Alan Baxter (politician)

Baxter was born on 19 August 1911 at Egmont Village.{{cite book |last=Thompson |first=H. L. |date=1956 |title=New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force |volume=2 |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2RAF-c14.html |location=Wellington |publisher=Historical Publications Branch |page=407 }} He gained his education at New Plymouth Boys' High School and subsequently at Feilding Agricultural College.{{Cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GISH19460306.2.47 |title=The Candidates |work=Gisborne Herald |volume=LXXIII |issue=21963 |date=6 March 1946 |page=4 }} Before the war, Baxter was a shepherd in the Wairarapa. While living there he joined the trade union movement in 1939.{{Cite news |title=Won Seat In Raglan For Labour |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=16 July 1976 |page=12 }}

He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in March 1940 and was a flight lieutenant. He was awarded the DFC in October 1942 for his actions in the Dieppe Raid,{{London Gazette |issue=35759 |date=23 October 1942 |page=4643 |supp=y }} with a Bar awarded in 1945.{{London Gazette |issue=36942 |date=16 February 1945 |page=934 |supp=y }} The citation for the 1942 award read:{{cite web|title=The Dieppe Raid – August 19, 1942|date=19 November 2012 |url=http://diepperaf.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/acting-flight-lieutenant-donald-james.html|publisher=f|access-date=26 December 2015}}

On August 19th, 1942, he was observer in the leading aircraft of a formation which participated in the combined operations at Dieppe. When the formation was attacked by some 20 enemy fighters, Pilot Officer Baxter calmly gave directions to his captain, and subsequently his skilful navigation was an essential contribution to the success achieved by the formation and to its safe return to base.

According to one of his navigators, he flew more bombing missions over Germany than any other New Zealand airman (and came back alive).conversation with F.Harper, RAF WWII navigator, circa 1976-1977 During one period of raids, he lost seven roommates in five days. One personal escape involved bending over to pick up a map, with a shot of flak shooting through the seat where he had been sitting only a moment before.conversation with J.Baxter, RAF WWII pilot, circa 1976-1977 On the bombing of Germany, he stated it was something that had to be done to stop Hitler, but every time they were let go, he felt for "the poor blighters below".personal conversation, circa 1974/1975

Following the war he settled first on Ōtorohanga, then in Huntly. Baxter worked as clerk with seed and fertiliser merchants for two years in Feilding and Hāwera. He later became a prominent member of a movement to increase living standards of rural employees.

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1946}}

|end = 1949

|term = 28th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Raglan}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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Baxter contested the 1946 by-election in the Raglan electorate for the Labour Party, but lost against Hallyburton Johnstone of the National Party.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=208}}{{cite news | title=News of the Week | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=LWM19460307.2.6 | access-date=25 December 2015 | work=Lake Wakatip Mail | issue=4732 | date=7 March 1946 | page=2}} Later in the same year, Baxter defeated Johnstone in the 1946 general election by just 13 votes.{{cite web |title=The General Election, 1946 |url= http://www.atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1947-I.2.4.2.38 |publisher=National Library |access-date=1 January 2014 |page=8 |year=1947}} Johnstone in turn defeated Baxter in 1949.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=183, 208}} Baxter later stood unsuccessfully for Raglan in the {{NZ election link year|1957}} and {{NZ election link|1960}}s. He was the last Labour candidate to win a seat in the area.

A notable characteristic of his parliamentary period was that he was respected as a man who never compromised his principles.Phil Amos, former Labour Cabinet minister, at Alan Baxter's funeral, 1976

After he lost his seat in Parliament he worked in the coal mines in Huntly. In 1962 he retired and moved to Auckland.

Baxter died in 1976 after a short illness.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=183}} He was survived by his wife Sylvia and three daughters.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}}

• [https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GISH19460306.2.43.2 1946 photo]

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{{s-bef|before=Hallyburton Johnstone}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Raglan|years=1946–1949}}

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Category:1911 births

Category:1976 deaths

Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs

Category:New Zealand World War II pilots

Category:Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel

Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1949 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1957 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1960 New Zealand general election

Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:New Zealand recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

Category:People educated at New Plymouth Boys' High School

Category:People educated at Feilding High School