Acting Warrant Engineer Ronald Victor Baker

Acting Warrant Engineer Ronald Victor Baker b Devonport 12: 9: 1914 Was one of four children from Brixham Devon, due to a divorce was sent to Greenwich Naval Hospital School aged 6 and then entered the Royal Navy aged 15 in December 1930.

He passed exams at 15 to qualify for officer training, coming, according to family history top of 400 entrants, unfortunately the costs of uniforms and messing meant the family could not support him, so he trained as an engineer artificer at HMS Fisgard 1929-31. Served on surface ships including HMS Repulse 1939-41 and then for the reason of pay and a wife to support decided to move to the submarine service.

It is possible that apart from a short period on HMS Trident, 21 days March 1943, the final voyage of Regent was his first war patrol. It also seems probable that as he was listed as 'Acting Warrant Engineer' the other Warrant Engineer listed as crew was overseeing his final training? We will never know. His name Ron lives on as one of the sponsors of this web site, Ron Johns who is his nephew.