Lieutenant Colonel David Claxton LVO, MBE, TD

Obituary

I joined the DLOY in 1973 after being enticed by the then CO into sabotaging a river crossing at Halton on the River Lune: Lt Col Desmond Bastick, a regular Tankie, had vetted me at lunch and discovered I was an oarsman. There was a major exercise coming up and the enemy would be crossing the river at 2 pm on a Saturday afternoon. All I had to do was find a sculling boat and when the oppo showed up chuck thunderflashes at them from the sackful provided. For a struggling lawyer in search of a new hobby, I thought this was terrific fun although on the day the Lancastrian Volunteers were two hours late and when they chased me I nearly drowned.

And so it was I found my way to the old Drill Hall on Powell Street, Wigan, since pulled down for the new market. The OC was a Major David Claxton who was the son of a Bishop but who cut a stylish dash and seemed to know the ropes. He had an eccentric 2IC who was keen on spotting “swirl” as the rounds went down the range and who dragged me off to an old-time dance hall in Southport to try our luck with the quickstep on the local ladies although most were older than my mother. The old A Squadron was well served by a highly efficient SSM, WO2 Steven who, as a civilian, ran the local railways and took no prisoners; Derek’s daughter Wendy was to join us in due course, later commissioned and became an outstanding officer.

As I had hoped it was all great fun and David did his very best to make me welcome despite my military achievements thus far having been to make corporal in the school CCF - and in the Air Force section at that. But under his benign tutelage, I was packed off to Sandhurst within months and, to everyone’s amazement, passed the commissioning course. As a junior officer, I remember well the rather raffish parties at RHQ in Clifton where age had certainly not wearied the elderly adjutant who had seen service with the Indian Army. Major Claxton was as keen as any on having fun with a mischievous streak that perhaps led me astray on occasions. Putting a thunderflash down the chimney of the Bellerby Officers Mess may not have been my wisest move but it was only an attempt to live up to the “work hard and play hard” ethic of the more senior officers. Modern readers will be appalled to know that only a few years before and after a good mess dinner at Camp on Salisbury Plain, the annual Druids’ celebration of the summer solstice had been ambushed by DLOY officers using smoke grenades and the ever handy thunderflash.

In 1974 Desmond Bastick finished his tour to be succeeded by David Claxton where his love of the outdoors was very important in his approach to training. More than once he collared me into attempting the “Welsh 2,000s”, an endurance race from Snowdon to the coast and where I was only kept going by the old A Sqn sweats. David had spent much of the War as an evacuee in Devon and was a countryman through and through; he had begun his civilian career as a land agent but eventually found a job he loved with the Duchy of Lancaster, managing their estates in Cheshire and the North Midlands. For this service to the Crown he was later created a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order and for his military achievements awarded an MBE.

David was an avid sportsman, whether beagling, tramping the Lakeland Fells, sailing or skiing: on one occasion and well into the evening of life I recall him coming to the Yeomanry Skiing Championships in Verbier where he did remarkably well in the downhill and slalom and certainly far better than most of the younger element; but then he had been wise and steered clear of the latest craze - the vodka Red Bull! As ever, David was in his element with younger people, always seeing the humorous side of life. He had an abiding interest in the welfare of the younger generation and it was only many years later I discovered he had been an assiduous Trustee of the Boys and Girls Welfare Society; this an ancient Manchester charity, later re-christened the Together Trust and which still continues its wonderful work from its Cheadle headquarters and to which donations are invited by those so minded.

At the age of 87, David Claxton leaves behind a large and adoring family and the fond recollections of those who had the privilege of knowing him in his military careers. He will be sadly missed but long remembered.

Martin Steiger

CO DLOY 1988-1990

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