Bell baxter lives section I former Pupils Contents

Sheila Davidson

Alexander McBride Davis

BBHS 1956-62

Sandy's main interest at school was the Debating Society, where he was one of a number of pupils who were wont to spice their speeches on virtually any subject with a certain amount of political polemic. This interest led to a Mock Election being held in the school. (Sandy admits he would probably have lost his deposit). He was also a regular actor in school plays and was one of the cast in Let Wives Tak' Tent, directed by Mr Lindsay, Principal Teacher of English. He says he made only one appearance at the Prize-giving, to receive the Innes Batting Prize in a year when the school 1st XI did not enjoy notable success! After school, Sandy spent an enjoyable year at Aberdeen University, where he began to study languages. However, the University Air Squadron proved more interesting than French and German, and though he has since qualified as a linguist in French and an interpreter in German, the drudgery of studying German literature did not compare with the thrill of learning to fly. In 1964 he joined the Royal Air Force.

He trained as a fighter pilot and has flown all the RAF's main fighter types: Hunter, Lightning, Phantom and the Tornado F3. In 1970 he was a solo display pilot on the Lightning, and local people may recall his two seasons performing with the Phantom during his time on 43 Squadron at RAF Leuchars. Sandy served in the Ministry of Defence for about five years after graduating from the Royal Naval Staff College at Greenwich, and at the time this article appeared in the FPA Newsletter, he was Officer Commanding Operations Wing at the Tornado base of RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire.

The most enjoyable part of his varied career was an exchange tour flying Phantoms with the famous Richthofen Fighter Wing of the German Air Force. This period represented a challenge not only for Sandy, but also for his family (his wife and three daughters), who integrated totally into the local community. The highlight of his career was almost certainly the period he spent as the Deputy Force Commander at Dhahran in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War. Dhahran's importance was characterised, we are told, by the frequent occasions on which Saddam Hussein's infamous and elusive Scud missiles were launched against it.

In 1971, Sandy was selected to be an Honorary Royal Aide-de-Camp to the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In 1976 he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air, and the OBE came in the Gulf War Honours List of 1991.

Sandy is fiercely proud of his Fife heritage and has introduced aspects of our culture to various communities. He is an avid Burns fan and a founder member of the Adastral Burns Club.

Ralph Ponting Davis

BBS 1947-51

Ralph Davis joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Entrant straight from school. He became a signaller and served on the cruiser HMS Glasgow and the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. He joined the Leicestershire Police Force in 1958 and became a partner in a Security Consultancy on retirement 27 years later. He is the oldest of three brothers from Strathmiglo who attended Bell Baxter.

He enjoys golf in retirement and is an Honorary Member of the Adastral Burns Club.

J H Dempsey

Peter R Dew

Peter was a retired master mariner and lived in Wormit. He was a member of the FP Association and served as its Treasurer for a number of years. We hope to be able to publish a fuller account of Peter's life soon.

Funeral service was in Wormit Parish Church on Friday 15th June 2012 at 1.15 p.m. followed by cremation service at Dundee Crematorium at 2.45 p.m. A retiring collection at church and crematorium was divided between cancer research and R.N.L.I.

Annie Sim Dewar

John Maxwell Dewar

John entered Bell Baxter School in 1918 and was the first School Sports Champion in 1923. He gained full blues at St Andrews University in cricket and rugby.