Wing Commander Ernest Reginald Baker
DSO, DFC & Bar
The Early Years & Joining the RAF
Early Life
Ernest Reginald Baker was the youngest son of Mr William and Mrs Eliza Baker of 16 Rainton Road in Doncaster. Born 30 March 1914, he was educated at Hyde Park School and the Doncaster Grammar School. He passed his Northern University Matriculation certificate in 1931.
Reg then took a teaching certificate between 1933 and 1935 at Chester Training College. Whilst there without his parents knowledge he tried out some flying and obviously fell in love with it.
He went on to teach, mainly physical training, at Park Junior Mixed School in Wheatley. Reg’s main sporting love was cricket, playing for Doncaster’s first XI.
In December 1937 Reg pursued a career change but was frustrated by just failing to get into the Hendon Police College.
Nevertheless, undaunted Reg still sought service life and he obtained a commission with the RAF as an acting pilot officer on 7 May 1938.
Joining the RAF
In December 1937, Reg pursued a career change but was frustrated by just failing to get into the Hendon Police College. Nevertheless, undaunted Reg still sought service life and he obtained a commission with the RAF after leaving his teaching post at Park Junior Mixed School. He was commissioned as an acting pilot officer on 7 May 1938.
He would describe his life on the squadron prior to the war as:
“A simple life, not exhausting either physically or mentally and yet strangely satisfying a life which we later on look back upon and wonder. We were not unhappy in our lot, we had all felt for sometime that war was at hand, we knew it had to be if the things we believed in were to be preserved.”