Baldwin Family of Royal Engineers

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, PE, MInstRE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(October 2020)

Figure 1. Crest of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
(Image courtesy of Stuart Gase)

This work deals with the lives and military service of five members of a family named Baldwin who served in the Royal Engineers from the reign of Queen Victoria to the reign of King George VI. The research was begun after the acquisition of a single medal awarded to one of the men. Family members were contacted and a very large number of photographs and documents pertaining to all of the men were supplied to the author by these family members. In addition, the narrative is based on information obtained from Army Lists, census documents, various civil documents, The Edinburgh and London Gazettes, internet web sites and various military documents, including the service papers of some of the men. Every effort has been made to make this account of their lives and military service as complete and as accurate as possible.

The men of the Baldwin family and the medals which they received for their service are shown below. A direct link to the story of each man can be found by clicking on each of the names below.

4213 (1850799) Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant[1]
GEORGE ARTHUR BALDWIN
Royal Engineers
□ □ □

Captain (Quartermaster)
JAMES ALEXANDER BALDWIN
Royal Engineers
(formerly 13161 and 1851693 Regimental Sergeant Major)[3]
□ □ □

1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (GVR)
Meritorious Service Medal (GVR)

Captain (Quartermaster)
FREDERICK THOMAS BALDWIN
Royal Engineers
(formerly 15098 and 1851944 Warrant Officer Class II)[4]
□ □ □

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Military Medal (GVR)
1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (GVR)

RONALD JAMES BALDWIN
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
(formerly Sapper, Royal Engineers, Territorial Army)
□ □ □

George Baldwin was the son of a soldier, the father of three soldiers and the grandfather of one soldier. He is shown in family trees on Ancestry.com as George Arthur Baldwin; however, in his military service papers and on census documents his name is given simply as George Baldwin. The source of the middle name Arthur in the family trees is not known. Throughout this narrative the name George Baldwin will be used.

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

George Baldwin was born on the 14^th of November 1859, the son of Robert Baldwin (1818-1897), a Sergeant in the 31^st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot.[6] The battle honours for the 31^st Foot include Sevastopol (1854 – 1855) and Taku Forts (12 August 1860), so George’s father may well have served in the Crimean War and the Second China War.

The 1861 Census taken at the Depot Battalion in Chatham Barracks, Kent, shows that Robert Baldwin was a Colour Sergeant at that time. As an infantry senior non-commissioned officer he may well have been an instructor or a drill sergeant at the School of Military Engineering, which was located at Brompton Barracks in Chatham. The table below shows the makeup of the Baldwin family at the time of the census.

The Baldwin family grew substantially over the next 10 years. The 1871 census shows the family living in Gravesend, Kent.

By 1881 George Baldwin, the main character in this section of the narrative, is no longer living with his family. By this time his is out on his own, married and working as a Seaman. He married Rachel Eliza Bloom in St. Thomas Church in Stepney, Middlesex on the 14^th of February 1881. Rachel was a 22-year old spinster at the time of their marriage and her father was one Henry Bloom, a Mariner. George’s profession on their marriage certificate is listed as “Tug Man,” so it is likely that George met Rachel by first meeting her father while working. The couple indicated that their intended place of residence was to be 22 Cardline Street, which may have been located in Poplar, London at that time.[8] At the time of the 1881 census (about 3 April 1881) George and Rachel were listed as lodgers at 63 Kerby Street in Poplar. Neither of the original buildings at these addresses exists anymore.

George continued to work as a tug boat operator well into the year 1892. The 1891 census shows Rachel and her three sons living at 7 Ullin Street in London.[9] George does not appear in the census return as he must have been away at sea or on duty at that time (5 April 1891).

George qualified for his Certificate of Competency as a Mate of a Home Trade Passenger Ship on the 16^th of June 1892. The possession of this Certificate of Competency would have enabled George to sail on an ocean-going ship as a mate and would have enabled him to take on greater responsibilities with probably more pay. Within three and a half months of getting the certificate George appears to have had a change of heart regarding his future employment. Instead of continuing with his profession as a commercial seaman he decided that the military was where he should be.

In the autumn of 1892 George Baldwin decided that he wanted to join the Army. He was recruited by a Quartermaster Sergeant Lewis of the Army Staff in London and on the 30^th of September 1892 he was given a physical examination that found him fit for military service.

A Certificate of Final Medical Examination was issued for Baldwin on the date of his examination, thereby concluding the first step towards his enlistment. Baldwin was almost 33 years of age when he enlisted and one wonders why he was allowed to join the Army when the upper age limit for recruits at that time was 25 years. The answer probably lies in the fact that as a Tug Master, Baldwin was a trained coxswain, a skill much in demand at that time by the Submarine Miners of the Royal Engineers.

Following his medical examination, Baldwin was given about two weeks to get his personal affairs in order before reporting to St. George’s Barracks in London. He attested for service in the Royal Engineers on the 12^th of October 1892. His was a long service enlistment of 12 years with the Colours. His attestation was witnessed by Corporal A.S. Milne of the 2^nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards.

Baldwin was required to answer the usual questions put to recruits on enlistment. He indicated to the Recruiting Officer that his age was 32 years and 10 months and that his civilian trade was Tug Master. He stated that he was not an apprentice, that he was married, and that his religion was Church of England. He further indicated that he had never been imprisoned by civil power and that he had no prior naval or military service.

All of the administration associated with Baldwin’s attestation was completed on the 12^th of October. His Certificate of Primary Military Examination was issued at St. George’s Barracks and he was declared fit for service in the Royal Engineers. The certification of the Approving Field Officer also was issued on this date and Baldwin was assigned Regimental Number 27061 and the rank of Sapper. It is interesting to note that he was promoted on the same day to the rank of Company Sergeant Major (Mechanist), undoubtedly due to his age, experience and civilian skill as Master of a tugboat.

Submarine Mining (1892-1899)
Company Sergeant Major Baldwin reported for duty to Sheerness, Kent on the 17^th of October 1892. Upon his arrival at Sheerness he reported to the 39^th (Submarine Mining) Company, Royal Engineers commanded by Captain D.A. Mills. This company was under the control of the Commander Royal Engineers (CRE) of the Sheerness sub-district, Thames District, Eastern Command of the Royal Engineers. The headquarters of the 39^th Company was at High Street, Blue Town in Sheerness. A detailed description of the work of Submarine Mining units can be found in Addendum No. 1 and Addendum No. 2.

Figure 3. A Submarine Mining Boat of the Royal Engineers.
(Photograph courtesy of Regimental magazine, No. 13.)

George Baldwin spent the next 7 years at Sheerness as the Company Sergeant Major of the 39^th (Submarine Mining) Company, R.E. During this period he saw many company commanders arrive and depart. The following is a list of the officers who commanded the 39^th Company while Baldwin was serving with the unit:

Company Sergeant Major Baldwin pursued his studies while he performed his duties with the company. On the 19^th of November 1894 he was awarded a 2^nd Class Certificate of Education.

His wife and family were with him at Sheerness and his wife was most certainly on the married establishment due to the fact that he was married when he enlisted and was serving in the grade of Warrant Officer Class 2 from the beginning of his enlistment.

CSM Baldwin’s records do not contain his Medical History and the only medical information available on him is the fact that he was hospitalized on the 2^nd of September 1896 with a sprained right ankle, probably the result of an accident during training. A court of inquiry was held on the 6^th of October 1896, the results of which are not stated in his service papers. It may be concluded, however, that the court found the injury to be in the line of duty and not due to any misdeed on his part.[14]

Baldwin continued his duties with the 39^th Company and was promoted to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant (Military Mechanist) on the 12^th of October 1898. It is very likely that he spent a good deal of time at Shornemead Fort on the south bank of the River Thames, only a short distance from Sheerness. Shornemead became the home of the Submarine Mining Establishment in the 1890s. A complex of test rooms and control rooms was attached to the eastern end of the casemates of the fort and was manned by the Submarine Miners. The complex allowed the detonation of a system of submarine mines anchored to the riverbed adjacent to the fort by an observer on top of the fort. Shornemead served as a training establishment for the Thames and Medway Submarine Miners and made use of ten tug boats that were hired from Gravesend to practice mine lying in the rivers.

In rank of Quartermaster Sergeant (Military Mechanist), Baldwin performed the duties of Coxswain on one of the many boats operated by the Submarine Miners of the Royal Engineers. The following excerpt from Lieutenant Colonel W. Baker Brown’s book History of Submarine Mining of the British Army provides details concerning the vessels and boats on which Baldwin worked during the period:[15]

“The vessels and boats used for submarine mining service may be classified as laying-out vessels, launches, lighters, junction-box boats, and small boats. The last comprised cutters, gigs, and dinghies of usual types; junction-box boats were usually fitted with sails. The lighters first used were old mortar boats of Crimean days, but a good type of iron lighter about 70’ long and 25’ wide was afterwards supplied. It had two large derricks for lifting mines, two good hand crabs,[16] and capacious holds in which mines or sinkers could be stowed. Some were also used for storing main cables, in which case the cables were laid out direct from the lighter.

The launches were at first old 42’ naval pinnaces fitted with a boiler in the well and small twin propellers. They were fairly handy for laying E.C. mines,[17] but their weak point was in raising mines, as they had only a small hand crab. They were only half-decked and were not very seaworthy. They were replaced by a good type of working launch about 50’ on the water line, with steam crab, bow derrick, and fully decked. Such a launch could carry on deck, sling, and lay out a group of E.C. mines, but was best employed for junction-box moorings and group cables, also in picking up and laying dormant buoys, towing junction-box boats, and similar duties. There were also some smaller fast launches for towing, transport of officers, etc.

The first laying-out vessels were lent by the Navy; they were tugs of all descriptions, generally paddle wheel, and were mostly very little adapted for the work. The first specially designed boat was built in 1875 by Messrs. J. & W. Dudgeon, of Millwall, to designs based on recommendations of the Torpedo Committee. This was the beginning of the well-known Miner class, some of which survived for 30 years. These were 65’ long, 15’ beam, draught of water 4’6”, tonnage 67 tons, and H.P. 30 nominal. They had a good steam winch and small chart house on deck, and were subsequently fitted with a bow derrick. They were all thoroughly overhauled in 1894 or thereabouts, and fitted with a bridge and two side davits. Thus equipped, they were especially fitted for laying E.C. mines, of which they could carry four groups.

The larger laying-out vessels were first introduced in 1885, when the vessels of the Gordon class were started by Colonel Malcom.[18] These were 80’ long on the water line, with 18’ beam and a tonnage of 100 to 120 tons, and were fitted with single screws and turn-about rudders. The first two built were called Medina and Solent, but the former was re-named Gordon. Most of the subsequent vessels were also named after distinguished R.E. officers, especially those who had been interested in the Submarine Mining Service.

Of the Gordon class there were the Solent, Lord Heathfield, Burgoyne, Victor, Empress, and Dundas. Then there followed a rather smaller class, Sir John Jones, Sir Richard Fletcher, Sir William Reid, Sir Francis Head, Sir William Green, and General Elliott, General Skinner, and Napier of Magdala. Then a rather larger group with numerous variations in detail, the Sir Charles Pasley, Sir Howard Elphinstone, Sir Frederick Chapman, Sir Henry Harness, Sir Lothian Nicholson, Sir William Jervois, General Stotherd, and Armstrong. Finally, ending with two named Pennar and Haslar, after the neighbourhood of the submarine mining establishments at Pembroke and Gosport. All the above survived to the end of the service.

The larger boats had two masts fitted with mast derricks, in addition to a bow derrick. There was also a large steam crab with horizontal and vertical drums, a big bow joggle or fairlead over which the cable was led when picking up, cleats at suitable intervals down the side, and a slinging rail under the gunwale for attaching flakes of chain or cable. The engines were compounded with twin screws. There was generally an officer’s cabin at one end used by the coxswain if no officers were on board, and living accommodation at the other for the crew.

The usual crew was a coxswain, two or three deck hands according to size, two engine drivers and two stokers for the engine room, and a cook who gave a hand on deck on heavy days. A third engine driver was sometimes put on board for the day to attend the steam crab. The larger vessels could carry six or eight groups of E.C. mines, or an equivalent of observations mines, and were capable of working in fairly rough weather.”

As the Coxswain of one of these vessels, Quartermaster Sergeant Baldwin was the senior non-commissioned officer aboard and was also responsible for steering the boat during submarine mining operations. There was a considerable amount of responsibility associated with this position, not only with handling a large and expensive vessel, but also with the handling of the highly explosive mines carried on board. On the 10^th of May 1899, QMS Baldwin committed one of the gravest offences that a senior non-commissioned officer could commit; he was discovered to be drunk on duty. On the 6^th of June 1899 he was convicted by court martial of being drunk on duty and was reduced to the rank of Sapper. That his drunkenness was considered a very serious offence is evident by the fact that he was not simply reduced to the rank of Staff Sergeant, Sergeant or even Corporal. He was reduced all the way down to the rank of Sapper, the lowest enlisted rank in the Corps of Royal Engineers. At the same time he forfeited 1d of the 2d Good Conduct Pay that he was earning.^,[19]

George Baldwin returned to duty as a Sapper on the day after his court martial. On the 21^st of July 1899 he transferred to the First Class Army Reserve at his own request as a result of his reduction to the ranks. He was issued deferred pay amounting to £15-10s-6d before leaving active service with the Submarine Miners.

On the 26^th of December 1900, during one of the darkest periods of the British Army’s operations against the Boers in South Africa, George Baldwin was called up from the Army Reserve and rejoined the Colours as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. He was recalled under the Special Army Order dated 20 December 1899. He reported for duty at Brompton Barracks where he was assigned to “M” Company (Submarine Mining) under Major A.H. Van Straubenzee, R.E.[20] On the 10^th of November 1900, Sapper Baldwin had his Good Conduct Pay restored to 2d per day.

On the 1^st of April 1901, “M” Company became the cadre for the Brennan Torpedo School. On the introduction of the Brennan Torpedo, a special course of instruction was arranged for handling the mechanism and looking after the gear, while selected engine drivers were taught to use the special apparatus fitted in the Brennan engine room. This work was especially confidential, and every officer and man had to sign a declaration of secrecy.

Sapper Baldwin was discharged from the Army on the 20^th of June 1901, only two and a half months after the formation of the Brennan Torpedo School. He was discharged free of further military obligation with a total of only 8 years and 252 days of service. Perhaps his previous bad habit of excessive drinking had not been completely conquered and he was considered to be unreliable for further service in the sensitive area of the Brennan Torpedo. Without any field engineering skills and perhaps due to his age (he was then 40 and a half years old), a place could not be found for him to serve. These may have been the reasons for his early discharge, free of any further service requirement under his 12-year enlistment.

Except for the information contained in the 1901 census of England, no further information is known about George Baldwin following his discharge from the Army. The census shows the family living at 30 Wingfield Road in Gravesend.

Figure 6. Ernest Christopher Baldwin.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald James Baldwin)

It is likely that George Baldwin returned to his previous trade as a crewmember of a tugboat on the Thames or the Medway. His drinking problem, if it was a serious one, may have precluded him from returning to his former occupation as a Tug Master. He appears to have been much affected by his problem with drink and was so shamed by his reduction in rank as a result of his drinking that he turned his life around and remained sober for the rest of his days.[21] George Baldwin made it very clear to his three sons that they would be wise not to follow his example in that regard and in fact insisted that they did not over indulge in alcohol. All three heeded their father’s warning and went on to become sober, successful senior non-commissioned officers and officers in the Royal Engineers. Two of the sons, James Alexander and Frederick Thomas, received commissions and rose to the rank of Captain (Quartermaster). His third son, George Arthur, became a Quartermaster Sergeant.

