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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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272 Squadron Crest
23.12.1941 No 272 Squadron Beaufighter IC F/O. James H. Baker

Operation: Strafing

Date: 23rd December 1941

Unit: No. 272 Squadron (Coastal Command)

Type: Beaufighter IC

Serial: Not known

Base: Idku nr Alexandria Egypt

Location: Near El Agheila, Libya

Pilot: F/O. James Howard Baker 84946 RAFVR Age 23. Missing

Obs: Fl/Sgt. Edwin Stewart Fender 939536 RAFVR Age 23. Missing

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a strafing attack on the road to Ajdabiya they were shot down at 14:00 hrs by an Me 109 flown by Oblt. Gerhart Homuth (1) who also shot down another Beaufighter from 272 squadron flown by P/O. Norman Lee.

Above left: F/O. James Howard Baker Right: Fl/Sgt. Edwin Stewart Fender (courtesy John Ollerton)

(1) The Luftwaffe fighter ace with 63 abschüsse credited to him - went missing on the 02nd August 1943 after combat with Russian fighters. Born 20th September 1914 in Kiel, Germany. A formerly served with the Kriegsmarine before joining Luftwaffe in 1935 as a member of the aerobatic team.


Right: Oblt. Gerhart Homuth (courtesy Kracker Archive)


Burial details:

F/O. James Howard Baker. Alamein Memorial. Panel 240. Son of Cyril Howard Baker and Emily Baker, husband of Evelyn Baker, of Smethwick, Staffordshire, England.

Fl/Sgt. Edwin Stewart Fender. Alamein Memorial. Panel 242. Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Fender, of Fenham, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to John Ollerton, who submittted the crew photos. John’s Uncle served with them in 272 Squadron and these are from his personal collection. With thanks also to Roy Nesbit and his publication: ‘The Armed Rovers.’

KTY 19.07.2015

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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Last Modified: 19 July 2015, 21:41

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