Baldwin John Oswald Private 46367

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Surname: Baldwin;

Forename(s): John Oswald;

Initials: JO;

Number: 46367;

Rank: Private;

Born in: Bristol;

Enlisted in: Winchester;

Resided in: Bournemouth;

Previous Number: 1300;

Previous Regiment: Hants Yeo;

MGC Branch: Infantry;

MGC Unit: 16 Coy;

How killed: DOW;

Where: France;

When killed: 18-Oct-1917;

Other Data: Roll of Honour, Vol II, Sect 1: BALDWIN, John Oswald, Private No.46367, 16 MGC, son of Raymond Oswald Baldwin of Homeside, 72 Old Tiverton Road, Exeter. Born Bristol 19/1/1899, educ at Doncaster, South Derbyshire, Bournemouth, Poole Sec Sch and Gosport & Alverstone Sec Sch, Gosport. Joined Hampshire Carabineers Yeo 23/10/1914. Transf to MGC in July 1916. Served with BEF in France & Flanders, gassed nr. Lens on the night of 17018th Oct 1917, and died the following day. Buried in Rouex-les-Mines Mil Cem, nr La Bassee. His CO wrote "It is with the deepest reret that I write to inform you that your son, Pte JO Baldwin was seriously gassed on the night of the 17-18th inst., from which he has since died. The circumstances are: whilst he was on sentry duty,the enemy bombarded with gas shells. One shell burst in close proximity to the gun position. Your son immediately ran towards the dug-out in which the rest of the team were, to warn them. Before he could reach the dug-out a further shell burst in the entrance to the same. Baldwin, not waiting to adjust his own respirator, rushed through the cloud of gas and gave the team sufficient warning in which to adjust their gas masks (respirators). Unfortunately it was during this act of gallantry that your son was gassed. I am very sorry indeed to lose him, as he was a good an concientious soldier, and was very much thought of by his comrades in the section. He very recently attended a course of signalling through which he passed out first class, and I am enclosing the Certificate that he received as I have no doubt that you will be pleased to receive it. I attended his funeral and saw that he received a proper burial in an official Military Cemetery as befitting a brave soldier, who, in my opinion, undoubtedly gave his life for his comrades. I have put the full facts of the matter before my Company Commander, who, I have no doubt, will pass them further. Unmarried.;

Other Notes: BALDWIN, Private, J O, 46367. 16th Coy. Machine Gun Corps (Inf). 18th October 1917. II. C. 8. Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery Extension - Pas De Calais, France.;

END OF RECORD.

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