George Baldwin died in Gravesend in January of 1911 at the age of 51. It is likely that his drinking problem may have had something to do with his early demise. The 1911 Census of England and Wales shows Rachel Eliza Baldwin living with two daughters, Rachel and Ethel, at 7 Mead Road in Gravesend.

Figure 7. 7 Mead Road, Gravesend, Kent.
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)

Ethel was seven years old in 1911. She had been born on the 3^rd of May 1901 in Gravesend. Frances Alice May Baldwin would have been 17 years of age in 1911. She does not appear as living with her mother and sisters. George, James and Frederick had all joined the Royal Engineers by this time; hence, they do not appear in the 1911 census with their mother.

Figure 11. The Sons of 27061 Mechanist Quartermaster Sergeant George Baldwin.
From left to right: Lance Corporal George Arthur Baldwin, Bugler James Alexander Baldwin and Boy Soldier Frederick Thomas Baldwin, R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald James Baldwin)

The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize George Baldwin’s promotions, appointments, military training and qualifications. They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career. The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage, personal information and post-service life.

Military Training: Because he was an experienced Tug Master when he enlisted, George Baldwin received no military training prior to being assigned to the 39^th (Submarine Mining) Company.

Qualifications: Baldwin earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

George Baldwin did not receive any awards or decorations during his time in service. He had not served long enough to receive a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (although his conduct may have precluded this in any case) and while he was called up from the Army Reserve during the Boer War, he did not serve in South Africa; hence, no campaign medal for that war.

George Baldwin was released from service on the 20^th of June 1901. His total service, shown on his Military History Sheet, was Home Service from 12 October 1892 to 20 June 1901, a total of 8 years and 252 days.

SUBMARINE MINERS AND THEIR WORK
(From "REGIMENT" Magazine, Issue Thirteen, April/May 1996, The Corps of Royal Engineers)

The Submarine Mining Service, which provided an efficient shore-based defence for British naval bases between 1871 and 1905, was a specialist wing of the Royal Engineers.

During the 1860s underwater mines were developed as reliable weapons for coastal defence. On the recommendation of General Sir John F. Burgoyne, R.E., their manning and control fell to Royal Engineers units operating alongside Coastal Artillery. The Corps' experiments with the new electricity and underwater wreck clearance provided valuable skills, and the first Royal Engineers Submarine Mining Company was formed in 1871.

As well as being physically fit to move the heavy mines around, such soldiers were also selected for their intelligence and scientific knowledge. After initial training and such mundane tasks as coiling the electrical cables used to connect the mine to the shore, the men moved on to be instructed as divers, electricians, instrument repairers, or engine drivers. Working dress included a pea jacket, sailor's cap and "sou'westers" for rough weather at sea.

The Submarine Mining Service expanded rapidly - there were four companies by 1882 and nine by 1886, with detachments throughout the British Empire, plus a number of Volunteer Submarine Mining Corps.

By 1904 it was decided to hand responsibility for coastal defence back to the Royal Navy and the following year the Navy took over coastal forts, mines and mine laying craft, but not the Coast Defence Electric Lights, which later passed to the Royal Artillery.

The mine consisted of a charge of gun cotton or dynamite contained in a case and sunk in a river, estuary or channel for the purpose of damaging a hostile ship attempting to pass.

Until 1870 the term "torpedo" was used for all explosives charges fired in water, both what we would call mines and torpedoes. Experiments with such charges had been going on since the late 18th Century and the Russians had used uncontrolled or mechanical mines in the Baltic during the Crimean War, but without success. The first effective use took place during the American Civil War and several nations thereafter conducted experiments. The Royal Engineers, having exploded charges underwater against wrecks since the 1830s, took over the mines in British service, until 1904 when the Royal Navy exerted control after a bitter inter-Service dispute.

Although originally the Royal Navy manned the laying vessels, in 1871 the first R.E. Company was converted solely to submarine mining, and soon the Royal Engineers had their own growing fleet of laying vessels. Kipling called the submarine miner "the Jolly", and said he was "soldier and sailor too". To look at them – the naval aspect looks more in evidence, but in fact submarine mining work called both for the brains to understand electrical connecting of mines and the brawn to hoist them from the laying vessel.

The simplest type of mine was the mechanical mine which could be detonated in a number of ways: either collision of mine and vessel would release a pin, which would in turn release a plunger which was forced into the detonator by a powerful spring; or a small electric firing battery could be used; or, more crudely, by the mixing of sulphuric acid, chlorate of potash and sugar. The trouble was that mechanical mines, once laid and primed, were dangerous to friend and foe alike, and could close a channel to friendly users.

The answer was the controlled mine which could be sown inert but connected up via electric cable to a shore station which could turn it on as soon as war was declared. The controlled mine was regarded in Britain as the ideal way of defending far-flung imperial and home merchant ports. The narrowness of the Needles Channel rendered it ideal for use there, but there was a snag. The strength of the tides meant that no nines were left sown in peacetime, but were only laid for practice, then taken up again.

The earliest types of controlled mine were usually of the "observation" type. In this method the circuit to tire the mine was closed electrically by two shore-based observers when a ship's centre bisected the line of sight of both observers. This was an uncertain method, and in 1885 the Watkin position finder was adapted for use. One observer in a cell observed the target through the attached telescope. On its chart were contact studs electrically linked to the observation mines, which exploded in groups when studs were touched. These "observation" mines were called "ground mines" because they could be laid on the sea bed to a depth of 60 feet/18.3 metres, or moored if the sea bed were further down. To allow for errors in observation 500 lb charges were used and the cylindrical mines laid in groups of 2 to 4 in up to four lines so as to "envelop" the ship. Any iron ship within 30 feet of one 500 lb mine would suffer severe hull damage through water-transmitted shock. The ground mine meant that friendly ships could pass over the minefield in safety. The drawback was that the system was useless if observers were blinded by fog or by night, unless searchlights were in constant use.

The answer was the "electro-contact" or "B.C." mine. After experimentation with a pear-shaped casing which let in water, the submarine miners settled on a spherical steel casing. Each mine was moored by chain to a heavy weight or "sinker" and floated just below the surface. As the mine would fire only when struck by a ship, it could be used in poor visibility and the charge could be small, no more than 50 lbs. However, the mine might recoil from the ship, so a charge of 100 lbs of gun cotton was normally used. As only one mine would be exploded, much less cable was used and up to four mines could share one cable to the shore, each member of the "group" being 150 feet/45.7 metres apart.

When a ship hit the mine the shock operated a "circuit closer" to complete an electrical circuit. The mine could be set to explode automatically when this happened, but suppose the "target" were a friendly vessel? The answer was the "retardation" E.C. mine, a type which would also frustrate an enemy attempt at setting off automatic mines by exploding a countermine underwater. When struck, the "retardation" mine sent a signal down the cable to a Test Room ashore. Here it rang a bell in a wall-mounted "shutter box" screwed to a large batten on a wall, notifying the R.E. operator even as it switched on the firing battery. The current for the cables was provided from banks of Leclanche cells. After a delay of 4 seconds the operator would "fire all mines that signal," unless the main firing switch had already been closed, in which case the mine would explode automatically. Too long a delay might allow the target to escape. To cancel firing the mine was "reversed" by sending a weak current of opposite polarity down the cable to open the circuit closer again. In 1891 Fort Victoria became a submarine mining depot. The northern ditch was turned into tank space in which electric cable was kept in fresh water. The casemates were turned into stores for loaded or empty mine casings. The best explosive charge was wet guncotton, set off by a primer of dry guncotton activated by a detonator.

The mines, after 1883, were stored loaded with the explosive charge. Just before laying a submarine miner entered a priming pit to fit the primer to the detonator. After this unit had been inserted into the mine, it would be placed on a truck and pushed on 18-inch gauge track out to a connecting-up ground where electrical cable was attached, then taken to a pier and loaded onto a miner for laying.

In the event, the shore-controlled method (although revived in both World Wars), was largely replaced about the time of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 by a less cumbersome method invented in Germany. The Herz horn gave us the "modern" naval mine. Each horn was made of lead covering a glass tube containing acid. When the horn bent on collision and the acid escaped, it ran down on two plates at the base of the horn - one copper, the other zinc - to form an instantaneous battery whose current detonated the primer and main charge.

Nevertheless, the controlled minefield had been good value. A 1903 committee estimated the total cost of a manned battery of two 9.2-inch guns at £64,000; £40,000 for a harbour defence submarine; £21,000 for a Brennan torpedo installation; and £30,000 for the mining of a channel 1,000 yards wide.

There was always the danger that an enemy could destroy a minefield, either by "creeping" (cutting electric cables), "sweeping" for the mines with long loops of chain, or "countermining". Hence minefields were to be protected by Q.F. batteries and searchlights. In the Needles Channel the intended minefield off Cliff End was to be covered by three 6-pounder QF installed east of Hurst Castle in 1893, a year after three 3-pounders were emplaced on the roof of Fort Albert.

Figure 13. Quartermaster Sergeant George Arthur Baldwin, R.E.
(as a Lance Corporal, R.E.)
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald J. Baldwin)

1. Introduction

The primary subject of this work is Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant George Arthur Baldwin, R.E., for it is his medal that is in the author’s collection.[22] Unfortunately, no papers were found in the National Archives for George Arthur Baldwin. However, the papers of his father, George Baldwin, opened up many avenues of research with regard to the Baldwin family.

George Arthur Baldwin grew up in the Sheerness area with his brothers and sisters while his father was serving in the 39^th (Submarine Mining) Company, Royal Engineers. His education began at the Ricardo Street School in Tower Hamlets on the 16^th of July 1888 while his family was living at 8 Vesey Street.

George was old enough in 1899 to recognize that his father had been considerably disgraced by his reduction in rank from Quartermaster Sergeant to Sapper as a result of his drinking on duty. Within three weeks after his father was called back to the Colours in December of 1899 to serve as a Sapper in “M” Company, young George Arthur decided to join the Army himself, like his father and his grandfather before him.

George Arthur Baldwin joined the Royal Engineers as a Boy Soldier on the 17^th of January 1900. He was 14 years and 2 months old at the time of his enlistment. Unfortunately, his service papers were not available for study at the National Archives, but it is known that he was assigned Regimental Number 4213.

It is also known that George Arthur Baldwin served in South Africa during his time in the Army.[23] What is not known is when this service in South Africa occurred. It is most likely that he served there after attaining the age of 18 years and joining the ranks as a Sapper; that is, any time after the 15^th of November 1903.

George Arthur Baldwin served in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force during the Great War.[24] By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant. His rank indicates that he served with the Establishment for Engineer Services (E.E.S.) during the war.

The term Establishment for Engineer Services (E.E.S.) or Royal Engineer Works Service had been used for a number of years in the 20^th century to describe the duties of the Royal Engineers in connection with building construction and the use of materials. This establishment dealt with the construction of fortifications, but by and large its greatest responsibility was in the area of the construction and maintenance of barracks. Other works undertaken by the Establishment included hospitals and Army Ordnance buildings. With regard to the latter, the work included not only the buildings themselves, but also the provision and maintenance of fixed machinery and the construction and maintenance of magazines and buildings for the storage of explosives, with special attention to precautions against fire and protection against lightning.

The E.E.S. was also involved with other buildings in support of the Army Service Corps, to include bakeries, stores, transport sheds and workshops. Special facilities such as refrigeration plants were also provided at Gibraltar and Malta and at other tropical locations. Many other buildings, such as churches, schools, offices, quarters for Commanding Officers and certain Staff Officers, were also provided by the E.E.S. Other essential services of the Establishment included the charge of military cemeteries and burial grounds, the preparation of graves and the appointment and supervision of caretakers.

In connection with all of the above works, there was an organization within the E.E.S. responsible for the control of "Military Lands." This term included the land on which the barracks and fortifications were constructed, along with roads, parades and recreation grounds. Closely allied to the control of "Military Lands" was the provision of rifle and artillery ranges.

One of the special branches within the E.E.S. included the Electrical Branch which consisted of Defence Electric Lights, Telegraphs, Telephones, and Miscellaneous Electrical Services. The largest sub-element of the Electrical Branch was the Submarine Mining Service, which was responsible for the mine defences and also for the defence electric lights and electrical communications in the defended ports throughout the British Empire. Other miscellaneous electrical services included barracks lighting and protection of building against lightning.

A second special branch of the E.E.S. was the Mechanical Branch, with its responsibility for installation and maintenance of engines, boilers and machinery used with pumping and heating plant, and machinery used in Royal Engineer and Ordnance workshops. Other special branches of the Establishment were the Mechanical Transport Branch and the Railway Branch.

The detailed description above of the work performed by the E.E.S. is provided to supply some understanding of the duties that QMS Baldwin may have performed during the Great War. Unfortunately without his service papers we cannot know precisely what duties he did perform or precisely where he performed them other than the fact that he did serve in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

QMS Baldwin was mentioned for his service during the war by General Sir E.H.H. Allenby, GCMG, KCB, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Allenby’s despatch dated the 3^rd of April 1918. Baldwin is listed with those officers, non-commissioned officers and men who Allenby says rendered “distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty” during the operations in Palestine.[25]

In January of 1918 QMS Baldwin was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal[26] and for his services during the war he earned the British War Medal and Victory Medal.[27]

Figure 14. The Medal Index Card (front)
of 4213 Warrant Officer Class II George A. Baldwin, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

The back of the Medal Index Card shows that the roll for his medals was forwarded to the War Office by the Chief Engineer, Aldershot Command on the 3^rd of February 1920. At that time it may be assumed that Baldwin was serving at Aldershot.

QMS Baldwin remained in the Army after the Great War and was issued Army Number 1850799.[29] He completed 21 years of service in January of 1921, assuming that his service as a Boy Soldier counted towards his time for discharge. Between the time the war ended and his discharge from the Army, it is believed that he served in North China.[30] It is known that he was in China as late as 1929, as there is photographic evidence of George visiting his brother Frederick and his family in Johore, Malaya on his way home from China to England during that year.[31] When he first got to China is unknown.

Figure 16. Fred and George Baldwin, Johore, Malaya, 1929.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald J. Baldwin)

Figure 17. George Baldwin with His Brother Fred and Fred’s Family.
Johore, India, 1929.

George Arthur Baldwin appears to have remained in North China, perhaps working as a civilian Clerk of Works, after his discharge from the Army. On the 11^th of July 1932 he prepared his last will and testament while residing at 107 Douglas Road in Tientsin, China. Witnesses to his will were his neighbors, John Ernest Simmonds of 111 Douglas Road and John Lawrinson of 115 Douglas Road. The executrix of his will was his wife, Mary Ann Aldous Baldwin, who appears to have been residing in China at the time. Although he was no longer in the Army, life was hardly peaceful for Baldwin and his wife during their time in China, especially during 1931 and 1932.

Major E.F. Tickell, MC, R.E. was the Officer Commanding the Royal Engineers of the Establishment for Engineer Services stationed in Tientsin until the autumn of 1931 when he was replaced by Major G. McL. Ross, MC, R.E. During the period of their change of command, a miniature war was being fought in the Chinese section of Tientsin.[32] All Europeans had been confined to their quarters for some time during the hostilities. The restriction was removed in November of 1931, but the British populace in Tientsin was not allowed outside the boundaries of the British Concession. Old soldiers in the city were reminded of old times, as they could hear the sound of rifle and machine gun fire and occasional trench mortars coming from the Chinese city. Part of the boundary of the British Concession was wired in against the influx of refugees, under the supervision of non-commissioned officers of the Royal Engineers. By December of 1931 things were far from normal, but by then the indiscriminant firing that had been going on each night had practically ceased.[33]

Fighting raged in and around Tientsin between the Chinese and the Japanese in the spring of 1932. A British ship bringing a draft of soldiers to Shanghai from Tientsin had to pass through the fire between the Woosung Forts and Japanese destroyers, and had rather a hectic ten minutes, during which time shells burst in the vicinity and the ship was struck by bullets.[34]

Figure 18. The E.E.S. Staff in Tientsin, 1933.
(Photograph courtesy of The Sapper, June 1934)

It is not known for how long the Baldwins lived in China. It is probably safe to assume that when the Japanese invaded China on a large scale in 1937, Baldwin along with most of the other Europeans probably left Tientsin.

