Alfred Richard Baxter-Cox
Encyclopedia
Brigadier Alfred Richard Baxter-Cox, CBE, ED
was an Australia
n military officer
and architect who served during both the First and Second World Wars.
on 7 September 1898. His father, Alfred Edward Cox, was an architect practising in Perth
. Baxter-Cox himself became an architect
and draftsman, and served in the Militia prior to his enlistment in the AIF
on the 13 January 1916.
in the Royal Australian Engineers
, Baxter-Cox held the rank of sapper
when he was posted to Engineering Reinforcements camped on Blackboy Hill, Western Australia on 29 February 1916. He embarked for service overseas on A38 Ulysses on 26 March 1916, disembarking at Marseilles, France on 5 May 1916, after which time he was posted to the Mining Corps. On 19 August 1916 he was promoted to corporal
"in the field", and on 18 December 1916 he transferred to 3rd Tunnelling Coy.
After being selected for commissioning
, Baxter-Cox attended officer training at No. 6 Officers Cadet Battalion in Oxford from November 1917 to March 1918 and was appointed as a second lieutenant
on 1 May 1918. The confidential report from the Officer Cadet Unit stated that his special qualifications included riding, surveying and speaking French. Upon graduation, he was transferred to the infantry
and joined the 4th Battalion in France on 14 May 1918. On 28 November 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant
, serving in the Rouen
area before being transferred to England in April 1919 as part of the demobilisation process.
On 26 May 1919 he married Ivy Gertrude, daughter of Frank James Sanders, at "S. Cross Holywell Oxford". From June to September 1919 he arranged to attend a three month course in architecture under Gilbert I Gardner, RIBA, in Oxford; the start date was delayed, and he completed the course on 31 October 1919.
He and his wife returned to Australia on the H.T. Shropshire, embarking on 2 December 1919. He was discharged from the 4th Battalion, 1st AIF, on 7 March 1920, and received the British War Medal
and the Victory Medal
.
and serving as the commanding officer of the 11th/16th Battalion in Western Australia. On 30 April 1936 he was transferred to the unattached list. In May 1939 he took up an appointment as commanding officer of the 13th Brigade
.
on 9 May 1940. Shortly afterwards he was posted to the 2/16th Battalion and given responsibility for raising the battalion. He remained in command of the battalion during its deployment to the Middle East
before being promoted to temporary brigadier
and taking over command of the 25th Infantry Brigade
in March 1941. He remained in command of the brigade until June 1941 after which he undertook a variety of positions on the staff of Army Headquarters.
While holding the rank of temporary brigadier, Baxter-Cox was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 14 June 1945. He was discharged on 14 August 1946, with his final posting being to the headquarters of the 25th Infantry Brigade with the substantive rank of colonel
.
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n military officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and architect who served during both the First and Second World Wars.
Early life
Baxter-Cox was born in Cue, Western AustraliaCue, Western Australia
- Further reading:* 'Along the Cue railway. Inspection of line with suggested improvements, visit to Georgina Siding'. West Australian, 11 June 1898, p. 5-External links:* *...
on 7 September 1898. His father, Alfred Edward Cox, was an architect practising in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. Baxter-Cox himself became an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and draftsman, and served in the Militia prior to his enlistment in the AIF
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
on the 13 January 1916.
First World War
Enlisting as an other rankOther Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
in the Royal Australian Engineers
Royal Australian Engineers
The Royal Australian Engineers is a corps of the Australian Army . The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps...
, Baxter-Cox held the rank of sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
when he was posted to Engineering Reinforcements camped on Blackboy Hill, Western Australia on 29 February 1916. He embarked for service overseas on A38 Ulysses on 26 March 1916, disembarking at Marseilles, France on 5 May 1916, after which time he was posted to the Mining Corps. On 19 August 1916 he was promoted to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
"in the field", and on 18 December 1916 he transferred to 3rd Tunnelling Coy.
After being selected for commissioning
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, Baxter-Cox attended officer training at No. 6 Officers Cadet Battalion in Oxford from November 1917 to March 1918 and was appointed as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 1 May 1918. The confidential report from the Officer Cadet Unit stated that his special qualifications included riding, surveying and speaking French. Upon graduation, he was transferred to the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and joined the 4th Battalion in France on 14 May 1918. On 28 November 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, serving in the Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
area before being transferred to England in April 1919 as part of the demobilisation process.
On 26 May 1919 he married Ivy Gertrude, daughter of Frank James Sanders, at "S. Cross Holywell Oxford". From June to September 1919 he arranged to attend a three month course in architecture under Gilbert I Gardner, RIBA, in Oxford; the start date was delayed, and he completed the course on 31 October 1919.
He and his wife returned to Australia on the H.T. Shropshire, embarking on 2 December 1919. He was discharged from the 4th Battalion, 1st AIF, on 7 March 1920, and received the British War Medal
British War Medal
The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
and the Victory Medal
Victory Medal (United Kingdom)
The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
.
Between the wars
In between the wars, Baxter-Cox returned to the Militia, obtaining the rank of lieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and serving as the commanding officer of the 11th/16th Battalion in Western Australia. On 30 April 1936 he was transferred to the unattached list. In May 1939 he took up an appointment as commanding officer of the 13th Brigade
13th Brigade (Australia)
The 13th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the Australian Army headquartered at Perth, Western Australia and its various units have depots in Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Albany and Katanning as well as Joondalup and Rockingham in the metro area. The 13th Brigade was first created in early 1916 and...
.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Baxter-Cox was appointed to Land Headquarters on 26 April 1940, and enlisted in the 2nd AIFSecond Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
on 9 May 1940. Shortly afterwards he was posted to the 2/16th Battalion and given responsibility for raising the battalion. He remained in command of the battalion during its deployment to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
before being promoted to temporary brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and taking over command of the 25th Infantry Brigade
25th Brigade (Australia)
The 25th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War. Raised in July 1940 and consisting of three infantry battalions, the 25th Brigade served in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo before being disbanded in...
in March 1941. He remained in command of the brigade until June 1941 after which he undertook a variety of positions on the staff of Army Headquarters.
While holding the rank of temporary brigadier, Baxter-Cox was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 14 June 1945. He was discharged on 14 August 1946, with his final posting being to the headquarters of the 25th Infantry Brigade with the substantive rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.