Peter Baxter was the youngest (18 years & 3 months old) Regular Officer Commissioned off a Regular Officer Cadets Course in the Rhodesian Army. This cadet course was extremely lucky to have the training in classical warfare done when Rhodesia had 2 troops of T55 tanks and the Classical War Exercise done south of Gwelo on the Somabula Flats near Fort Rixon was some of the best training that he could have received. It stood him in good stead his later military career at 121 Battalion and at the Romeo Mikes at 101 Battalion where he ended up fighting tanks out of Casspirs with Ratel 90’s in support. He was posted to A Company 3 RAR under the command of Major Tom Simpson in October 1980 as a platoon commander and then Company 2i/c.

Peter was then posted to Support Company 3RAR at Grand Reef under Major Jim Flanagan in mid 1981 where he was the Company 2ic and also the 81mm Mortar Platoon Commander. From 1982 April to 1985 July, Peter served with 121 Battalion in South Africa. He served with B Company under Captain Chris Garland and then started and trained C Company at 121 Battalion, the Zulus, at St. Lucia in Zululand. He did Recce Selection in September to November 1982. He then worked in Cape Town in Restaurants, as a driver and in Security from ’85 until ’87.

In 1987 to 1988 he rejoined the SADF and served at 101 Battalion in South West Africa with the Romeo Mikes (RM) (Reaction Force) 902 Special Service Company (SSC) with RM7 as a Team Commander under the Command of Bernie de Waal from May “87 to Dec ’87. He was the Company Commander for 902 SSC from July to September 1987 when De Waal was injured in a PomZ explosion whilst we were running on a spoor. He was also the Company Commander for 903 SSC Romeo Mikes for the first 5 months of 1988 where he operated in Casspirs inside Angola.Peter fought at Cuito Cuanavale and the Lomba River and in South Western and Central Southern Angola around Ongiva, Xangongo, Mupa and Evale.