When he finally returned home to England, Baldwin took a position as a Clerk of Works with an unknown company or government agency. He held this position until his final retirement. After returning to England, he and his wife resided at 34 Bury Crescent in Gosport, Hampshire.

Figure 19. 34 Bury Crescent, Gosport, Hampshire.
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)

George Arthur Baldwin died on the 29^th of April 1966 at the age of 80 years. His death took place at War Memorial Hospital in Gosport.[35] The informant of his death was one H. Fereday, Occupier, at War Memorial Hospital. His death was certified by C.P. Gray, MB as being caused by a carcinoma of the lung. Baldwin’s death certificate was issued by C. Penkethman, the Registrar in the district and sub-district of Gosport in the County of Hampshire on the 3^rd of May 1966.[36]

Figure 20. War Memorial Hospital, Gosport, Hampshire.
(Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia)

George Arthur Baldwin’s will was filed for probate on the 25^th of August 1966. His wife renounced probate of the will and his estate went to his son, George William Baldwin (1921-1976), an Inspector on the Metropolitan London Police Force who was then residing at 37 Cropthorne Court, Maida Vale, London W.9. George William Baldwin was a well-known Police Inspector. He was born in China during the time his father was serving there and was fluent in Chinese.[37]

George William Baldwin was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the 5^th of September 1942 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 5^th of January 1943.[38] He was released to the Unemployed List sometime before December of 1946.[39] Based on information found in a Baldwin family tree (Lawlersr) it appears that he died in December 1976 in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.

Captain (Quartermaster)
JAMES ALEXANDER BALDWIN
(Formerly 13161 and 1851693 Regimental Sergeant Major)
Royal Engineers

Figure 20a. Captain James Alexander Baldwin, R.E. (as a Lieutenant)
(Photograph courtesy of Muriel Baldwin)

The principal references used in the preparation of this narrative were from a number of sources. They include census records, official registries in the United Kingdom, medal rolls, family trees, photographs provided by family members, Army Lists, and The London Gazette. All sources are contained in the REFERENCE section at the end of the narrative and are cited throughout in the ENDNOTES. Every effort has been made to accurately portray the life and military service of Captain Baldwin.

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

James Alexander Baldwin’s early life and family information are covered in detail in Section I of this narrative. He was born on the 28^th of April 1889 while his family was living at 8 Vesey Street in the District of Poplar in the County of London. His parents, George and Rachel Baldwin did not register his birth until the 6^th of June 1889.[40]

Young James enlisted as a Boy Soldier on the 30^th of November 1903 at the age of 14 years and 7 months. Upon his attestation for service he was issued Regimental Number 13161 in the Corps of Royal Engineers. Upon attaining the age of 18 years, in about 1907, James entered the ranks as a Sapper and was posted to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, Kent for his training as an engineer soldier. Following his recruit training it appears that James served at home until the start of the Great War of 1914 to 1918. Details regarding his postings at this time would require access to his service records from the Army Personnel Centre. These records were not available for this research work. The records were requested from the Ministry of Defence by his son, Ronald James Baldwin, on the 1^st of December 2002, but his service papers could not be located. From a photograph provided by his granddaughter Helen, it is known that he served in the Curragh, Ireland prior to the Great War of 1914-1918.

James Alexander Baldwin was a Corporal at the time of his deployment to France on the 22^nd of August 1915. His award of the Meritorious Service Medal for his war service indicates that he served in the 179^th Tunnelling Company while in France and Flanders. This was a dangerous duty and one wonders if he volunteered for tunnelling service or if he was simply posted to the company. In any case he was engaged in some very dangerous work during his time in the war. The following information is taken from the Wikipedia web site at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/179th_Tunnelling_Company.

“The 179th Tunnelling Company was formed in Third Army area in October of 1915 and moved into the Thiepval-La Boisselle sector of the area of the Somme recently taken over by the BEF. In the Somme sector of the Western Front, local but very fierce underground fighting had taken place in the winter of 1914 and spring of 1915 at La Boisselle, Fricourt, Bois Français and Carnoy. The 174th and 183rd Tunnelling Companies were moved to the Somme sector to relieve French engineers, but the British did not have enough miners to take over the large number of French shafts and the French agreed to leave their engineers at work for several weeks. To provide the tunnellers needed, the British formed the 178th and 179th Tunnelling Companies in August of 1915.

Excellent work has been done by Simon Jones in investigating the service of the 179^th Tunnelling Company during the Great War. The officers who served with the company may be found on his web site at:

Information regarding Non-Commission Officers and Other Ranks who served in the company also may be found at this web site address. Below are some photographs of a few of the officers who served in the company.

Early attempts at mining by the British on the Western Front had commenced in late 1914 in the soft clay and sandy soils of Flanders. Mining at La Boisselle was in chalk, much harder and requiring different techniques. The German advance had been halted at La Boisselle by French troops on the 28^th of September 1914. There was bitter fighting for possession of the village cemetery, and for farm buildings on the south-western edge of the village known as L'îlot de La Boisselle to the French, as Granathof (German: "shell farm") to the Germans and later as Glory Hole to the British. In December of 1914, French engineers had begun tunnelling beneath the ruins. With the war on the surface at stalemate, both sides continued to probe beneath the opponent's trenches and detonate ever-greater explosive charges. In August of 1915, the French and Germans were working at a depth of 12 metres (39 ft); the size of their charges had reached 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb). The British tunnelling companies extended and deepened the system, first to 24 metres (79 ft) and ultimately 30 metres (98 ft). Around La Boisselle, the Germans also dug defensive transversal tunnels at a depth of about 80 feet (24 metres), parallel to the front line. No man's land at L'îlot was very narrow, at one point about 46 metres (50 yd) wide, and had become pockmarked by many chalk craters.

In October of 1915, the 179th Tunnelling Company began to sink a series of deep shafts in an attempt to forestall German miners who were approaching beneath the British front line. At W Shaft they went down from 9.1 metres (30 ft) to 24 metres (80 ft) and began to drive two counter-mine tunnels towards the Germans. From the right-hand gallery the sounds of German digging grew steadily louder. On the 19th of November 1915, 179th Tunnelling Company's commander, Captain Henry Hance, estimated that the Germans were 15 yards away and ordered the mine chamber to be loaded with 2,700 kilograms (6,000 lb) of explosive. This was completed by midnight of 20/21 November. At 1.30 am on 22 November, the Germans blew their charge, filling the remaining British tunnels with carbon monoxide. Both the right and left tunnels were collapsed, and it was later found that the German blow had detonated the British charge. The wrecked tunnels were gradually re-opened, but about thirty bodies still lie in the tunnels beneath La Boisselle.

At the start of the Battle of Albert (1–13 July), the name given by the British to the first two weeks of the Battle of the Somme, La Boisselle stood on the main axis of British attack. The tunnelling companies were to make two major contributions to the Allied preparations by placing 19 large and small mines beneath the German positions along the front line and by preparing a series of shallow Russian saps from the British front line into no man's land, which would be opened at zero hour and allow the infantry to attack the German positions from a comparatively short distance.

Russian saps in front of Thiepval, Ovillers and La Boisselle were the task of 179th Tunnelling Company. In the front section allocated to the 36th (Ulster) Division, ten saps were run from the British lines into no-man's land north-east of Thiepval Wood. The intention was for each of the ten tunnels to house two mortars.

At La Boisselle, four mines were prepared by the Royal Engineers: Two charges (known as No 2 straight and No 5 right) were planted at L'îlot at the end of galleries dug from Inch Street Trench by the 179th Tunnelling Company, intended to wreck German tunnels and create crater lips to block enfilade fire along no man's land. As the Germans in La Boisselle had fortified the cellars of ruined houses, and cratered ground made a direct infantry assault on the village impossible, two further mines, known as Y Sap and Lochnagar after the trenches from which they were dug, were laid on the north-east and the south-east of La Boisselle to assist the attack on either side of the German salient in the village.

The 185th Tunnelling Company started work on the Lochnagar mine on the 11^th of November 1915 and handed the tunnels over to 179th Tunnelling Company in March 1916. A month before the handover, 18 men of the 185th Tunnelling Company (2 officers, 16 sappers) were killed on the 4^th of February when the Germans detonated a camouflet near the British three-level mine system, starting from Inch Street, La Boisselle, the deepest level being just above the water table at around 30 metres (100 ft). The Lochnagar mine consisted of two chambers with a shared access tunnel (see map). The shaft was sunk in the communication trench called "Lochnagar Street". After the Black Watch had arrived at La Boisselle at the end of July 1915, many existing Allied fortifications, originally dug by the French, had been given Scotland-related names. The Lochnagar mine probably had the first deep incline shaft, which sloped 1:2–1:3 to a depth of about 29 metres (95 ft). It was begun 91 metres (300 ft) behind the British front line and 270 metres (900 ft) away from the German front line. Starting from the inclined shaft, about 15 metres (50 ft) below ground, a gallery was driven towards the German lines. For silence, the tunnellers used bayonets with spliced handles and worked barefoot on a floor covered with sandbags. Flints were carefully prized out of the chalk and laid on the floor; if the bayonet was manipulated two-handed, an assistant caught the dislodged material. Spoil was placed in sandbags and passed hand-by-hand, along a row of miners sitting on the floor and stored along the side of the tunnel, later to be used to tamp the charge. When about 41 metres (135 ft) from the Schwabenhöhe, the tunnel was forked into two branches and the end of each branch was enlarged to form a chamber for the explosives, the chambers being about 18 metres (60 ft) apart and 16 metres (52 ft) deep. When finished, the access tunnel for the Lochnagar mine was 1.37 by 0.76 metres (4.5 ft × 2.5 ft) and had been excavated at a rate of about 46 centimeters (18 in) per day, until about 310 metres (1,030 ft) long, with the galleries beneath the Schwabenhöhe. The mine was loaded with 27,000 kilograms (60,000 lb) of ammonal, divided in two charges of 16,000 kilograms (36,000 lb) and 11,000 kilograms (24,000 lb). As the chambers were not big enough to hold all the explosive, the tunnels that branched to form the 'Y' were also filled with ammonal. The longer branch was 18 metres (60 ft) long, the shorter was 12 metres (40 ft) long. The tunnels did not quite reach the German front line but the blast would dislodge enough material to form a 4.6 metres (15 ft) high rim and bury nearby trenches.

The tunnel for the Y Sap mine underneath the German trenches overlooking Mash Valley just north of La Boisselle started in the British front line near where it crossed the D 929 Albert–Bapaume road, but because of German underground defences it could not be dug in a straight line. About 460 metres (500 yd) were dug into no man's land, before it turned right for about another 460 metres (500 yd). About 18,000 kilograms (40,000 lb) of ammonal was placed in the chamber beneath the Y Sap mine. The Lochnagar and the Y Sap mines were "overcharged" to ensure that large rims were formed from the disturbed ground. Communication tunnels were also dug for use immediately after the first attack but were little used in the end. The mines were laid without interference by German miners but as the explosives were placed, German miners could be heard below Lochnagar and above the Y Sap mine.

Captain Stanley Bullock of the 179^th Tunnelling Company described the conditions of the work:

“At one place in particular our men swore they thought he [the German enemy] was coming through, so we stopped driving forward and commenced to chamber in double shifts. We did not expect to complete it before he blew, but we did. A chamber 12' x 6' x 6' in 24 hours. The Germans worked for a shift more than we did and then stopped. They knew we had chambered and were afraid we should blow and no more work was done there. I used to hate going to listen in that chamber more than any other place in the mine. Half an hour, sometimes once sometimes three times a day, in deadly silence with the geophone to your ears, wondering whether the sound you heard was the Boche working silently or your own heart beating. God knows how we kept our nerves and judgement. After the Somme attack when we surveyed the German mines and connected up to our own system, with the theodolite we found that we were 5 feet apart, and that he had only started his chamber and then stopped.”

The four mines at La Boisselle were detonated at 7:28 a.m. on the 1^st of July 1916, the first day on the Somme. The explosion of the Lochnagar mine was initiated by Captain James Young of the 179th Tunnelling Company, who pressed the switches and observed that the firing had been successful. The two charges of the Lochnagar mine created a single, vast, smooth sided, flat bottom crater measuring some 220 feet (67 metres) diameter excluding the lip, and 450 feet (137 metres) across the full extent of the lip. It had obliterated between 300 and 400 feet (91 and 122 metres) of the German dug-outs, all said to have been full of German troops. At the time, the Lochnagar mine, along with the Y Sap mine, were the largest mines ever detonated. The sound of the blast was considered the loudest man-made noise in history up to that point, with reports suggesting it was heard in London.

Despite their colossal size, the Lochnagar and Y Sap mines failed to help sufficiently neutralize the German defences in La Boisselle. The ruined village was meant to fall in 20 minutes, but by the end of the first day of the battle, it had not been taken while the III Corps divisions had lost more than 11,000 casualties. At Mash Valley, the attackers lost 5,100 men before noon, and at Sausage Valley near the crater of the Lochnagar mine, there were over 6,000 casualties – the highest concentration on the entire battlefield.

In spring of 1917, the 179th Tunnelling Company moved to the Ypres Canal sector near Boezinge where it commenced work on dugouts. The BEF had decided to carry out all operations in the offensive of summer 1917 from deep dugouts. East of the Ypres Canal in the close vicinity of Boezinge there were several dugouts, seven of which were finished by the 173rd or 179th Tunnelling Company. Of these, Yorkshire Trench, Butt 18, Nile Trench and Heading Lane Dugout were double battalion headquarters, Bridge 6 was a brigade headquarters, and Lancashire Farm Dugout contained two battalion and two brigade headquarters. The condition of the ground made digging the deep dugouts extR.E.M.E.ly difficult and dangerous. Work had to be carried out silently and secretly, facing an observant enemy who was only a few hundred metres away.

During the winter of 1917–18 the company was in the La Bassée sector, engaged in defensive tunnel warfare and in constructing deep concrete dugouts in the support line (the 'Village Line') in cooperation with 42nd (East Lancashire) Divisional Engineers. These defences enabled 55th (West Lancashire) Division to hold its ground during the subsequent German Spring Offensive.

Once the front had stabilized after the German offensive, British engineers began digging stronger defences. Sections of 179th Tunnelling Co assisted the field companies of 42^nd Divisional Engineers in digging deep dugouts in the Hébuterne sector.”

The following table presents a list of the major actions in which Baldwin’s company took part along with the major headquarters that controlled the 179^th Tunnelling Company during the war. This information is from “Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers” published in the Royal Engineers Journal between 1925 and 1932. It provides additional information regarding the locations and the actions in which Baldwin and the 179^th Tunnelling Company were engaged; that is, information in addition to the narrative information presented above for the Somme, the Ypres Salient and La Bassée.

