Baker William H.

Name:

William H. Baker

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

Unit:

600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-11-25

State:

Kentucky

Cemetery:

Anderson Memorial Park, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana, USA

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Presidential Unit Citation, Bronze Star

Comments:

William H. Baker was born on September 20, 1922. He served in the 600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator of B-17 #42-107214 during World War II.

On November 25, 1944, the aircraft crashed near Barkway, Hertfordshire, England, during its return from a bombing mission over Merseburg, Germany. The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy fog, significantly reducing visibility. At approximately 17:20, while attempting to land at its home base in Nuthampstead, the bomber crashed into a wooded area near Barkway, resulting in the deaths of three crew members, while the remaining six crew members survived the crash and returned to duty.

2Lt Baker was killed in action after bailing out of the aircraft; however, due to the low altitude at the time, his parachute did not have sufficient time to deploy, and he did not survive the fall. He is now buried in the Anderson Memorial Park, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana, USA. William H. Baker's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 5, in the bottom right wing (section D).

Source of information:www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org