Baker William Henry, Jr.

Name:

William Henry, Jr. Baker

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-885113

Unit:

336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group

Date of Death:

1942-09-26

State:

Texas

Cemetery:

Cambridge American Cemetery, United Kingdom

Plot:

Tablets of the Missing

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Air Medal, Purple Heart

Comments:

William Henry Baker, Jr. was born on 13 September 1920 in Texas. He was the son of William Henry and Mercedes E. Baker.

William Henry, Jr. joined the RAFVR and later was transferred to the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group during World War II. He was piloting the Spitfire - Mk.IX # BD446 at the time of his death.

On 26 September 1942, Baker's Spitfire took off from Great Sampford, on a mission to escort B-17s to the Morlaix airfield. Returning from the escort mission and already short on fuel (due to a strong headwind and delays in finding the bombers), the formation got misoriented in the low clouds. While they thought they were over England, they were actually passing south of Brest where they were attacked by enemy fighters and flak. The squadron lost 11 of 12 Spitfires during this mission. The only Spitfire to make it back to England crashed upon landing.

1Lt Baker's body was never recovered. He was declared Missing in Action and his name is memorialized at the Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom. He also has a cenotaph located in Bellwood Memorial Park, Bell County, Texas.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, francecrashes39-45.net, 4thfightergroupassociation.org
Source of photo: 4thfightergroupassociation.org