Major Headquarters	Locations	Dates
Third Army	Company raised and sent to France	Aug 1915
Fourth Army	La Boisselle: involved in underground fighting and blowing many mines	Aug 1915 – Jun 1916
Fourth Army	Albert	1-13 Jul 1916
Fourth Army	Bazentin	14-17 Jul 1916
Fourth Army	Delville Wood	15 Jul – 3 Sep 1916
Fourth Army	Pozieres	23 Jul -3 Sep 1916
Fourth Army	Flers-Courcelette	15-22 Sep 1916
General Headquarters B.E.F.	Morval	25-28 Sep 1916
General Headquarters B.E.F.	Thiepval	26-28 Sep 1916
General Headquarters B.E.F.	Le Transloy	1-18 Oct 1916
General Headquarters B.E.F.	Ancre Heights	1 Oct – 11 Nov 1916
General Headquarters B.E.F.	Ancre	13-18 Nov 1916
VI Corps	Scarpe	9-14 Apr 1917
VI Corps	Scarpe	23-24 Apr 1917
VI Corps	Arleux	28-29 Apr 1917
Third Army	Scarpe	3-4 May 1917
XVIII Corps	Pilckem	31 Jul – 2 Aug 1917
XVIII Corps	Langemarck	16-18 Aug 1917
XVIII Corps	Menin Road	20-25 Sep 1917
XVIII Corps	Polygon Wood	26 Sep – 3 Oct 1917
XVIII Corps	Broodseinde	4 Oct 1917
XVIII Corps	Poelcappelle	7 Oct 1917
XVIII Corps	Passchendaele	12 Oct 1917
XVIII & II Corps	Passchendaele	26 Oct – 10 Nov 1917
XVII Corps	Bapaume	24-25 Mar 1918
XVII Corps	Arras	28 Mar 1918
IV Corps	Albert	21-23 Aug 1918
IV Corps	Bapaume	31 Aug – 3 Sep 1918
XXII Corps	Drocourt-Queant	2-3 Sep 1918
XXII Corps	Pursuit to Mons Canal Du Nord Cambrai Selle Valenciennes Sambre	28 Sep – 11 Nov 1918 27 Sep -1 Oct 1918 8-9 Oct 1918 17-25 Oct 1918 1-2 Nov 1918 4 Nov 1918

The 179^th Tunnelling Company lost 84Other Ranks during the war. These men were victims of underground combat with German miners, enemy mines, camouflets, gas, booby traps and cave-ins. The duties that they performed were among the most dangerous duties of any soldiers during the Great War. The following is a list of the fatalities suffered by the company:[41]

Fatal Casualties Suffered by the 179^th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers
During the Great War of 1914-1918
(listed by date of death)

Regimental Number	Rank	Name	Date of Death	Cause of Death
102752	Sapper	William Gouldsborough	29 Aug 1915	Killed in action
	2^nd Lieutenant	Cecilius Frederick Holcombe Calver	14 Sep 1915	Killed in action
102822	Sapper	William Elliott	14 Sep 1915	Killed in action
86135	Corporal	William Lynch	26 Sep 1915	Killed in action
137582	Sapper	Robert Gavin	21 Nov 1915	Killed in action
79062	Sapper	James Glen	21 Nov 1915	Killed in action
112640	Sapper	John Lane	21 Nov 1915	Killed in action
112582	Sapper	Ezekiel Parkes	21 Nov 1915	Killed in action
79577	Sapper	Andrew Taylor	21 Nov 1915	Killed in action
79574	2^nd Corporal	William Walker	21 Nov 1915	Killed in action
79084	Lance Corpl	John Conn	18 Dec 1915	Killed in action
112724	Sapper	Herbert Grice	18 Dec 1915	Killed in action
136339	Sapper	Samuel Thomas Duffy	19 Dec 1915	Killed in action
112710	Sapper	Richard Knight	19 Dec 1915	Killed in action
121706	Sapper	William Arthur Lloyd	19 Dec 1915	Killed in action
137581	Sapper	Robert Parker	19 Dec 1915	Killed in action
102934	Corporal	William James Seymour	19 Dec 1915	Killed in action
112552	Sapper	Samson Farnell	23 Dec 1915	Died
112720	Sapper	Thomas Hornsey	31 Dec 1915	Killed in action
102977	Sapper	Thomas Jones	31 Dec 1915	Killed in action
132017	Sapper	Thomas Schofield	18 Jan 1916	Killed in action
137563	Sapper	David Young	13 Mar 1916	Died of wounds
139196	Sapper	Thomas Farrington	13 Mar 1916	Killed in action
137545	Lance Corpl	Joseph Hynes	13 Mar 1916	Killed in action
147500	Corporal	Sidney Robinson	6 Apr 1916	Killed in action
	Captain	Wilfred Bertram Creswick, KOYLI	10 Apr 1916	Killed in action
102758	Sapper	Stephen Devine	10 Apr 1916	Killed in action
137572	Sapper	Alfred Lindill	19 Apr 1916	Died
147554	Sapper	William Parry	3 Jun 1916	Killed in action
79061	Corporal	Alexander Sime	4 Jul 1916	Killed in action
79576	Sapper	David Bryce	4 Jul 1916	Died
144829	Sapper	William Wills	10 Jul 1916	Killed in action
155779	Sapper	Frederick Webb	18 Jul 1916	Killed in action
97044	Sapper	Benjamin Kingston	26 Jul 1916	Died
95912	Sapper	Bertram Martin	26 Aug 1916	Killed in action
	2^nd Lieutenant	Ralph Hawtrey	3 Sep 1916	Killed in action
	2^nd Lieutenant	Geoffrey Thompson, 2^nd Q.V.O. S&M	3 Sep 1916	Killed in action
151639	Sapper	Charles Richard Leach	15 Oct 1916	Killed in action
79255	Corporal	Joseph Humphries	9 Nov 1916	Killed in action
139146	Sapper	Herbert Speller	16 Nov 1916	Killed in action
112597	Sapper	Edward Hill	28 Nov 1916	Died of wounds
132776	Sapper	David Jones	12 Feb 1917	Died of wounds
	2^nd Lieutenant	Percy Joseph Bates	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
102909	Sapper	Silas George Chapman	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
79056	Sapper	William Graham	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
132829	Sapper	Albert James Mudway	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
95796	Sapper	Joseph Niland	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
137576	Sapper	Peter Rowan	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
132908	Sapper	Frederick John Speed	28 Mar 1917	Killed in action
103854	Sapper	Albert Owen Clowes	29 Mar 1917	Died of wounds
79578	Sapper	James Kerr	29 Mar 1917	Died of wounds
132038	Sapper	Harry Lucas	30 Mar 1917	Died of wounds
155226	Sapper	William John Kenvyn	3 Apr 1917	Died of wounds
102190	Sapper	James Charles	4 Apr 1917	Died of wounds
102749	Sapper	Thomas Cook	6 Apr 1917	Killed in action
102485	Lance Corpl	George William Wilkinson	6 Apr 1917	Killed in action
112636	Sapper	Abraham Venner	26 Apr 1917	Died of wounds
79054	Sapper	John Breslin	9 May 1917	Died of wounds
137543	Sapper	Thomas Moonie	29 May 1917	Died of wounds
79254	Sapper	Cyril Gott	3 Jun 1917	Killed in action
157705	Sapper	Walter Evans	6 Jun 1917	Died of wounds
132731	Sapper	Henry Charles Carter Hounslow	7 Jul 1917	Killed in action
211887	Sapper	Sidney Watters	10 Jul 1917	Died of wounds
231842	Sapper	Robert Fairgrieve	13 Jul 1917	Died of wounds
156485	Sapper	Reginald Williams	13 Jul 1917	Died of wounds
102697	Sapper	Frank Wallace	22 Jul 1917	Killed in action
102755	Sapper	George Thomas Wilkinson	3 Aug 1917	Died of wounds
136446	Sapper	Ernest Mangham	6 Aug 1917	Died of wounds
102215	Sapper	John Wilmot Briggs	7 Aug 1917	Died of wounds
132782	Sapper	Alexander Sutherland	11 Aug 1917	Killed in action
137549	Sapper	Walter Deas	2 Sep 1917	Killed in action
136075	Corporal	Frank Edden	2 Sep 1917	Killed in action
86350	Sapper	David E. Lewis	26 Sep 1917	Killed in action
132773	Lance Corpl	Alfred Hill	6 Oct 1917	Died of wounds
132756	Sapper	Robert Norris	11 Oct 1917	Killed in action
	2^nd Lieutenant	John Lamb	17 Oct 1917	Died of wounds
	2^nd Lieutenant	Herbert Edward Leyland	17 Oct 1917	Died of wounds
132906	Sapper	John Holmes	17 Oct 1917	Died of wounds
94282	Sapper	Jacob Page	17 Oct 1917	Killed in action
	Captain	John Lindsay Reid	18 Oct 1917	Died of wounds
132917	Sapper	John McNee	20 Oct 1917	Died of wounds
147743	Sapper	Thomas Archibald	14 Nov 1917	Killed in action
132978	Sapper	Charles Frederick Deakin	17 Mar 1918	Killed in action
155059	Sapper	John Rees Williams	19 Mar 1918	Died of wounds
	2^nd Lieutenant	George Haslewood Foster	21 Mar 1918	Killed in action
132810	Sapper	Alfred Spalding	28 Mar 1918	Died of wounds
137559	Sergeant	Barclay	25 Apr 1918	Killed in action
175465	Sapper	John Henry Male	25 Apr 1918	Killed in action
157700	Sapper	William Smith	25 Apr 1918	Killed in action
	2^nd Lieutenant	Alexander Matheson McKay	18 May 1918	Died of wounds
444720	Sapper	Albert Frost	13 May 1918	Died of wounds
151647	Sapper	James William Hurford	15 May 1918	Died of wounds
488334	Sapper	Jesse Hampton	18 May 1918	Died of wounds
157701	Corporal	Horace Miles	20 May 1918	Died of wounds

Figure 24. 112582 Sapper Ezekiel Parkes, Killed in Action on 21 November 1915
(Photograph courtesy of Simon Jones)

Baldwin was a Sergeant when the war ended and for his service he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.[42] The London Gazette of 3 June 1919 (p. 6874) indicates that Sergeant Baldwin also was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal “in recognition of valuable service rendered with the Armies in France and Flanders.” There was a total of 5,116 Meritorious Service Medals in this London Gazette with 1,461 being awarded to men of the Royal Engineers.[43]

Figure 25. Sergeant J.A. Baldwin (standing) and Sergeant Henry John Bullen, R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald J. Baldwin)

NOTE: This photograph was taken during the war. Both men are wearing jerkins of goatskin as well as rubber waders. The photograph probably dates from the cold muddy winter of 1917/1918.

Figure 26. The Wedding of 6274 Sergeant Henry John Bullen, R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of Simon Jones and Richard Norris)

Early in 1920 Sergeant Baldwin was serving in the Curragh, Ireland. He had married Nellie Caroline Fowle (1888-1982) on the 17^th of January 1917 at St. Paul’s Church on Westminster Bridge Road in Southwark, London. While he was serving in Ireland the Baldwin’s lived in 7A Block, Military Quarters, Royal Engineers, Curragh Camp.

Figure 26a. The Marriage of Sergeant James Alexander Baldwin and Miss Nellie Caroline Fowle on 17 January 1917.
(Photograph courtesy of Simon Jones and Helen Kingkade)

Figure 27. Nellie Caroline Baldwin.
(Photograph courtesy of the Baldwin family tree)

On the 12^th of February 1920 the Baldwins had a son, Ronald James, born in the Military Families Hospital at the Curragh Camp. Young Ronald was baptized on the 21^st of February and his birth was registered in the District of Newbridge, County Kildare on the 5^th of March 1920.

Figure 28. The Military Hospital, Curragh, Camp.
(Photograph courtesy of Wayne Fitzgerald)

Following his posting to the Curragh, Sergeant Baldwin was next assigned as an Instructor and Drill Sergeant in the Royal Engineers Training Battalion at Brompton Barracks in Chatham. The photograph below shows a unit of men of mixed ages, so obviously it is not a class of recruits. The men may be at Chatham for advanced training of some sort. Baldwin, standing in the center of the photograph (without a rifle) probably was the Sergeant Instructor for this group. He is wearing the 1908 Infantry Pattern waist belt. None of the men, including Baldwin, is wearing ribbon bars for the Great War. Instead of being a post war photograph, it is possible that this photograph was taken at Chatham prior to the war when Baldwin was only a Corporal, perhaps shortly before he deployed to France in 1915. His rank insignia are not visible in the photograph. It also is possible that this may have been his section of the 179^th Tunnelling Company posing for a photograph prior to going to France. The photograph was definitely taken at Chatham in front of the statue of General Gordon.

During his time at Chatham it appears that he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and to Warrant Officer Class II in the short period between 1920 and 1926.

Figure 29. Baldwin with a Section of Sappers at Chatham.
(Photograph courtesy of Muriel Baldwin)

Figure 30. Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Depot Battalion, R.E. at Brompton Barracks, Chatham, Kent, c. 1923-1925.
(Photograph courtesy of Muriel Baldwin)

In the photograph above Baldwin (middle row, third from the left) appears to be a Sergeant. Unfortunately none of the other men in the photograph have been identified. All the men are wearing Great War medal ribbon bars, although the ribbons on the Corporal to Baldwin’s left cannot be seen. The officers seated in the center are a Captain (fifth from the left) and a Lieutenant seated on the Captain’s right. The man seated to the right of the Lieutenant is a Warrant Officer Class II and the man seated to the Captain’s left is a Warrant Officer Class I.

On the 21^st of December 1926 Baldwin was promoted to Warrant Officer Class I (Regimental Sergeant Major). It was about this time that he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for completing 18 years of service.

Figure 31. Regimental Sergeant Major James Alexander Baldwin, R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of Muriel Baldwin)

In the photograph above RSM Baldwin is shown wearing his full complement of ribbons and is holding what may be his pace stick. A pace stick is a long stick usually carried by warrant officer and non-commissioned officer drill instructors as a symbol of authority and as an aid to military drill. A pace stick usually consists of two pieces of wood, hinged at the top, and tapering towards the bottom. They are usually shod and fitted with highly polished brass. They can open so that the tips separate at fixed distances, corresponding to various lengths of marching pace, such as "double march", "quick march", "step short", etc. When opened to the correct pace length, the pace stick can be held alongside the holder's body by the hinge, with one leg of the stick vertical to the ground, and the other leg pointing forward. By twirling the stick while marching, the stick can be made to "walk" alongside its holder at the proper pace. Otherwise, while on parade or when marching, it is normally carried tucked tightly under the left arm and parallel to the ground, with the left hand grasping the stick near the top.

In 1928 RSM Baldwin (in the foreground) took part in the Great War monument unveiling at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst presided over by Major General C.E. Cochrane, CB, CMG and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

RSM Baldwin may have been serving at Sandhurst as an instructor or drill sergeant. Again, without access to his service papers it is not possible to know how long he may have served there or in what capacity.

In 1930 RSM Baldwin was serving at Blackdown, Hampshire with the 1^st Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Battalion, R.E. He probably was posted there as the Sergeant Major of the battalion. In addition to their primary mission of air defence, Royal Engineers searchlight units were constantly used for more pacific employment, most notably in connection with searchlight tattoos. The greatest of these was held annually at the Rushmoor Arena at Aldershot in Hampshire. To this spectacle hundreds of thousands of people came every year from all over the world, and up to 1935 the illumination for these events was always provided by searchlights manned by the 1^st Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Battalion from Blackdown.

By 1933 Baldwin was again posted to Brompton Barracks as Regimental Sergeant Major (standing at the left in the photograph above). He appears to have served in this capacity until 1939 when he was granted a commission for service in World War 2

On the 7^th of September 1939 SGM James Alexander Baldwin was commissioned a Lieutenant (Quartermaster) on the Land Forces General List.[45] He subsequently was reassigned from the General List to the Corps of Royal Engineers on the 30^th of September 1939.[46] He was then assigned to the War Office in London where he was employed on staff duties associated with bomb and mine disposal. He appears in the photograph below (Figure 36) in 1943 in an office with two other staff officers. The wall chart behind the man seated on the left describes various types of German bombs. The wall chart over the head of the man on the right appears to be a diagram of a mine fuse. Both of the officers seated appear to be studious types, probably scientists or engineers involved with studying German bomb and mine fuses. It is not known what training or experience Baldwin had with mine disposal work. His work in this field might have been purely administrative.

