Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Seaman J. Baker, Royal Naval Reserve, who was killed in action when the cruiser H.M.S. Cressy was torpedoed and sunk, along with her sister ships Aboukir and Hogue, in the North Sea by the German submarine U-9, 22 September 1914, with the loss of 1,459 lives

1914-15 Star (D.1402, J. Baker. Smn., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (1402D. J. Baker. Smn. R.N.R.) together with the recipient’s glazed and framed Memorial Scroll, named to ‘Smn. John Baker H.M.S. Cressy’, named card boxes of issue, and Buckingham Palace enclosure, Victory Medal officially re-impressed, extremely fine (3) £260-300

John Baker served during the Great War in the Royal Naval Reserve in the cruiser H.M.S. Cressy. He was killed in action when the Cressy, along with her sister ships Aboukir and Hogue, part of the 7th Cruiser Squadron engaged in blockade and patrol duties, were all torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by the German submarine U-9 on 22 September 1914. The Aboukir was the first to be hit, at 06:20; her captain thought that she had struck a mine and ordered the other two ships to close in order to transfer his wounded men. The Aboukir quickly began listing and capsized, sinking at 06:50. Having approached, stopped, and lowered her boats, Hogue was struck by two torpedoes at 06:55 as she was attempting to rescue the survivors. She capsized and sank within twenty minutes. Cressy meanwhile attempted to ram the submarine, but did not hit anything and resumed her rescue efforts until she too was torpedoed at 07:20. She too took on a heavy list and then capsized before sinking at 07:55. Total losses from the three ships were 62 officers and 1,397 men killed.

Baker was amongst those killed, and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.