplied him a bunch of commentary notes on individual aeroplanes but he was more than up to speed on types.

To sit on the commentary stand and hear that voice next to me was a good time. It was one of those that you find yourself having to take a mental snapshot of so that you can remember it years later.

At one point the jobsworths at Farnborough would not let the Hurricane depart as they were having lunch. he just put the mic down and handed over to me. In at the deep end and winging it. I made some jokes about them having arguments over the bill but once someone had found a calculator they would be back in business.

About a month later RB was featured on “This is Your Life” and William Woolard told of how, if anything went wrong, RB wiould hand over to him and leave him hanging.

Been there, done that.

And happy to have done so

Glad to have worked with you sir, glad you liked my stuff on rotary engines, glad you found the commentary on the geese that happened to fly past amusing and rest in peace, you deserve it.

I think he always wondered if he’d just been a little quicker of reflex whether he couldn’t have been the only pilot ever to shoot down a V2.

Unless anybody can correct me, this is my knowledge of the incident your talking about (just dug out my 1988 copy of The Secret War Vol 2 Terror Weapons / IF Video, the series been originally aired in the mid 1970’s)

This is transcript of how I found out that Raymond was a Spitfire Pilot (Of course, being a 10 year old at the time who was interested in all things technical and aviation, I’d watched Tomorrow’s World and the Farnborough Air Show Programs religiously and knew who he was).

Scene starts with footage of Mustangs and Thunderbolts attacking ground target, like trains and lorrys, with an explanation of the Anti V-2 measures by the allied airforces by William Woollard, one of Baxter’s co-presenters from Tomorrows World.

Footage then shows an HF winged Spitfire pealing away and diving with the start of Raymond’s contribution to the programme with him next to a Spitfire filmed in the RAFM Hendon before the BofB hall was built.

The Late Raymond Baxter OBE from The Secret War – Terror Weapons

The Principal job of Number 602 Squadron with our Spitfire 16’s was to make life as difficult as possible for the V-2 operators.

We were withdrawn from Antwerp to Coltishall in Norfolk, and our parish was the whole of the coastal strip of Holland from the Hook to Den Helder.

We dive bombed and skip bombed and strafed, railways, roads, bridges, anything that moved, and we also attacked suspected launching sites that were reported to us by the Dutch resistance workers, and on one occasion I remember, my log book tells me it was February the 14th, I led such an attack. we dive bombed, we carried a thousand pounds of bombs on our Spit 16’s, a wood just north of the Hauge.

And I think I must have been feeling particularly aggressive, because again I see from my log book, that after delivering the attack, we turned back in to engage the anti aircraft gunners that had been shooting at us. So as we returned to this target that we had just attacked, there came up, from the centre of this wood, right before our eyes, the unmistakable shape of a V-2 that had just been launched. Now, of course no one had ever seen one until that time, or certainty none of my little lot. I couldn’t do much about it because I was having a rather unpleasant argument with these gentlemen on the ground, but my number four, a little Scotsman called ‘Cupid’ Love, who was away out and low to my right, actually fired at this V-2 in flight, as it went up straight thought the ring of his gun sight. I think this must have been the most optimistic shot of the entire war.

I think its perhaps as well that he didn’t blow it up, otherwise it would have been very embarrassing for the rest of us and I also think that this is most certainly the first and probably the only occasion in which an airborne rocket missile was actually engaged by a conventional aircraft.

‘Cupid’ Love was in fact Flt Sgt Tommy Love, who’s other claim to fame was the misfortune to be arrested by a policeman in Glasgow Central Station when on leave, for the offence of impersonating a RAF Pilot.

I’ve checked the F541 on this day for 602 Sqn and Baxter was flying SM388 (Which he flew for most of that month). Aircraft Code was LO-X according to his Log book page that was in his last book. I have noted something about the story, however being limited to only 2 pieces of primary source material and a Video, plus the reason for this thread. I’m not going put it into the public domain.

Mark – I am hardly surprised he was upset about TB382! What a picture that would have made to have him reunited with her when she was sat at Conningsby.

To many he was the voice of Farnborough – a very sad loss .

Yes, a sad moment as another one goes. I ran into him quite literally in the early 70s (wasn’t looking where I was going!) when I was at university and in the ensuing rather apologetic conversation he came across as a perfect gent. Which he was. RIP.

William

Not strictly one of ‘The Few’.

But as they diminish, who are we not to give him honorary ‘fewdom’?

Moggy

I stand corrected,but here here.

Ken.

but never knew he was one of ‘The Few’ until I got into WW2,a few years ago, and to that, he IS a hero.

Not strictly one of ‘The Few’.

But as they diminish, who are we not to give him honorary ‘fewdom’?

Moggy

Remember seeing him on Tomorrows World as a kid,but never knew he was one of ‘The Few’ until I got into WW2,a few years ago,and to that,he IS a hero.

And to pass away on today,of all days,just about sums it up.

RIP Sir.

Ken.

Sad loss,to many the voice of airshow commentary on TV and always made science sound interesting on tomorrows world after a heavy day at school.
RIP

I last saw Raymond Baxter at the RAF Club in March this year after the Service of Thanksgiving for Ray Hanna.

He was very frail and he told me he was quite upset to learn recently of the apparent demise of his personal Mk XVI Spitfire ‘Silvia R’ TB382.

I was delighted to assure him in our subsequent exchange of letters, that as is the way with Spitfires currently, that in the course of time it would be ‘re-constituted’ and almost certainly to flying status.

RIP Raymond.

‘Mark12’

Very sad news, He was brilliant on tomorrows world , inspriing many young (and not so young!! ) minds..

His Air show commentaries where unmatched.

Another hero gone.RIP Raymond Baxter.

His infectious enthusiasm was an inspiration to a entire generation,RIP Raymond.

Septic.