James Baldwin rose to the rank of Captain by the end of the war. It appears that he left the Army shortly after the war ended as in his last will and testament, prepared on the 9^th of November 1945, he listed his occupation as Civil Service Clerk.

a. Promotions: Baldwin received the following promotions during his time in service:^(*)

b. Appointments: Baldwin received the following appointments during his time in service:

a. Military Training: Without access to his service papers it is not possible to know definitively just what military training Baldwin may have received. He certainly received recruit training when he joined the ranks as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. Prior to or after he was posted to a tunnelling company in the Great War he certainly must have received some additional training. As he progressed in rank as a senior Non-Commissioned Officer and Warrant Officer, he probably received training to enable him to become an Instructor in the Royal Engineers Training Battalion and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He may also have received some rudimentary training in bomb and mine disposal during World War 2.

b. Qualifications: Again, the lack of his service papers prevents a precise knowledge of his military qualifications. He probably was a qualified Tunneller and a qualified Instructor. It appears that he also was a qualified Staff Officer for bomb disposal, although it is doubtful that he performed bomb disposal duties himself.

Baldwin received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service:

Figure 37. The Great War Medal Index Card of Sergeant J.A. Baldwin, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Figure 38. The Meritorious Service Medal Index Card of Sergeant J.A. Baldwin.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

James’s father, George Baldwin, died in Gravesend, Kent in January 1911 at the age of 52. His mother, Rachel Eliza Baldwin, died on the 31^st of August 1932 in the Wandsworth district of Greater London.

Henry Robert Baldwin was a brother born before James in 1881. Young Henry died at the age of 9 years in 1890.

Ernest Albert Baldwin was born in London in May of 1882, but died in infancy that same year.

George Arthur Baldwin was born in Poplar, London in October of 1885. Like his brother he also served in the Royal Engineers and his story is told in Section II of this narrative. George died in 1966.

Frederick Thomas Baldwin was born on the 22^nd of April 1891 in Tower Hamlets, Middlesex. Frederick also served in the Royal Engineers and his story is told in Section IV of this narrative. Frederick died in Finchley, Middlesex on the 7^th of October 1950.

James’s sister, Frances Alice May Baldwin was born in Sheerness, Kent on the 5^th of July 1893. She died in 1964.

Rachel Elizabeth Baldwin was born on the 30^th of November 1895, also in Sheerness, Kent. She died in 1994.

James’s brother, Ernest Christopher Baldwin, was born in Gravesend in October of 1899. Young Ernest was only 11 years old when he died in 1910.

Ethel Grace Baldwin was born in Gravesend on the 3^rd of May 1904. She died in 1982.

Figure 39. James and Nellie Baldwin at the Beach with Their Son Ronald.
(Photograph courtesy of Simon Jones and Helen Kingkade)

James Alexander and Nellie Caroline Baldwin had two children: Ronald James Baldwin (1920-2016) and Muriel Joan Baldwin (1924-2018). Ronald was born in the Curragh Military Camp in Ireland on the 12^th of February 1920. Muriel was born at the Military Families Hospital at Chatham, Kent on the 24^th of May 1924.[47]

Figure 40. James, Nellie, Ronald and Muriel on a Camping/Swimming Holiday.
(Photograph courtesy of Simon Jones and Helen Kingkade)

Ronald James Baldwin served in the both the Royal Engineers and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and his story is told in Section V of this narrative. The author was in contact with Ronald in 2002 and as may have been noted, Ronald provided many of the photographs that were used in this research work. At the time Ronald was living in the United States. Unfortunately he passed away in 2016.

Similarly, the author was in contact with Muriel Baldwin in 2002. Muriel had been born on the 24^th of May 1924 in Medway, Kent. At that time of Muriel’s correspondence with the author she was living in Chatham, Kent and she also supplied many of the photographs used in this narrative.

Figure 40a. Muriel Joan Baldwin.
(Photograph courtesy of Muriel Baldwin)

Captain James Alexander Baldwin retired from the Army sometime in 1945. His total service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

On the 9^th of November 1945 James Alexander Baldwin prepared his last will and testament while he was living at 65 Rochester Avenue in Rochester, Kent. His wife was designated his Executor. Witnesses to the will were Captain T.L.V. Brown, R.E. of White Walls, Esher, Surrey and Captain D. Erskine, Royal Signals, of Guildford, Surrey. These two men may well have been the officers in the photograph taken of Baldwin at the War Office. At the time that the will was prepared, Baldwin was a Civil Service Clerk.

James Alexander Baldwin died on the 23^rd of August 1949 in Harefield Hospital, Uxbridge Middlesex. His death certificate lists his residence as 65 Rochester Avenue, Rochester, Kent. His cause of death was a carcinoma of the lung[48] and he was 60 years old. His death was certified by M. Stanley, M.B. following a post mortem examination. The informant of his death was his son Ronald.

Baldwin’s will was filed for probate in London on the 1^st of November 1949.[49] His effects all went to his widow, Nellie Caroline Baldwin, in the amount of £1,382 10s 4d (about $61,400 in 2020 US dollars).

Figure 41. Harefield Hospital, Uxbridge, Middlesex.
(Photograph courtesy of Bucks Free Press)

Captain (Quartermaster)
FREDERICK THOMAS BALDWIN, MBE, MM
(formerly 1851944 Warrant Officer Class II)
Royal Engineers

Figure 42. Captain Frederick Thomas Baldwin, MBE, MM, R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald J. Baldwin)

Frederick Thomas Baldwin was the youngest brother of the primary subject of this work, Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant George Arthur Baldwin, R.E. Unfortunately, no papers were found in the National Archives for Thomas. The papers of his father, George Baldwin, opened up many avenues of research with regard to the Baldwin family. Frederick’s service papers probably reside in the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow. If these papers can be located, it will add much to this research effort. To construct a story about Frederick the author used available military documents, periodicals published by the Royal Engineers, army lists and other materials found on the internet.

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Detailed information of the Baldwin family is provided in Section I of this narrative dealing with the life of service of George Baldwin, Frederick’s father.

Frederick Thomas Baldwin was at 9 Ullin Street in Poplar, Bromley, in the County of London on the 12^th of March 1891.[50] His father was George Baldwin a Mariner and Tug Master. His mother was Rachel Eliza Baldwin, née Bloom.

Following the lead of his father and older brothers, Frederick enlisted as a Boy Soldier in the Royal Engineers on the 19^th of October 1905. His age on attestation was 14 years and 7 months and his Regimental Number was 15095. Frederick entered the ranks of the Royal Engineers on the 12^th of March 1909 after attaining the age of 18 years.

Frederick Baldwin was 23 years and 5 months old when the Great War started in August of 1914. He was serving at the time with the 9^th Field Company, Royal Engineers in the 4^th Division.

The 9^th Field Company was at Harrow in the Greater London area when war was declared. On the 21^st of August 1914 the company entrained at Harrow for deployment to France and embarked for the continent on the following day.[51] The company disembarked at Boulogne on the 23^rd of August and was immediately committed to the action known as the Retreat from Mons. However, according to Baldwin’s Medal Index Card he did not get to the theatre of the war until the 30^th of April 1915. In that case he probably took part in the actions shown in bold type:[52]^,[53]

· The company took part in the action at St. Julien from the 24^th of April to the 4^th of May, the action at Frezenberg Ridge from the 8^th to 13^th of May and the action at Bellewaarde Ridge from the 24^th to 25^th of May. The company suffered many casualties from chlorine gas during this action.[54] Many other men were killed in action or died of wounds during and in the days following this battle. The fatal casualties in the 9^th Field Company during this period amounted to 16.7 percent of all the casualties suffered by the company during the entire war. For a full list of the company’s fatal casualties during the war see Addendum 3.

· During this battle a Sergeant Clements in the section of Lieutenant Young was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and later became the company’s Sergeant Major.[55]

· On the 28^th of July 1915 the company moved with the 4^th Division, halting at the village of Mailly Mailiet just north of the River Somme.

· Lieutenant Gifford Le Quesne Martel, one of the original officers to arrive in France in August of 1914, was promoted to Captain in the beginning of August 1915 and became the company’s second in command.

· During the autumn of 1915 the company undertook a variety of field engineering tasks. Captain Martel designed a new form of trench element that was used for revetting and his new concept was soon widely adopted by other engineer units in the field. Sections of the company were constantly sent to support units of the division. Their work included listening galleries, artillery observation posts and tunnels.

· In October of 1915 Captain Martel assumed command of the 9^th Field Company when Major D. M. Hoystead was promoted to Commander Royal Engineers of the 4^th Division. Hoystead had gone to France as a Lieutenant when the company originally deployed.

· During the 1915 winter months the company was employed in the line, building and maintaining first line infantry defensive positions, maintaining light railway systems and erecting wire obstacles.

· On the 8^th of April Corporal Hood was awarded the Military Medal for bravery when he went out a night under intense machine gun fire to bring in a wounded Sapper.

· Trench raids were common during this period. On one such raid Lieutenant Watkins, Corporal Kiskiss and three Sappers were detailed to accompany a party from the 2^nd Battalion of the Irish Fusiliers on one of these raids. Each Sapper carried grenades and twenty slabs of guncotton. The party entered the enemy trench system and the Sappers set their charges at the entrance to a deep underground dugout with tunnels leading to machine gun emplacements. As they were leaving the trench Corporal Kiskiss noticed that one of the fuses had not ignited. He returned and fitted another fuse and only when he was sure that it was burning correctly did he leave the trench. He was awarded the Military Medal for his coolness in a dangerous situation. One man, a Sapper Vaistone was slightly wounded during the raid.[56]

· On the 16^th of July 1916 Major Martel left the 9^th Field Company to join the 5^th Army and on the 22^nd of September he joined the newly formed Tank Corps.

· In the middle of September 1916 the company entrained at Hupoutre in the Arras sector for Carnoy, moving to the Trones Wood area to construct defensive positions on newly won ground. The men had been working under heavy enemy shellfire when the section officers, Lieutenant Andrews was killed. Sergeant Frederick Baldwin assumed command of the section and continued the work despite the intensity of the German artillery barrage. For his bravery he was awarded the Military Medal.[57]

· On the 24^th of October 1916 the 9^th Field Company was taken out of the line and moved to Bomcourt. The company went back into the line shortly before Christmas in the Fricourt and Ramcourt area where, under heavy shelling the men constructed shelters for men and animals at Priez Farm. The company then took over trench lines from the French that were horrible condition.

· On the 6^th of January 1917 15098 Corporal (Acting Sergeant) Frederick Thomas Baldwin was awarded the Military Medal for his bravery in the field in the Trones Wood area.[58]

· In early January the company took up positions in the Bouchavesmes sector close to Marrieres Wood.

· The company moved south to the Somme area in March, halting at Corbie just each of Amiens where it carried out work in preparation for a pending divisional attack.

· During the Arras offensive the company was occupied in constructing strong points and laying on water supplies. At Gavrell, 21 enemy field guns were blown up by a section of the company. The company’s casualties during the battle amounted to two men killed in action and fifteen wounded.

· The company moved into the St. Laurent and Blangy district and erected wire entanglements from Pont du Jour to the River Scarpe.

· The company was taken out of the line at the beginning of June, resting at Magnicourt sur Canche.

· In the middle of July 1917 the company moved to the Blangy area subsequently took in the four actions below.

· In January of 1918 the company moved to Les Fosses Farm to carry out maintenance work on support line trenches, light railway tracks and dummy wooden tanks.

· In February the company moved to Walrus near Arras and then to Berneville where it erected 15 Nissen huts.

· Early in March Major E Homer, the company OC, was appointed C.R.E. of the 31^st Division and he was replaced by Captain E.C. Protheroe.

· Baldwin was married on the 21^st of March 1918, so he may have been on leave when this battle took place. The date of their wedding was the date of the opening of the large German spring offensive.

· The company was at Etron working on the line between St. Vaast and Dainville. It also prepared some ammunition dumps for demolition in face of the German advance. The Sappers blew up the Roeux Caves, which had been used to store explosives. The company was then ordered to man the Missouri Trench, fighting as infantry in a first line defensive position.

· The company was pulled out of the line on the 27^th of March to demolish a number of battery arches.

· The company suffered heavily during this battle. Lieutenant G.J. Findon was killed by an exploding shell and the O.C. and Lieutenant L.H. Marshall were wounded. Thirteen Other Ranks were gassed. The company’s strength had dropped to six officers and 169 nine Other Ranks.

· On the 30^th of March the company was again ordered into the front line to defend Effie trench and on the following day it was relieved by the 21^st West Yorkshire Pioneers.

· On the 12^th of April the company moved to Lillers and were ordered forward to Cantrainne where a large scale attack was expected.

· A major assault was made by the Germans on the divisional front. The 9^th Field Company were heavily engaged and suffered two men killed, 15 wounded and 24 gassed. 2^nd Lieutenant Donald Mackay had seen the enemy massing on the far bank of the La Bassee Canal for an attack on the company’s position. A pontoon bridge which would allow the Germans to cross the canal was still intact. In the face of heavy machine gun fire, Mackay and his Sappers destroyed the bridge. Mackay was awarded the Military Cross for this action.

· Lieutenant Eric Earle Searight was the officer in charge of a bridge across the La Bassee Canal near Hignes. An attack by units of the division was pending and this bridge, along with others, was to be used. An enemy shell rendered the bridge useless. Searight and his team of Sappers immediately began to make repairs despite heavy shelling and small arms fire. The bridge was made serviceable again thus enabling casualties from the divisional attack to be brought back across the canal. Searight was awarded the Military Cross for his part in the action.

· 23602 2^nd Corporal B.T. Morris was one of a party of four men at another bridge over the canal. Demolition charges on the bridge had to be replaced four times with one man killed and two wounded in doing so. Morris continued to persevere in spite of intense shelling until the bridge finally was demolished. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his conspicuous gallantry.

· 19772 Acting Corporal R.H. Langford had previously been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in action. The London Gazette of the 3^rd of September 1918 states that Langford was one of a party detailed to destroy a bridge. In the face of an enemy attack troops of the division were withdrawing from their positions and crossing this bridge. An artillery barrage had been laid down by the Germans as their infantry advanced. When the barrage lifted the enemy were only a few hundred yards from the bridge and advancing rapidly. Under very intense concentrated machine gun fire, Langford ran to the enemy side of the bridge bombing the bridge bays with heavy grenades. This action cut the bridge free from the far bank allowing the Sappers to swing the bridge to the near bank where it was completed demolished. Langford was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery, but an unofficial report in the records by an officer suggested that his deed was worthy of the Victoria Cross.

· In June and July of 1918 the company was involved in a number of field engineering tasks that included building shelters and strong points, sinking wells and erecting wire obstacles.

· Up until the middle of September the company was resting in the Les Fosses Farm area.

· Early in October the 9^th Field Company moved to Monchy-le-Preux where sections repaired road and built improvised bridges across the River Trinquis.

· By mid-October the company was at Haspres on the Selle River. A trestle bridge was built across the river between Haspres and Saulzoir and Haspres a heavy girder bridge was launched across the river.

· By the beginning of November the company was at Audregnies engaged on the construction of forward water supply systems.

· The 9^th Field Company was at Valenciennes on the 11^th of November when the Armistice was signed.

· On the 4^th of December 1918 His Majesty King George V inspected the 9^th Field Company while it was at Valenciennes. Major Dermer, the O.C., left to become C.R.E. and Lieutenant McCallum took over duties as the Commanding Officer on the 22^nd of November. Lieutenant McCallum received the Military Cross and Corporals Murphy and Dumayne were each awarded the Military Medal.

