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J R Baldwin - Pilot Profile - J Baldwin

J R Baldwin

No Photo Available

Victories : 15
-----------------------------
Country : UK
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Allied
Died : 15th March 1952


Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished
Flying Cross

John Baldwin joined the RAFVR in September 1939 and served as a ground crewman in France during 1940. Back in England, he spent the Blitz period on bomb-disposal duties. In 1941 he volunteered for aircrew duties, and was trained in California, United States. Back in the UK, he gained experience at No.59 OTU in the summer of 1942 and was posted at No 609 (West Reading) Squadron on November 17th, 1942, at that time equipped with Typhoons. He was posted to No. 198 Squadron as its Commanding Officer in November 1943, before taking command of 123 Airfield. He was ultimately to become the highest scoring Typhoon pilot of all, with 15 confirmed solo victories, 1 shared destroyed, a further 1 probable and 4 damaged. He was posted missing during the Korean War when he failed to return from a weather reconnaissance sortie on 15th March 1952. His body has never been recovered.



Citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross, gazetted 26th February 1943.

This officer has participated in numerous sorties, invariably displaying great courage and operational efficiency. This was amply demonstrated during a sortie one day in January, 1943, when he attacked a formation of three enemy aircraft. In his first attack, Flying Officer Baldwin shot down the leading aircraft of the hostile formation. Following this success he destroyed another of the formation before his own aircraft was hit in one of the wings. When the third enemy fighter attempted to attack from the rear, Flying Officer Baldwin outmanoeuvred the attacker and shot it down. On another occasion during a sortie over Belgium, he damaged four locomotives.

London Gazette, 1943.

Artwork featuring this Ace : Prints and Paintings Available to Purchase!

 F/Lt (later Wing Commander) Baldwin was to become the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He is depicted here downing a Bf.109 in Typhoon 1B, DN360 (PR-A) of 609 Sqn over Beachy Head. F/Lt J R Baldwin by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0324
 Whilst in command of 609 Sqn in January 1944, F/Lt (later Wing Commander) J R Baldwin, leading a small formation of Hawker Typhoon 1Bs, encountered thirty Focke-Wulf  Fw190s and engaged them in a furious battle.  Nine enemy aircraft were shot down in the action, Baldwin accounting for two of them himself.  He went on to finish the war as the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He is depicted here, flying  DN360 with the codes PR-A. Hard Hitter by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0370
 Squadron Leader J R Baldwin gets airborne from a makeshift airfield in northern France flying one of his personalised Hawker Typhoons, JB-1. Airborne in JB1 by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0419
 So often overshadowed by its own achievements as a ground attack aircraft, Hawkers mighty Typhoon also proved itself a formidable adversary in air to air combat as demonstrated by the successes of F/Lt (later Wing Commander) J R Baldwin who claimed no fewer than three Bf.109G4s in the skies above Kent on 20th January 1943 in a single sortie. Baldwin finished the war as the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He was tragically lost over Korea in 1952 whilst on an exchange posting with the USAF, but is depicted here at the peak of his powers, flying Typhoon 1B DN360 (PR-A) of 609 Sqn. Typhoon! by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1869
 The leadership qualities and grim determination of Squadron Leader J R Baldwin was seldom better demonstrated that when he led a small flight of Hawker Typhoons against a force of some thirty Focke-Wulf Fw.190s in January 1944.  Nine of the German aircraft were shot down that day, Baldwin himself being responsible for two of them.  He is shown here in Typhoon PR-A of No.609 Squadron. A Busy Day at the Office by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1920
 Britain's highest scoring Typhoon ace, Wing Commander J R Baldwin climbs from the cockpit of his personalised Typhoon at a makeshift airfield in northern France after a sortie in support of the Allied forces' drive into mainland Europe following D-Day in June 1944.  Baldwin was instrumental in the capture of a German General's Mercedes, a prize which he employed as his personal transport for the duration of his time in France. Wing Commander J R Baldwin - The Spoils of War by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1939

Latest Allied Aviation Artwork !
A Fairey Albacore of 826 Naval Air Squadron releases its torpedo at the Battle of Cape Matapan, 28th March 1941.  With intelligence from deciphered Italian communications aiding them, the British fleet had a distinct advantage from the outset of this battle.  However, gaining a torpedo hit on the well protected battleship Vittorio Veneto came at a price - Lt Com Dalyell-Stead and the crew of his Fairey Albacore got close enough to launch their torpedo and damage the battleship, but were killed when their aircraft was brought down by the hail of anti-aircraft fire returned.  Ultimately, the battle was a massive British victory with several Italian capital ships sunk, but it was a notable victory for innovation and intelligence, with British ship-borne radar decisive in a night action, and code-breaking by Bletchley Park aiding the British fleet.

