BAKER, Peter Joseph

NAME                    BAKER           Peter Joseph
RANK                    Flying Officer                                                                                                                                SQUADRON         Royal Australian Air Force No. 464 Squadron 
                              “Equanimity”
                              Group 10     Bomber Command
                              Melsbroek in Belgium
                              Squadron Markings SB                                                                                                          Born                      March 27, 1921 - Oshawa - County of Durham                                                              Residence             Kitchener                                                                                                                                Died                       April 24, 1945          24 years   1 month          
Cemetery              Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery - Charlotteburg – Berlin - Germany
                              8 E 35-36
Wife                      Mrs. Elizabeth Baker - Fruitland                                                                                      Daughter               Miss Linda Baker  
Parents                 Mr. Joseph and Annie Baker - Brussels                                                                                Brother                  Mr. Michael Baker - Hamilton

Peter is listed as being from Huron County. Peter was born in Oshawa on March 27, 1921. His family was Greek Orthodox. As he was growing up he enjoyed aerobatics, softball, rugby, badminton, basketball and volleyball. He spoke, English, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian. Growing up he had the measles and the mumps. Prior to his enlistment he was employed as a warehouse assistant with Canadian Westinghouse. Prior to his enlistment he was living in Kitchener. He lived in Oshawa until the end of Grade 6 when the family moved to Hamilton where he completed public school and three years of high schooling in 1938-39 when he left school at 17. He then moved to Kitchener.

Canada

He enlisted into the RCAF in Hamilton on September 4, 1941. At the time of his enlistment he stood 5' 10" tall and weighed 143 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair.  After he enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force, there are a number of people who remember him going to Brussels to visit his parents as his father was one of the bakers at the Windsor Hotel in Kitchener. He was given the rank of Aircraftsman 2 and he remained at the Hamilton recruitment centre until October 2 at which time he was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. Following his stay at the MD it was on to No. 1 Initial Training School in Toronto on December 21. He was 40 in a class of 84 with a 77% average.                                                                                On February 15, 1942 the next posting took him to No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School in St Catharines where he reached the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. The next posting was to No. 6 Service Flying Training School based at Dunnville on April 26 and here he was promoted to Sergeant and received his Pilot Flying Badge. On September 13 his next posting took him to Trenton and No. 1 Flying Instructors School. It was then on to No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands on October 31 and here he obtained the rank of Flight Sergeant. While here it was shown that he had the potential to be a good officer.                                                    On June 3, 1943 Flight Sergeant Baker received his commission as Pilot Officer Special Reserve. From June 30-July14 he was on an Instrument Flying Course and Temporary Duties. On December 4 he received the rank of Flying Officer.                                                                                                                                                          On August 11, 1944 it was on to No. 8 Operational Training Unit based at Greenwood - Nova Scotia and then on November 7 in preparation for overseas duty he was posted to No. 1 Y Depot in Halifax. He then embarked from Canada on November 24 and arrived and disembarked in the United Kingdom on December 5 and reported to    No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre.                                                                                                                        FO Baker's first posting in the UK was to RAF NO> 13 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Bicester - Oxfordshire on January 16, 1945.  He was here until March 21 when he was posted to No. 2 External Stabilization Unit. He was here for 3 weeks at which time he was posted to his squadron RAAF No. 464 Squadron based at B87 Rosieres-en-Santerre in France but then on April 17 the squadron moved to B58 Melbroek in Belgium.                                                                                                                                              No. 464 flew the Mosquito and with this aircraft the repertoire of the squadron was broadened and they
began to be employed in low-level missions against a wide range of targets including a whole new folder of
operations. They flew “Flower” patrols and these were missions to engage and destroy enemy night fighters; “Intruder” patrols were flown just at dusk or right before dawn and were mainly aimed at the German bombers;
“Ranger” patrols were flying over enemy territory and finding targets of opportunity and “No Ball” strikes
were missions flown against the enemy V1 Flying Bomb launch facilities.
On April 24th F/O Baker was on just a mission in Mosquito RS 527 and this aircraft lifted from the runway at 9:47 pm along with eleven other aircraft to carry out night intruder operations in the Sternberg area with the objective being to strafe railway yards, junctions, trains and sidings. He was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from a flak train. His aircraft dove out of control in flames and exploded upon impact onto the local school at the village of Bobzin, which was located 33 miles se of Lubick. He crashed at 23:00 hours. Flying Officer Baker was listed as missing on a raid against Sternberg in Germany.                                                                                                              Pilot Officer Baker was originally buried at Bobzin Village Green Cemetery.  Pilot Officer Baker's wife and mother received the Memorial Cross in July 1946. In 1947 his wife received the medals awarded to PO Baker which included the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. He is honoured and remembered 464 Squadron Monument in Australia and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and on the Brussels Cenotaph.