· By March of 1919 the company had moved to Binche in Belgium. By the end of that month the company strength was two officers and 57 Other Ranks.

· Orders were received on the 1^st of May to proceed to England. The company entrained at Soignies on the 4^th of May and arrived at Dunkirk the following day. What remained of the 9^th Field Company embarked on H.M.T. Moglif and sailed for Southampton on the 8^th of May 1919.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to Tom Purves, the author of The 9^th, 1787-1960: The History of The British Army’s Only Remaining Parachute Engineers Unit. Tom sent me a copy of his book in March of 1990 and his chapter on the Great War was used extensively, and in many places verbatim, in the narrative above. The descriptions of the company’s movements, dates and personnel have almost all come from Tom’s book.

For his service in the Great War, in addition to the Military Medal, Frederick Thomas Baldwin was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The card also shows that he arrived in France on the 30^th of April 1915.

Figure 43. Great War Medal Index Card of
Acting Sergeant Frederick Thomas Baldwin, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

During the time that Sergeant Baldwin was serving in the 9^th Field Company the unit took part in 18 major operations in France and Flanders. During the time that these operations took place he may have been in hospital for treatment of an illness or a wound, or he may have been home on leave. In any case he certainly took part in many actions during the war and his award of the Military Medal is evidence of his prowess as a soldier.

Figure 44. Sergeant Frederick Baldwin and his Finance Janet Russell Cochran.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald J. Baldwin)

NOTE: The photograph above was taken in 1917 while Sergeant Baldwin was home on leave from France. It is a postcard taken by U.S.A. Studios at the time of their engagement to be married. Baldwin is wearing the short, double-breasted mounted pattern great coat and a rain cover over his soft top, trench-pattern service cap.

Figure 45. Marriage Register of Frederick Thomas Baldwin and Janet Russell Cochran, St. Paul’s Parish Church, Southwark, London, 21 March 1918
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Sergeant Baldwin returned to the UK after the war and in 1925 he was posted to Johore in Malaya to raise and train the Johore Volunteer Engineers.

Figure 46. Warrant Officer Class 2 Baldwin and the Officers of His Company
of Johore Volunteer Engineers, c. 1927.
(Photograph courtesy of Ms. Jean Baldwin)

Figure 47. Company Sergeant Major Baldwin (seated on right) with the Football Team of his Company, c. 1937.
(Photograph courtesy of Ms. Jean Baldwin)

Figure 48. Company Sergeant Major Frederick Thomas Baldwin with British Officers and Men of the Johore Volunteer Engineers.
(Photograph courtesy of Ms. Jean Baldwin)

Figure 49. Johore Volunteer Engineers Cap Badge.
(Photograph courtesy of WorthPoint)

Figure 50. Johore Volunteer Engineers on a Bridging Exercise, c. 1930.
(Photograph courtesy of Ms. Jean Baldwin)

Figure 51. CSMI Baldwin Inspecting a J.V.E. Field Company, c. 1930.
(Photograph courtesy of Ms. Jean Baldwin)

Baldwin was promoted Warrant Officer Class II (Company Sergeant Major) on the 3^rd of October 1926, within a year after his posting to Johore. This promotion would have made him the CSM of the Johore Volunteer Engineers Field Company. He received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in March of 1927 and in October of 1930 he was granted permission to serve beyond 21 years with the Colours.

Baldwin and his wife returned home from Johore on the 4^th of March 1935 aboard S.S. Perseus. The address listed on the ship’s passenger list was 162 Gillingham Road in Gillingham, Kent. His occupation listed was Civil Servant. Presumably he had left the Army by this time, although what position he held as a Civil Servant is not known.

Baldwin was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) on the 18^th of February 1936 for his service in Johore. The medal was presented to him at the only investiture held be King Edward VIII before his abdication.[61] At the time of the award Baldwin was a Warrant Officer Class I (Regimental Sergeant Major). He was initially informed in October 1935 that the award was to be made by King George V; however, as fate would have it King Edward VIII actually presented him with the medal. This, of course, was an unusual event in the life of Frederick Thomas Baldwin; that is, being awarded an honour by a king who was shortly not going to be a king any longer.

From 1936 until his death in 1950, Baldwin lived in Finchley West, a large district in the north of London.[62] He and his wife lived at 27 Briarfield Avenue. He may have continued to work in his Civil Servant position during all of these years.

Figure 52. 27 Briarfield Avenue, Finchley West.
(Photograph Courtesy of Google Earth)

RSM Frederick Thomas Baldwin was given a Regular Army Emergency Commission as a Lieutenant (Quartermaster) in the Royal Engineers on the 14^th of June 1940.[63] Presumably he was called back to active service with the Colours from his Civil Service position. By 1943 he was an Acting Captain and he appears to have still been serving in 1949 as his name appears in the Army List for that year, but he is not listed on the page cited in the index. His specific assignments and duties during the war are not known. It would require access to his service papers from the Army Personnel Centre at Glasgow to obtain this information.

The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Captain Baldwin’s promotions, appointments, military training and qualifications and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army. They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career. The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage, personal information and post-service life.

Frederick Thomas Baldwin received the following promotions during his time in service:

As a Boy Soldier, Frederick Baldwin would have been trained as a bugler, a tailor or a shoemaker.[64] Upon reaching 18 years of age he would have been sent to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham for training as an engineer soldier. His service during the Great War indicates that his primary training and skills were in the area of field engineering. He probably served as a Section Sergeant during his time with the 9^th Field Company.

As a non-commissioned officer it is apparent that his qualification were significant, thereby allowing him to serve as a Company Sergeant Major Instructor (CSMMI) in Malaya, and as a Regimental Sergeant Major. After commissioning he had the necessary skills to serve as a Quartermaster.

Baldwin received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service:[65]

Frederick Thomas Baldwin married Janet Russell Cochran (1891-1982) at St. Paul’s Church on Westminster Bridge Road in Southwark, Surrey on the 21^st of March 1918. Coincidentally, the German 1918 Spring Offensive, or Kaiserschlacht ("Kaiser's Battle"), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, began on this date.

The Baldwin’s first child, Janet Rachel Baldwin (1919-2007) was born in Strood, Kent. Their second child, Lorna M. Baldwin (1923-1927) was born in Farnham, Kent in June of 1923. Sadly, little Lorna died in Singapore while Frederick was posted to his assignment with the Johore Volunteer Engineers. The Baldwins also had a daughter named Jean who provided much of the personal information and photographs contained in this narrative.

· Henry Robert Baldwin was born in Poplar, London in April of 1881. Henry died at the age of 9 years in 1890.

· Ernest Albert Baldwin was born in London in May of 1882 and died in Mitfork, Norfolk in October of 1882.

· George Arthur Baldwin was born in Poplar, London in October of 1885. George died in 1966.

· James Alexander Baldwin was born in Poplar, London on the 28^th of April 1889. He died in Uxbridge, Middlesex on the 23^rd of August 1949.

· Frances Alice May Baldwin born in Sheerness, Kent on the 5^th of July 1893. Frances died in 1964.

· Rachel Elizabeth Baldwin was born in Sheerness, Kent on the 30^th of November 1895. Rachel died in 1994.

· Ernest Christopher Baldwin was born in Gravesend, Kent in October of 1899. He died at the age of 11 years at Gravesend in October of 1910.

· Ethel Grace Baldwin was born in Gravesend, Kent on the 3^rd of May 1904. Ethel died in 1982.

Captain Frederick Thomas Baldwin appears to have retired from the Army about 1949. His total service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

Frederick Thomas Baldwin died at 27 Briarfield Avenue in Finchley, Middlesex on the 7^th of October 1950 at the age of 59 years. His death certificate indicates that his occupation was Captain, Royal Engineers (Retired). Frederick’s cause of death was certified by Alan P.L. Cogswell, the Coroner for East Middlesex, without an inquest. His cause of death was shown as coronary occlusion (atheroma).[66] Frederick’s wife, Janet, was the informant of his death. His death was registered on the 11^th of October 1950.

Frederick’s will was filed for probate in London on the 21^st of November 1950 with his effects to Janet Russell Baldwin, widow, and Janet Rachel Baldwin, spinster. His effects amounted to £3,314 19s 9d or about $145,750 in 2020 US Dollars.

Fatal Casualties Suffered by the 9^th Field Company, Royal Engineers
During the Great War of 1914-1918
(listed by date of death)

Regimental Number⁽¹⁾	Rank	Name	Date of Death	Cause of Death
	Major	John Baille Barstow	30 Aug 1914	Killed in action
19342	Sapper	Harry Mills	21 Oct 1914	Killed in action
11270	Sapper	Stuart Richardson	21 Oct 1914	Killed in action
8921	Sapper	Harry Hunt	13 Dec 1914	Killed in action
18256	Sapper	William Alfred Golds	14 Dec 1914	Died of wounds
11795	Sapper	Archibald Stead	23 Dec 1914	Died of wounds
13071	Sapper	Francis Henry Stevens	16 Jan 1915	Died of wounds
25544	Driver	Richard Egan	20 Jan 1915	Died⁽³⁾
19803	Sapper	William Edward Ithell	29 Jan 1915	Died of wounds
19865	Sapper	George Bruce	31 Mar 1915	Killed in action
2381	Sapper	W.J. Barnes	3 May 1915	Killed in action
11895	Sapper	Frank Blondun	3 May 1915	Killed in action
23350	Sapper	Herbert Jones	3 May 1915	Killed in action
3986	Sapper	George Pawley Lamkin	3 May 1915	Killed in action
28821	Sapper	Robert Henry Nosworth	3 May 1915	Killed in action
25312	Lance Corpl	James Brannan	4 May 1915	Killed in action
18943	Sapper	Matthew Robertson Brown	4 May 1915	Killed in action
18688	Sapper	Charles Hutchison	4 May 1915	Killed in action
26798	Sapper	Leonard Alfred Knowles	19 May 1915	Died of wounds
15892	Sapper	Isaac Spackman	24 May 1915	Died of wounds
12718	Sapper	James Gorman	27 May 1915	Killed in action
26238	Sapper	Harold Goldsmith	24 Jun 1915	Died of wounds
3967	Sapper	Timothy Hickie	6 Jul 1915	Died of wounds
20171	Sapper	James Logan	14 Oct 1915	Died of wounds
7826	Sapper	Albert Thomas Shepherd	21 Dec 1915	Died
33515	Sapper	Charles William Scarborough	9 Feb 1916	Died
49547	Sapper	William Ellis	19 Feb 1916	Died
23955	Sapper	Victor Cannon	10 Apr 1916	Died of wounds
101853⁽²⁾	Sapper	Thomas Robert Lane	1 Jul 1916	Killed in action
11152	Sapper	Arthur Roper	1 Jul 1916	Killed in action
20979	Lance Corpl	Joseph Emerson Kilby	4 Jul 1916	Died of wounds
101244	Sapper	Edwin Atkinson	10 Jul 1916	Died of wounds
18122	Sapper	Herbert Worby	15 Jul 1916	Killed in action
16774	Corporal	John Howlett	24 Jul 1916	Died of wounds
	Lieutenant	Eric Cauty Andrews	12 Oct 1916	Killed in action
141614	Sapper	John Hepburn	17 Oct 1916	Killed in action
25068	2^nd Corporal	George Stokes	17 Oct 1916	Killed in action
145389	Sapper	James Mark Barlow	19 Oct 1916	Died of wounds
104468	Sapper	William Watts Duckworth	23 Oct 1916	Killed in action
41755	Pioneer	Norman Marple	24 Oct 1916	Died of wounds
92967	Pioneer	E. Marshall	21 Dec 1916	Killed in action
17440	Sapper	Thomas Geelan	31 Dec 1916	Died
23026	Sapper	Kiernan Gleeson	31 Dec 1916	Died of wounds
160368	Sapper	Frank H. Cole	15 Apr 1917	Died of wounds
20808	Driver	Archibald Remnant	30 Apr 1917	Died of wounds
24287	Sapper	William John Cawte	29 Jun 1917	Died
490324	Sapper	Henry James Bayley	9 Aug 1917	Killed in action
411906	Sapper	Alexander Paton	9 Aug 1917	Killed in action
44401	Sapper	Alfred George Stoneman	13 Aug 1917	Killed in action
85975	Sapper	Walter Baker	30 Sep 1917	Died of wounds
175930	Sapper	Harry Jack	5 Oct 1917	Killed in action
23203	2^nd Corporal	John Ward	6 Nov 1917	Killed in action
100997	Sapper	Joseph Pickering	16 Nov 1917	Killed in action
33063	Lance Corpl	William Dawson	23 Nov 1917	Killed in action
11712	Sapper	John Henry Barrett	1 Apr 1918	Died of wounds
	Lieutenant	Robert Findon[67]	18 April 1918	Killed in action
134803	2^nd Corporal	Albert Greaves	21 Apr 1918	Killed in action
47132	Sapper	J. Stimpson	4 Jun 1918	Killed in action
494881	Sapper	William Reed	10 Jun 1918	Died of wounds
84576	Sapper	Bertie Bloomfield	17 Jun 1918	Killed in action
230601	Sapper	Simon J.M. Corrigall	17 Jun 1918	Killed in action
477045	Sapper	Thomas Arnold Clayburn	18 Jun 1918	Died of wounds
48999	Driver	Henry Francis Lambert	22 Jun 1918	Killed in action
134171	Sapper	Richard Cocke	1 Jul 1918	Died of wounds
540146	Sergeant	William Alfred Henry Moon	2 Sep 1919	Killed in action
554368	Sapper	George Cox	4 Sep 1918	Died of wounds
11936	2^nd Corporal	Edwin Albert Harman	30 Sep 1918	Killed in action
488552	2^nd Corporal	Herbert Albert Barrett	1 Oct 1918	Died of wounds
42531	Sapper	Samuel Bebbington	7 Nov 1918	Died of wounds

2039538 Staff Sergeant
RONALD JAMES BALDWIN
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
(formerly Sapper, Royal Engineers, T.A.)

Figure 56. Sapper Ronald James Baldwin, R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of Ron Baldwin)

The photographs and much of the information included in this research work were provided to the author by Ron Baldwin. This includes photographs and documents regarding his grandfather, his father, his two uncles and himself. The author was fortunate enough to make contact with Ron while researching the life and military service of his father, James Alexander Baldwin. In addition to the information that he provided on his relatives, Ron was kind enough to provide a copy of his own Soldier’s Service Book and his Soldier’s Release Book. These two documents and personal correspondence became the primary sources of information regarding Ron’s life and military service. Sadly, Ron passed away before this research work was completed, although he was able to read much of what had been written about each man before the individual narratives were consolidated into this one web site for the entire family.

Detailed family information for Ronald James Baldwin’s grandfather, parents and his uncles has been supplied in Section I through Section IV of this research project, so it need not be repeated here.

Ronald was born on the 12^th of February 1920 in the Military Families Hospital at Curragh Camp in Ireland. His parents were Sergeant James Alexander Baldwin, R.E. and Nellie Caroline Baldwin (née Fowle). At the time of Ronald’s birth the family resided at No. 7 ‘A’ Block in the Royal Engineers Military Quarters in Curragh Camp.[68]

Ronald was baptized in the Church of England at the Militar Families Hospital on the 21^st of February 1920. His birth was registered in the District of Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland by one Margaret Quinn the Assistant Registrar for the District.[69]

From 1925 to 1932 Ronald attended Army Schools at the various posts where his father was serving. In 1932 he entered Rochester Technical School in Rochester, Kent where he studied architecture and from 1935 to 1939 he attended Medway Institute of Technology where he studied engineering as a part-time day and evening student. While he was studying he worked at the Short Brothers Seaplane Works in Rochester for one day and three nights each week as an Apprentice. This factory had been opened in 1933 at Rochester Airport and it became increasingly important for the landplanes the company had begun to produce. In 1934 Shorts purchased the Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft Company, was a manufacturer of small aircraft engines. Pobjoy had moved to Rochester Airport to be near Shorts and had collaborated on its latest designs.

