Jack Baker: Image archive
William Thomas Jack Baker
Born: 14 April 1917 - Bedford
Died: 01 May 1999 - Bedford
During WWII my grandfather served in the Royal Marines and took a large number of photos of his fellow soldiers and warships. I will try and include as many as possible here. If anyone can help me name the people, places or ships please contact me.
It is possible that these images were taken either near or on route to Celyon during the period 1941-1942.
Pictures of:
At the time these images were found we also uncovered a letter that rewarded granddad for being mentioned in dispatches on 20 April 1945. The citation reads:
For good service in a Royal Naval Camp in France following the invasion of Normandy:
Marine (Acting Temporary Corporal) William Thomas Jack BAKER, R.M., Ch.X. 100492
(Yeovil).
If
anyone can shed any light on what the Royal Naval
Camp was and why granddad was mentioned in dispatches
for serving there please let me know. The original
article is in the London
Gazette archive (issue number 37048, page four).
[The images on the right show:
Top: granddad, me
(aged about 4) walking his dog Sam on the way to
the Embankment in Bedford. This would have been taken
around 1977/8.
Base: The last photo we have of him taken in April 1999 with his beloved cat, Lucy. Granddad passed away on 1 May 1999 in Bedford Hospital.]
An
advert to try and trace information on granddad
was placed in Navy
News the official newspaper
of the Royal Navy.