大象传媒

My name is Ken Baldwin, my father was Sgt G.W. (Tiny) Baldwin MM, who served with the 8th Rifle Brigade, 11th Amoured Div. during WW2.

This is an account of how he was awarded the Military Medal for action in April 1945.

The following is from the official citation of his gallant action given by the War Office.

On 17th April 1945 Sergt. Baldwin was commanding a carrier section leading the advance with a troop of tanks. The vanguard was approaching the cross-roads north of Barum, on the Uelzen-Luneberg road, when enemy A.T. guns , which were well concealed in the wood, opened fire at a range of 200 yards and destroyed the two leading tanks. The remaining tanks and the carriers withdrew under cover of smoke, leaving Sergt. Baldwin and his crew and six wounded men in the open 200 yards from the enemy position. The Germans opened fire on Sergt. Baldwin and his party with a 20mm gun and damaged his carrier. Sergt Baldwin helped the wounded to get under cover into a shallow ditch and then lay down beside his carrier, which was completely exposed. He observed his enemy and reported back the exact position of the enemy guns on the wireless. He was then ordered to try to get the wounded men back along the ditch. He administered first aid and sent four of the men back down the ditch; the remaining two were too badly wounded to move. Sergt Baldwin remained with these two men and continued to act as an observation post for the field and medium guns, which were now shelling the enemy position. Sergt Baldwin's own position was uncomfortably close for medium guns. When our guns had ceased firing and he could be of no further use as an observation post, Sergt Baldwin lifted the two badly wounded men on to the carrier and drove them away to safety. There was no means of telling whether the enemy guns had been destroyed or not, and the whole road was exposed to their fire.

Sergt. Baldwin's coolness and courage during this action were an example to all, and there is no doubt that his accurate observation and corrections from a very exposed position were a tremendous factor in the subsequent overrunning of the enemy position with the capture of three 88mm and two 20mm guns as well as some prisoners.

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