The North Costa Blanca Branch of the Royal Airforce Association (RAFANCB) is seeking help in tracing any family members of the late Flight Lt. Robert James Baker, who may have relatives in Frome.
Born on 16th February 1925, he was killed, aged 25, with six other crew members when his Wellington Bomber crashed into the Serra del Montgo mountain between Denia and Javea, Costa Blanca, Spain, on 5th December 1950.
The plane was flying on a navigational mission from RAF Shawbury, Shropshire, to Gibraltar when it hit very severe weather resulting in poor visibility. Sadly, all seven crew members were killed, subsequently their remains were buried in Gibraltar.
Flight Lt. Baker was an only child of Alfred James Baker who was born in Axbridge, Somerset on 25 July 1895 – 1963 and his wife, maiden name Theodora Kathleen Minnie Hyde, who was born in Kent in 1897 and who died in Kent in 1993.
The RAFACNB is proposing to erect a memorial to the crashed airmen on the mountain which will be constructed in the coming months and will be unveiled on 5th December 2019, the anniversary of the tragedy. With the help of newspaper articles, letters, etc., they have successfully contacted family members of six of the aircrew, but help is required to contact any family members of Flight Lt. Baker.
If you can help in any way with this request please contact Ronald Lucas of Market Drayton, Shropshire. Email: ronlucas1@btopenworld.com or tel. 01630 652956.