Albacore at Cape Matapan by Ivan Berryman.
A prominent aviator in the Battle of the Atlantic, Terry Bulloch flew B-24 Liberators with No.120 Sqn in an anti-submarine role.  Already awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down two German aircraft in a No.206 Sqn Lockheed Hudson over Dunkirk, he was awarded a Bar to this when he sunk U-boat U-597 in October 1942.  After another attack, this time sinking U-132 and damaging U-89, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and gained a Bar to this on leaving No.120 Sqn at the end of 1942.  Bulloch is seen here on 8th July 1943 in Liberator GR Mk.V BZ721 of No.224 Sqn having completed his hat-trick of U-boat kills, this time sinking U-514 in the Bay of Biscay.  This type had been modified by RAF Coastal Command to carry rockets, which Bulloch had used to attack the submarine, finishing it off with depth charges.  After the war, Bulloch became an airline pilot, crossing the Atlantic on more than 1,000 occasions.  He died in 2014.

Tribute to Terry Bulloch by Ivan Berryman.
 In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command.  These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy.  On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck.  At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles.  The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship.  The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape.  As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941.  Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.
 Painted with the black and white markings of the D-Day invasion, P-51 Mustang 43-24823 B6-S 'Old Crow' is the personal aircraft of 'Bud' Anderson.  He flew two tours with the 363rd Fighter Squadron and is credited with 16.25 victories in 116 missions from February to December 1944.  After the war he became a test pilot, flying over 100 different aircraft types before retiring in 1972, often speaking at aviation history events ever since.  As of the time of writing in 2023, he is 101 years old and has just been promoted to the honorary rank of Brigadier General.

Tribute to Clarence 'Bud' Anderson by Ivan Berryman.

J R Baldwin

Squadrons for : J R Baldwin
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by J R Baldwin. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

No.198 Sqn RAF


Country : UK
Founded : 1st June 1918
Fate : Disbanded 15th September 1945

Igni renatus - Born again in fire

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.198 Sqn RAF

No.198 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.

No.609 Sqn RAF


Country : UK
Founded : 10th February 1936
Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957
West Riding (Auxiliary)

Tally ho!

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.609 Sqn RAF

No.609 Sqn RAF

609 (West Riding) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force: 609 Squadron came into being on the 10th February 1936 as part of the expanding Auxiliary Air Force. Initially a bomber squadron equipped with Hawker Harts. On 8th December, 1938, the Squadrons role was changed from bomber to fighter and the squadron took delivery of its first Spitfires Mk I during August 1939. The squadrons first victory was a Heinkel HE111 H-2 of 2/KG26 which was shot down near St. Abbs Head, 27th February 1940, by Flying Officer G. D. Ayre, Pilot Officer J R Buchanan and Flying Officer D Persse-Joynt. 609 squadron was, it is said, the first Spitfire Squadron to reach 100 victories (Ju88 A-5 1/KG51) on 21st October 1940. The victory was shared by Flight Lieutenant F J Howell and Pilot Officer S J Hill. During April 1942, 609 began to replace its Spitfires with Hawker Typhoons, and went on to become the first Typhoon squadron with 227 victories. Based at many RAF Stations 609 was in action throughout WWII, covering the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and supporting the D-Day landings as part of the 2nd TAF. There were many decorations awarded to squadron members, these included 3 DSOs, 22 DFCs and Bars and 4 DFMs. On 16th December 1947, King George VI gave permission for use of the Royal Prefix for all Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. 609 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was disbanded on 10th March 1957, whilst equipped with Gloster Meteors F8 at RAF Church Fenton, Yorkshire. On 1st October, 1999, 609 (west Riding) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, was re-formed at RAF Leeming operating in the guise of Air Defence Support Squadron (ADSS).
Aircraft for : J R Baldwin
A list of all aircraft associated with J R Baldwin. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
SquadronInfo

Typhoon




Click the name above to see prints featuring Typhoon aircraft.

Manufacturer : Hawker
Production Began : 1941
Number Built : 3330

Typhoon

Single engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330.

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