Figure 57. Shorts Brothers Seaplane Works.
(Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia)

In 1937, while he was still studying and working at Shorts, Ronald enlisted in the Royal Engineers (Territorial Army) as a Sapper. This action on his part undoubtedly was the result of his family’s history as service in the Royal Engineers.

The following is a physical description of Ronald James Baldwin at the time of his enlistment in the Territorial Army:[71]

Ronald James Baldwin enlisted at Chatham, Kent on the 17^th of February 1937. His period of enlistment in the Territorial Army (T.A.) was to be for four years. Upon his enlistment he was issued Army Number 2039538. No basic engineer training was required for T.A. soldiers as they enlisted directly into their T.A. units and trained with them at weekend camps and for two weeks to a month in the summer. Ronald trained with the 313^th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Company, R.E. at Chatham and continued with his work at Short Brothers Seaplane Works in Rochester. His AA Searchlight Company formed part of the Kent & Middlesex Group Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Companies, which consisted of the following units:

The Commanding Officer of the Kent & Middlesex Group, and later the 29th (Kent) Searchlight Battalion from the 1^st of November 1929 was Colonel R.C. Milliken. In October of 1935 the Kent Group became 29th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (T.A.), while 317 Company was separated to form the 36th (Middlesex) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (T.A.). Two further companies were added to the 29th Battalion; the 322^nd AA Company at Horns Cross, Greenhithe and the 347^th (Kent) AA Company at Sidcup. The battalion’s commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel C.A, Grover, AMInstCE (appointed 1 November 1937). The battalion consisted of

The Territorial Army’s Anti-Aircraft Searchlight units were mobilised on the 23^rd of September 1938 during the Munich Crisis, with units manning their emergency positions within 24 hours, even though many did not yet have their full complement of men or equipment. The emergency lasted three weeks, and they stood down on the 13^th of October.In June of 1939, as the international situation worsened, a partial mobilisation of the T.A. was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun and searchlight positions. On the 24^th of August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations.

In 1939 as war was looming on the horizon Ronald Baldwin earned a National Certificate of Mechanical Engineering. He continued to work at Short Brothers at this time and his occupation with that firm was Apprentice Fitter and Turner (Machinist). These skills would be of much use to him after his call up for military service. Prior to the war he was living at 65 Rochester Avenue in Rochester.

Ronald Baldwin was called up for military service on the 24^th of August 1939 as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. He was sent to a three-month Fitters course at Arborfield, near Reading and he passed the course with “Distinction.” During this course he was trained as a motor vehicle mechanic, but he did not know how to drive a car much less a tank. This caused him to accidentally drive a tank into a ditch during his training.

Early in 1940 Baldwin was posted to the 313^th Battery, Royal Artillery, at Chatham. This was the unit in which he had originally enlisted in the Territorial Army. Royal Engineers Anti-Aircraft Searchlight units had already been transferred to the Royal Artillery by this time, so Baldwin’s rank was changed from Sapper to Gunner at this time. On the 2^nd

of February 1940 he passed the Trades Test for Fitter, Motor Vehicles, Class AIII.

Gunner Baldwin continued to serve with 313^th Battery, R.A. until well into 1942. On the 25^th of May 1941 he entered Course No. 3 at the Wireless Wing of the 6th Anti-Aircraft Division School and satisfactorily completed the course on the 14^th of June. The 6th Anti-Aircraft Division had been created within the Anti-Aircraft Command of Britain's Territorial Army just before the Second World War. It defended the Thames Estuary and the approaches to London during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz.

In May of 1942 Gunner Baldwin was posted to 508^th Battery, Royal Artillery at Canterbury. He would serve with this unit until 1945. While with the 508^th Battery he was promoted to the rank of Lance Bombardier. On the 8^th of August 1943 he was rated as an “Experienced Driver,” having come a long way from the days of accidentally driving tanks into ditches. He was awarded four service chevrons on the 3^rd of September 1943 and on the 7^th of October 1943 he passed the Trade Test for Vehicle Mechanic, Class A1 at the 2^nd Anti-Aircraft Group Trade Testing Centre and was remustered as a Vehicle Mechanic (Searchlights) Class A1. The 2nd Anti-Aircraft Group was responsible for covering the Solent, South-East England and southern East Anglia. On the 4^th of November 1943 he was rated as a “Junior Leader” in Physical Training.

Baldwin continued his training into 1944 when on the 16^th of March he began Course AV-21, at No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Command School of Technical Instruction. This was a Vehicle Mechanic Refresher Course. He passed the course on the 26^th of April 1944 with a grade of 80% and a rating of “Very Good.” He also placed in the top of the class at the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.E.M.E.) school in London. Based on his performance he was recommended to attend the Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course. On the 24^th of December 1944 he was mustered as a Vehicle Mechanic, Class A1.

From reading Baldwin’s Soldier’s Service Book one would get the impression that he was one of the best trained men in the British Army. His training continued into 1945. On the 10^th of July 1944 he passed the Gas Test of Elementary Training (T.O.E.T.), presumably training to test the competence of a soldier to operate in a toxic environment. On the 20^th of January 1945 he again passed the Trade Test as a Vehicle Mechanic, Class A1 and was remustered as in that trade. Four days later he started No. 15 Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course at the R.E.M.E. School at Arborfield, near Reading and qualified as an ‘A’ Vehicle Technician, passing this course on the 20^th of March 1945. The following day he started No. 23 Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course (Qualifying Course “B” Military Training) at the R.E.M.E. School and satisfactorily completed the course on the 10^th of April. On the 11^th of April 1945 he started No. 26 Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course (Qualifying Course “C” Workshop Organization) at the R.E.M.E. School and completed the course on the 25^th of April. After all this intensive training he finally was appointed a Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant (Vehicle) on the 16^th of May 1945 by authority of 23 Anti-Aircraft Workshop Company, R.E.M.E.

Following all of this training Baldwin was transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in August of 1945 just as the war was ending. His service trade with R.E.M.E. was Leading Artisan Vehicle Mechanic.

On the 13^th of December 1945 he was posted to the headquarters of 533 Base Workshop, R.E.M.E. in Abbassia, Egypt. This was his first posting abroad since he enlisted and was called up for service during the war. With the 533 Base Workshop he served as the General Works Foreman in the Base Automobile Shop. He supervised approximately 250 local workers and serviced and repaired all types of automotive vehicles. He was promoted to the rank of Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant (Vehicle) on the 14^th of December 1945 and granted the rank of War Substantive(?) Staff Sergeant on the 21^st of December.

Baldwin’s Release Leave Certificate was prepared on the 27^th of March 1946 at 533 Base Workshop, R.E.M.E. Abbassia, Egypt. His military conduct was rated as “Exemplary” and his commanding officer provided the following testimonial.

He is a most capable tradesman, has displayed fair powers of initiative and carries out his duties in a most efficient manner. He is thoroughly reliable in every aspect, has a most pleasing disposition and is well able to hold a position of trust.

His skills and efficiency were very highly thought of and he was asked by his commanding officer to stay on in Egypt because of his skills as a mechanic. He reluctantly declined because of his obligations to his wife and daughter back home n England.

Ronald Baldwin arrived at the Military Disembarkation Camp Unit in Reading on the 9^th of April 1946 and on the following day he went to the Military Dispersal Unit in Guildford, Surrey. On the 24^th of April he received his Certificate of Transfer to the Army Reserve. This certificate was completed at the R.E.M.E. Records Centre in Leicester. The effective date of his transfer to the Army Reserve was the 6^th of June 1946.

For his service in World War 2, Staff Sergeant Ronald James Baldwin was awarded the Defence Medal, War Medal and Territorial Efficiency Medal. Although Staff Sergeant Baldwin left the Army as a member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, he never forgot his association with the Royal Engineers. He was a life-time member of the Royal Engineers Old Comrades Association.

a. Promotions: Ronald James Baldwin received the following promotions during his time in service:

b. Appointments: Baldwin received the following appointments during his time in service:

a. Military Training: Baldwin received the following military training during his time in service:

b. Civil Training: Baldwin earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

Staff Sergeant Baldwin received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service:

Ronald James Baldwin married Rose T. McCann at St. Thomas Church in Canterbury, Kent on the 28^th of September 1942. Their residence at the time was 65 Rochester Avenue in Rochester, Kent.

Figure 59. Staff Sergeant Ronald James Baldwin and Rose Baldwin with Their Baby Daughter Maureen Ann, in Rochester, Kent, c. 1945.
(Photograph courtesy of Ronald J. Baldwin)

Ronald and Rose had their first child, Maureen Anne, in Chatham, Kent on the 7^th of April 1945. Maureen immigrated to the United States with her parents and earned a Master of Arts degree in Special Education. She married Forrest Bivens (1931-2012) on the 20^th of July 1978 in Marion, Indiana. Maureen died on the 17^th of May 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Baldwin’s second child, Helen, was born in Tarrytown, New York on the 24^th of October 1954. Helen received a Master of Arts degree in Fine Arts and currently lives in the United States..

The Baldwin's third child, Ronald Francis Baldwin, was born on the 10th of January 1967. He and his wife are both medical doctors practicing in Idaho.

Staff Sergeant Baldwin was released from active service on the 6^th of June 1946 when he was transferred to the Army Reserve. His total service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

In 1948 Ronald Baldwin and his family immigrated to the United States. They took up residence on Cobb Lane in Tarrytown, New York and began working as an Industrial Engineer for Otis Elevator. In 1960 the Baldwins moved to 43 Dell Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York and in 1964 they were living at 1916 Maryilyn Drive in Bloomington, Indiana. From 1986 to 2002 the Baldwins lived at 1319 Elliston Drive in Bloomington.

Ronald and Rose spent their 60^th wedding anniversary on holiday from the 20^th of September to the 3^rd of October 2002.

3. CONOLLY. T.W.J. Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers from 1660 to 1898. Royal Engineers Institute, Chatham, Kent, 1898.

4. FARWELL, B. Mr. Kipling’s Army: All the Queen’s Men. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1981.

5. GRIERSON, J.M. Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War. Greenhill Books, London, 1988.

6. GRANT GRIEVE, W. and NEWMAN, B. Tunnellers: The Story of the Tunnelling Companies, Royal Engineers, during the World War. Herbert Jenkins Limited, London, 1936.

7. JONES, S. Underground Warfare, 1914-1918. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley, 2010.

8. McINNIS, I. The Meritorious Service Medal: The Immediate Awards, 1916-1928. The Naval and Military Press Limited, Uckfield, 1992.

9. PURVES, T. The 9^th, 1787-1960. The History of the British Army’s Only Remaining Parachute Engineer Unit. First Edition, Tom Purves, 1988.

10. SKELLEY, A.R. The Victorian Army at Home: The Recruitment and Terms and Conditions of the British Regular, 1859-1899. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, 1977.

1. Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth, General Register Office, BXBZ 570212, Frederick Thomas Baldwin, dated 10 July 2002.

2. Birth Certificate No. 836, District of Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, Ronald James Baldwin, dated 11 September 1984.

3. Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth, General Register Office, BXBZ 570202, James Alexander Baldwin, dated 10 July 2002.

1. Record of Baptism of Frederick Thomas Baldwin, Tower Hamlets, Bromley, 22 April 1897.

2. Baptism Certificate of Ronald James Baldwin, Certificate No. 1175, dated 27 February 1920.

4. Baptism Certificate, Ronald James Baldwin, Curragh Camp, Ireland, dated 27 February 1920.

1. George Baldwin and Rachel Eliza Bloom, St. Thomas Church, Stepney, Middlesex, 14 February 1881.

2. James Alexander Baldwin and Nellie Caroline Fowle, St. Paul’s Church, London, 14 January 1917.

1. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for James Alexander Baldwin, General Register Office, London, DXZ 985961, dated 10 July 2002.

2. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for George Arthur Baldwin. The General Register Office, London, DXZ900047, dated 28 September 2001.

1. Last Will and Testament of J.A. Baldwin, dated Rochester, Kent, 9 November 1945.

2. Last Will and Testament of George Arthur Baldwin, dated Tientsin, China, 11 July 1932.

1. Probate Registry, James Alexander Baldwin, High Court of Justice, Rochester, Kent, 1 November 1949.

2. Probate Registry, George Arthur Baldwin, High Court of Justice, Gosport, Hampshire, 25 August 1966.

1. Certificate of Competency as Mate of a Home Trade Passenger Ship to George Baldwin, 16 June 1892.

2. School Admissions Register, Ricardo Street School, Tower Hamlets, 1888: George Alfred [sic] Baldwin.

3. Letter from Jean Baldwin to E. De Santis, dated Exmouth, Devon, 29 July 2002.

13. Certificate of Kinship: Ronald James Baldwin to Ministry of Defense (MOD Form 1000).

4. Medal Index Card of 15098 Sergeant Frederick Thomas Baldwin, R.E. (BWM & VM).

1. Royal Engineers Medal Roll, Victory Medal and British War Medal Granted Under Army Orders 301 & 266 (WO329/325) to 4213 WO II George A. Baldwin.

2. Royal Engineers Medal Roll, Victory Medal and British War Medal Granted Under Army Orders 301 & 266 (WO329/325) to 15098 T/Sergeant F.T. Baldwin.

1. Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers, The Royal Engineers Journal, 1925-1932.

2. The Johore Volunteer Engineers. The Royal Engineers Journal, December 1963, p. 418.

3. FAITHFULL, H.C.T. The Johore Volunteer Engineers. The Royal Engineers Journal, December 1935, p. 590.

"REGIMENT" Magazine, Issue Thirteen, April/May 1996, The Corps of Royal Engineers.

1. Family Photograph of 27061 Mechanist Quartermaster Sergeant George Baldwin, R.E., c. 1894.

2. The Sons of 27061 Mechanist Quartermaster Sergeant George Baldwin, R.E., c. 1905 (Lance Corporal G.A. Baldwin, Bugler J.A. Baldwin and Boy Soldier F.T. Baldwin)

14. CSMI Frederick Baldwin Inspecting Men of the Johore Volunteer Engineers Field Company, c. 1930.

20. Sergeant James Alexander Baldwin and Sergeant (?)H.E. Buller, R.E. (postcard)

21. Sergeant James Alexander Baldwin with Officers and NCOs of the Depot Battalion (1920-1925).

23. Regimental Sergeant Major James Alexander Baldwin at the Great War Monument, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1928.

24. Regimental Sergeant Major James Alexander Baldwin at the Great War Monument, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1928. (Enlarged).

25. Regimental Sergeant Major James Alexander Baldwin at the Great War Monument, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1928. (Wide angle view).

26. Regimental Sergeant Major James Alexander Baldwin Inspecting the Guard of the Depot Battalion, c. 1933.

29. Staff Sergeant Ronald James Baldwin, R.E.M.E., with Wife Rose and Daughter Maureen, c. 1945.

1. Service Papers of Sapper George Baldwin (WO97/4297), 5 pages, consisting of the following documents:

[1] 4213 was his original Regimental Number and 1850799 was his Army Number after 1920.

[2] This medal is in the author’s collection.

[3] 13161 was his original Regimental Number and 1851693 was his Army Number after 1920.

[4] 15098 was his original Regimental Number and 1851944 was his Army Number after 1920.

[5] The author is indebted to the late Ron Baldwin for all the information and photographs that he provided during the course of this research work.

[6] Robert’s occupation is shown as Sergeant in the 31st Regiment of Foot on his daughter’s birth certificate in 1857.

