Leonard Earl Baxter

BAXTER, Leonard Earl

War
2nd Word War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
London, Ontario
Regimental Number
205732
Rank
Pilot Officer
Date of Death
Age at Death
21 years
Biographical Summary

NAME                  BAXTER      Leonard Earl                                                                                                                                           Royal Canadian Air Force
RANK                   Pilot Officer / Air Gunner      205732                                                                                                                           Group 5 - RAF Bomber Command                                                                                                SQUADRON        RAF No. 227                                                                                                                                                               RAF Balderton - Nottinghamshire                                                                                                                               Squadron markings 9 J Z                                                                                              Residence            22 Elm Street - Goderich - Ontario                                                                                                Birth                     March 31, 1924 - Goderich - Township of Goderich - County of Huron - Ontario                          Died                     March 21, 1945     21 years                                                                                              Cemetery             Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery - Berlin - Charlottenburg - Germany                                                                      14   L   12
Parents                Mr. George and Olive May Baxter - 22 Albert Street - Goderich                                                    Brothers              John, Donald and Lloyd all resided - Goderich                                                                                Sister                   Dorothy Baxter lived in Goderich                                                                                                                           

Leonard was born on March 31, 1924 and attended North Street United Church. He received his education at Goderich Central Public School from 1930-39. He then went to Goderich Collegiate Institute from 1939-41. His last day of attendance there was April 10, 1941 and he was 17 years of age.. Growing up he contacted measles, mumps and chicken pox. Leonard did not have a hobby but did enjoy playing baseball and hockey. He became employed at No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) as a carpenter for 2 years until the fall of 1942 when he enlisted in the service of Canada.

In Canada 

Leonard left Goderich in November 1942, went to London and enlisted into the RCAF at No. 9 Recruiting Centre on November 19, 1942. When he enlisted his height was 5' 4" and weighed 121 pounds. His complexion was fair, his eyes were blue and his hair was light brown.                                                                                                    On April 13, 1943 he went back to No. 9 Recruitment Centre for service in the RCAF and a day later he was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. In the later days of April he was posted to No. 2 Manning Depot located in Brandon - Manitoba. On July 11th he was posted to No. 2 Initial Training School based in Regina - Saskatchewan. Then it was on to No. 1 Central Navigation School in Rivers - Manitoba on August 27th. From there he was posted to No. 1 Gunnery Training School in Quebec. It was then on to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School located at Macdonald - Manitoba on November 14th. When he left Manitoba his training in Canada was basically over.                                                                                                                                                          On January 15, 1944 he was posted to No. 1 "Y" Depot in Lachine - Quebec and two days later he was at No. 4 Aircrew Graduate Training School. His final stop in Canada prior to leaving Canada was on February 2nd when he was at No. 1 "Y" Depot in Lachine - Quebec. He then was sent to Halifax in preparation for going overseas to the United Kingdom on March 5, 1944.                                                                                                                When he enlisted he was given the rank of Aircraftsman 2nd class. On July 20, 1943 he was given the rank of Aircraftsman 1st class. Four months later on November 12th he was given the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. Then he was promoted to Air Gunner "spec" "Grp 2" and finally on July 23, 1944 he was given the rank of Tactical Flight Sergeant. He was then given the rank of Pilot Officer on March 19, 1945. Leading Air Craftsman Baxter embarked from Canada on March 5, 1944   

In England 

On March 14, 1944 he disembarked in England and the next day was posted to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. On the last day of March he was posted to No. 17 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Silverstone - Buckinghamshire/Northamptonshire. While here his training was extensive.  On September 11th he is posted to No. 1661 Conversion Unit based at Winthorpe - Nottinghamshire and here he trained on 4 engine bombers. On November 6, 1944 it was on to No. 5 Lancaster Finishing School based at Syerston - Nottinghamshire. He was then posted to No. 227 Squadron on December 8, 1944 which was based at Balderton - Nottinghamshire.

In the field 

During the night of March 20-21, 1945 227 Squadron was to take part in a bombing mission onto Bohlen - Saxony south of Leipzig. Bohlen had lignite or soft coal mines plus synthetic oil factories along with factories that produced the V1. On the night of March 20th, Lancaster PA 259 lifted off of the runway at 23.39 hours. Pilot Officer Baxter was in the tail gun position. The plan for 227 Squadron to make a feint run over Halle and as they neared the point where they would begin their feint they were attacked at 15,000 feet. Lancaster PA 259 was burning badly from the mid upper gun to the the position where the Wireless Operator sat and with the port aileron was shot away and the captain ordered the aircraft to be abandoned. The bomber was carrying 1-4,000 pound bomb and 16-500 pound bombs for a total of 12,000 pounds of bombs. Lancaster PA 259 crashed and disintegrated on a railway line at Uder near Aschwege. The attack during this raid was very accurate and the plant was put out of commission, and when captured by American forces several weeks later it was still out of operation. On this raid 224 aircraft took part with 9 aircraft being lost. In the later stages of the conflict 227 squadron participated in many major missions and helped bring repatriated ex - Allied POWs back to England and later brought Allied airmen home from Europe.                                                                                                    Following the war and the liberation of the four surviving crew members who were Flying Officer R.D. King who was the Pilot, Flight Sergeant B.T. Long who was the Wireless Operator, Flying Officer W.T. Neilson who was the Navigator and Flight Sergeant W.A. Roots the Bomb Aimer/gunner they were questioned about their mission. The survivors said they crashed 30 miles east or south-east of Gottingen - Lower Saxony at a location 20 miles east of Eschwege - Lower Saxony and about 25 miles south-east of Leipsig.. Their report indicated they were attacked by 3 night fighters who used the light of their fighter flares to locate their aircraft. After being attacked and hit numerous times with the aircraft burning from the mid upper gun position to the Wireless Operator position, with No. 4 port engine on fire and with the right aileron shot away the Captain of Lancaster PA 259 who was Flying Officer King gave the order to abandon the aircraft. The mid upper gunner Sgt. Marshall did not acknowledge the order. Flight Sergeant Long said that he was unable to control the fire and abandoned his position and the aircraft. The aircraft exploded at a height of about 1,000 feet throwing the Pilot - Pilot Officer King free of the aircraft. The aircraft landed on a railway line that ran east-west. After they were captured FO Neilson the Navigator told the pilot FO King that 4 parachutes were seen landing safely. German police informed  FO Neilson that three bodies had been found but later revised the count to four. While FO King was hiding he witnessed digging near the wreckage and they may have been burying the crew. The Navigator stated that 30 minutes following the crash he heard a shot and a man screaming. On October 25, 1948 the bodies of the crew members killed in the crash were exhumed.   Those members of the crew who were killed were Air Gunner Baxter who was the tail gunner, Flight Engineer Fytton, mid upper gunner Marshall  and Pitts the co-pilot.                                                                                                                                                                                                In July of 1946, his mother Olive received the Memorial Cross. His parents received the 39-45 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the General Service Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal in the spring of 1947..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Leonard is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario Cenotaph. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Goderich Collegiate and on the Memorial Plaque of North Street United Church. He is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial. He is honoured and remembered at the Group 6 - Bomber Command Memorial.

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