Baxter, D (David)
Baxter, D (David)
Able Seaman David Baxter was the son of David and Rosnie Baxter, of Shoreditch, London. He served onboard H.M.S. Egret.[1] David is listed as having died from drowning at the quay in Londonderry. Circumstances unknown.
The ship he served on had only been launched in 1939 and originally served in the Indian Ocean until the end of the year when it moved to escort duties from Freetown in Africa. Soon afterwards it moved to North Sea convoys and then onto defence of the east coast of England where it surprisingly took no part in the evacuation of Dunkirk[2] during the middle of 1940. The ship then transferred to Londonderry and took part in approaching convoy support. David passed away during this period.
David’s ship, H.M.S. Egret was eventually sunk on the 27th of August 1943 by a Henschel Hs 293[3] dropped by a Dornier Do 217[4] with the loss of 194 souls. It gained the unfortunate title of being the first ship ever sunk by a guided missile.
Date of Death: 27/09/1941 (Aged 32)
Service: Able Seaman, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Egret.
Service Number: P/JX 272672
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, C. of E. Plot. Sec. F. Grave 12.
[1] HMS Egret was an Egret class sloop (long-range escort vessels) and was launched on the 31st of May 1938.
[2] Dunkirk: 26th May to the 4th of June 1940. The British suffered around 68,000 killed or captured at the battle, around 340,000 where rescued.
[3] The Henschel Hs 293 was German glide bomb and was the first guided missile to sink a ship.
[4] Dornier Do 217 was a twin-engine German bomber.