[7] A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London.

[8] No street by this name exists in London today.

[9] The original structure at this address does not exist anymore.

[10] Dudley Acland Mills. Lieutenant, 18 December 1878. Captain, 1 April 1889. Major, 27 July 1897.

[11] Frank Peveril Rundle. 2^nd Lieutenant, 14 February 1890. Lieutenant, 14 February 1893. Captain, 14 February 1901. War Service: North West Frontier, 1897-8.

[12] Richard Fielding Edwards. Lieutenant, 29 April 1885. Captain, 7 July 1894.

[13] Edward Gordon Young. Lieutenant, 24 July 1886. Captain, 3 February 1897. War Service: South Africa, 1900. Died at Kimberley, South Africa on 5 June 1900.

[14] Courts of inquiry were common during the Victorian period whenever a soldier was injured and lost time away from his duties. The courts apparently deliberated on the cause of any accidental injury to determine whether it was the result of misconduct on the part of the soldier. Being drunk on duty or brawling were two common reasons for a soldier’s injury to be considered not in the line of duty.

[15] Baker Brown, p. 233-234.

[16] Winches.

[17] Electrical cable command detonated mines.

[18] Colonel E.D. Malcolm, CB. Joined the Submarine Miners in 1870. Served in the Indian Mutiny, 1857-1858, Instructor in Telegraphy, 1876, and Inspector of Submarine Defences, War Office, 1881-1884.

[19] Baldwin’s record does not indicate when he received his first or his second Good Conduct Badge. What is also curious is the fact that he received good conduct pay at all, since he was a senior non-commissioned officer from the day he enlisted, and good conduct pay was not normally awarded to soldiers after promotion to the rank of Sergeant.

[20] Arthur Hope Van Straubenzee. Lieutenant, 30 July 1881. Captain, 10 May 1890. Major, 16 July 1899.

[21] Personal correspondence from Ronald J. Baldwin, 29 May 2002.

[22] The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (GVR), fixed suspender, with the bareheaded bust of King George V in a Field Marshal’s uniform.

[23] The Sapper, September 1966, p. 294.

[24] Medal Index Card.

[25] The London Gazette, 14 June 1918.

[26] This medal is in the author’s collection.

[27] Medal Index Card and Roll of Individuals Entitled to the Victory Medal and British War Medal Granted Under Army Orders 301 & 266 (WO329/325).

[28] Reproduction British War and Victory Medals have been added to Baldwin’s LS&GC medal to complete his group of medals.

[29] It is this number that appears on his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

[30] The Sapper, September 1966, p. 294.

[31] These photographs of George Arthur Baldwin visiting Johore are in the possession of his niece Jean Baldwin.

[32] That portion of Tientsin that was not occupied by foreign powers.

[33] The Sapper, January 1932, p. 163.

[34] The Sapper, April 1932, p. 248.

[35] The foundation stone for the War Memorial Hospital was laid by the famous Great War soldier Earl Haig in 1921. It was a further two years before the hospital was opened for patients. There were originally only 26 beds in the hospital, but it was expanded in 1932 to accommodate 42 patients and again in 1948 with an additional 21 beds.

[36] Death Certificate.

[37] Letter from R.J. Baldwin to E. De Santis dated 20 August 2002. There are some discrepancies regarding the birthplace of George William Baldwin. The Lawlersr family tree shows his place of birth as Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey. It also shows him residing in Camberwell in 1922 and in Brixton and Kennington in 1931. Obviously he would have been living with his parents in 1922 and 1931. If this information is correct, then his father, George Arthur Baldwin, was not in China when his son was born. However, since there are so many errors in the family trees posted on Ancestry.com, the author considers the information provided by Ronald James Baldwin to be correct.

[38] Monthly Army List, April 1946.

[39] Monthly Army List, December 1946.

[40] Birth certificate.

[41] Naval & Military Press CD-ROM version of “Soldiers Died in the Great War.”

[42] Medal Index Card.

[43] McInnis and the Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 June 1919.

[44] Simon Jones web site.

[45] Supplement to the London Gazette dated 30 September 1939.

[46] Supplement to the London Gazette dated 2 April 1940.

[47] The Sapper, July 1924, p. 297.

[48] In Figure 40 he is shown with a cigarette in his hand. Smoking most likely attributed to his death.

[49] Probate calendar.

[50] Birth Certificate.

[51] GASE, S. Company movements of the Royal Engineers.

[52] Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.

[53] PURVES.

[54] Ibid.

[55] Ibid.

[56] Ibid.

[57] Ibid.

[58] London Gazette.

[59] The Johore Volunteer Rifles was established in 1914 and redesignated as JOHORE VOLUNTEER ENGINEERS (JVE) in 1928. The JVE was raised in Johore with the consent of the Sultan and embodied Europeans of military age who were resident in Johore. This small unit was wiped out in the invasion of Singapore in 1942 and not reconstituted after the war

[60] Ms. Jean Baldwin.

[61] Ibid.

[62] Electoral Registers.

[63] The Royal Engineers List, 1943.

[64] SKELLEY.

[65] The location of these medals is not known.

[66] A coronary heart disease (CHD) usually caused by a build-up of fatty deposits (atheroma) on the walls of the arteries around the heart. The build-up of atheroma makes the arteries narrower, restricting the flow of blood to the heart muscle. This process is called atherosclerosis.

[67] Purves gives Findon’s initials as G.J. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission gives his name as Robert.

[68] Birth certificate.

[69] Baptism certificate.

[70] Postal interview with R.J. Baldwin.

[71] Soldier’s Service Book.

Name and Surname	Relation	Marital Status	Age	Profession or Occupation	Birthplace
R. Baldwin	Head	Married	43	Colour Sergeant, Army	Woodbridge, Suffolk
F. Baldwin⁽¹⁾	Wife	Married	28		Plymouth, Devonshire
E.(?) Baldwin⁽²⁾	Son		5	Scholar	Hal...? Kent
Baldwin⁽³⁾	Daughter		3		Stroud, Gloucestershire
G. Baldwin⁽⁴⁾	Son		1		Chatham, Kent

Name and Surname	Relation	Marital Status	Age	Profession or Occupation	Birthplace
Robert Baldwin	Head	Married	56⁽¹⁾	Out Pensioner, Chelsea	Woodbridge, Suffolk
Fannie Baldwin	Wife	Married	38		Plymouth, Devonshire
Annie E. Baldwin	Daughter		13	Scholar	Stroud, Gloucestershire
George Baldwin	Son		11	Scholar	Chatham, Kent
Harriet Baldwin	Daughter		9	Scholar	Chatham, Kent
Robert Baldwin	Son		7	Scholar	Gravesend, Kent
Willie C. Baldwin⁽²⁾	Son		5	Scholar	Gravesend, Kent
Frances A. Baldwin	Daughter		3	Scholar	Gravesend, Kent

Name and Surname	Relation	Marital Status	Age	Profession or Occupation	Birthplace
Rachel E. Baldwin	Wife	Married	32		Stepney, London
George A. Baldwin⁽¹⁾	Son		5	Scholar	Poplar, London
James A. Baldwin⁽²⁾	Son		2		Poplar, London
Frederick T. Baldwin⁽³⁾	Son		1 mo		Bromley, London

Apparent age:	33 years
Height:	5 feet 5¾ inches
Weight:	170 pounds
Chest Measurement (normal):	38 inches
Chest Measurement (expanded):	40 inches
Complexion:	Fair
Eyes:	Grey
Hair:	Brown
Distinctive Marks:	Scar on left forehead

Commanding Officer	Dates in Command
Captain D.A. Mills[10]	April 1889 – November 1893
Lieutenant F.P. Rundle[11]	November 1893 – May 1894
Captain G. Le Breton Simmons	May 1894 – January 1897
Captain R.F. Edwards[12]	January 1897 – October 1897
Captain E.G. Young[13]	October 1897 – October 1899

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Commanding Officer

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Date

1. Introduction

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Major Headquarters

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Date of Appointment

Location⁽¹⁾

Location

Total Service (Active)

Total Service
(Including Boy Soldier Service)

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Location

Location

Total Active Service⁽²⁾

Total Service⁽³⁾

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Date of Appointment

Dates

Date

Location

Location

Total Active Service

Territorial Army Service

Total Service

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
12 October 1892	Sapper, upon enlistment in the Royal Engineers
17 October 1892	Appointed Company Sergeant Major (Submarine Mining Company)
12 October 1898	Promoted Quartermaster Sergeant (Military Mechanist)
6 June 1899	Reduced to the rank of Sapper by Court Martial
26 December 1900	Recalled to the Colours as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers

Date	Qualification
13 October 1894	Awarded Good Conduct Pay at 1d. per day
19 November 1894	Awarded a 2^nd Class Certificate of Education
12 October 1898	Appointed Coxswain
13 October 1898	Awarded Good Conduct Pay at 2d. per day
6 June 1899	Forfeited 1d. of 2d. Good Conduct Pay

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
30 November 1903	Enlisted in the Royal Engineers as a Boy Soldier.
28 April 1907:	Entered the ranks as a Sapper.
About 1910	Promoted Lance Corporal.
About 1913	Promoted 2^nd Corporal.
About 1915	Promoted Corporal
About 1918	Promoted Sergeant.
About 1921	Promoted Staff Sergeant.
About 1924	Promoted Warrant Officer Class II (QMSI)
21 December 1926	Promoted Warrant Officer Class I (SMI)
7 September 1939	Commissioned Lieutenant (Quartermaster).
About 1941	Promoted Captain.

Date of Appointment	Position
22 August 1915	Tunnelling Company, Junior Non-Commissioned Officer
1918	Tunnelling Company, Non-Commissioned Officer
1924	Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor.
1930	Sergeant Major Instructor.
1939	War Office Staff Officer, Bomb Disposal.

Location⁽¹⁾	Period of Service⁽²⁾
Chatham, Kent	30 November 1903 to 28 April 1907 (Service as a Boy Soldier)
Home Service	29 April 1907 to 21 August 1915
France and Flanders	22 August 1915 to 1920
Curragh, Ireland	1920 to about 1923
Chatham, Kent	1923 to about 1926
Sandhurst, Berkshire	1926 to about 1930
Blackdown, Hampshire	1930 to about 1935
Chatham, Kent	1935 to about 1939
London	1939 to about 1945

Location	Period of Service
Home Service	About 33 years (not including Boy Soldier Service)
Service Abroad	About 5 years
Total Service (Active)	About 38 years
Total Service (Including Boy Soldier Service)	About 42 years

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
19 October 1905	Attested as a Boy Soldier.
12 March 1909	Entered the ranks as a Sapper at 18 years of age.
1917	Corporal (Acting Sergeant)
3 October 1926	Warrant Officer Class II (Company Sergeant Major)
1936	Warrant Officer Class I (Regimental Sergeant Major)
14 June 1940	Lieutenant (Quartermaster)
1943	Acting Captain (Quartermaster)


Figure 53. Janet Rachel Baldwin	Figure 54 . Janet Russell Baldwin	Figure 55. Lorna M. Baldwin

Location	Period of Service⁽¹⁾
Chatham, Kent	19 October 1905 – 12 March 1909
Harrow, London	13 March 1909 – 21 August 1914
France and Flanders	22 August 1914 - 1920
Home Service	1920 - 1925
Johore, Malaya	1925 – 1936⁽²⁾
London	1936 - 1949

Location	Period of Active Service⁽¹⁾
Home	21 years and 10 months
Abroad	16 years and 5 months
Total Active Service⁽²⁾	38 years and 3 months
Total Service⁽³⁾	43 years and 8 months

Height:	5 feet 8 inches
Weight:	142 pounds
Maximum Chest Measurement:	34 inches
Waist:	26 inches
Complexion:	Fresh
Eyes:	Grey
Hair:	Dark
Distinctive Marks:	Hernia scar

Date	Treatment
6 June 1940	TAB1 (first tetanus toxoid) inoculation and first TT1 (typhoid, paratyphoid A and paratyphoid B) inoculation.
18 June 1940	TAB2 (second tetanus toxoid) inoculation.
5 July 1940	Medical examination and classified A1. Fit for dispatching overseas, as regards physical and mental health, and training.
9 August 1940	Second TT2 (typhoid, paratyphoid A and paratyphoid B) inoculation.
20 June 1941	Smallpox vaccination.
9 August 1914	TAB3 and TT3 inoculations.
4 August 1943	ATS (anti tetanus serum) inoculation, 3 cubic centimeters.
13 September 1943	Medical examination and classified A1. Fit for dispatching overseas, as regards physical and mental health, and training. TAB and TT inoculation (booster shots).
5 October 1944	Medical examination and classified A1. Fit for dispatching overseas, as regards physical and mental health, and training.
1 November 1944	TAB and TT inoculations (boosters).
16 January 1946	Certified medical examination before release from service.
26 January 1946	Smallpox vaccination.
28 January 1946	TAB and TT inoculations (boosters).
24 June 1944	Passed the Physical Efficiency Tests 1 through 7 with a score of 82.8%.

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
17 February 1937	Sapper in the Royal Engineers, Territorial Army (T.A.).
1940	Rank changed to Gunner, Royal Artillery.
1942	Promoted to Lance Bombardier, Royal Artillery.
14 December 1945	Promoted Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (R.E.M.E.).

Date of Appointment	Position
24 August 1939	Fitter and Motor Vehicle Mechanic.
2 February 1940	Fitter, Motor Vehicles Class A III.
8 August 1943	Rated an “Experienced Driver.”
7 October 1943	Remustered as a Vehicle Mechanic (Searchlights).
4 November 1943	Rated as a “Junior Leader.”
24 December 1944	Mustered as a Vehicle Mechanic Class A 1.
16 May 1945	Appointed Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant (Vehicle).
August 1945	Leading Artisan Vehicle Mechanic (R.E.M.E).
13 December 1945	General Works Foreman, Base Automobile Shop.

Dates	Course of Training
1937 to 1939	Field engineering training with Territorial Army unit.
24 August 1939	Three month Fitters course at Arborfield.
25 May to 14 June 1941	Course No. 3, 6 Anti-Aircraft Division School (Wireless Wing)
16 March to 26 April 1944	Course AV-21, No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Command School of Technical Instruction (Vehicle Maintenance Refresher Course).
24 January to 20 March 1945	Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course No. 15.
21 March to 10 April 1945	No. 23 Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course (R.E.M.E.)
11 April to 25 April 1945	No. 26 Leading Artisan Staff Sergeant Course (“C” Workshop Organization)(R.E.M.E.)

Date	Qualification
1930 to 1935	Architecture at the Rochester Technical School.
1935 to 1939	Engineering at Medway Institute of Technology. Earned National Certificate of Mechanical Engineering.

Location	Period of Service
Home (Territorial Army)	17 February 1937 – 23 August 1939
Home	24 August 1939 – 12 December 1945
Abbassia, Egypt	13 December 1945 – 8 April 1946
Home	9 April 1946 – 5 June 1946

Location	Period of Service
Home Service (Active)	6 years, 3 months and 74 days
Service Abroad	3 months and 26 days
Total Active Service	6 years, 6 months and 100 days
Territorial Army Service	2 years, 6 months and 6 days
Total Service	9 years and 106 days

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Commanding Officer

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Date

1. Introduction

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Major Headquarters

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Date of Appointment

Location(1)

Location

Total Service (Active)

Total Service (Including Boy Soldier Service)

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Location

Location

Total Active Service(2)

Total Service(3)

Date of Promotion or Appointment

Date of Appointment

Dates

Date

Location

Location

Total Active Service

Territorial Army Service

Total Service

Location⁽¹⁾

Total Service
(Including Boy Soldier Service)

Total Active Service⁽²⁾

Total Service⁽³⁾