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Ross Baker served with the Royal Canadian Artillery during the Second World War.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
![Ross Baker]({"id":"102af5fb-c7a0-4956-a3a9-3f5d69202e81","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"3975_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":40949,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:39.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:39.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #3975","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker (far left) and a group of his comrades at the Carpiquet Airport, Caen, France. Two of the men in this photo were later killed in action.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3975 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3975_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3975_600.jpg","credit":"Ross Baker","pivot":{"mediable_id":"c47e2788-ca79-450d-8725-acafad7ec20b","media_id":"102af5fb-c7a0-4956-a3a9-3f5d69202e81","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"e616df74-e78b-47a6-b2e0-44e5b6af31f3","media_id":"102af5fb-c7a0-4956-a3a9-3f5d69202e81","title":"Memory Project Image #3975","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker (far left) and a group of his comrades at the Carpiquet Airport, Caen, France. Two of the men in this photo were later killed in action.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3975 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"en","credit":"Ross Baker"},{"id":"845e6ac1-fdd2-474f-bcfd-cde25f7c3198","media_id":"102af5fb-c7a0-4956-a3a9-3f5d69202e81","title":"Memory Project Image #3975","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker (\u00e0 l'extr\u00e9mit\u00e9 gauche) et un groupe de ses camarades \u00e0 l'a\u00e9roport Carpiquet, Caen, France. Deux des hommes sur la photo ont plus tard \u00e9t\u00e9 tu\u00e9s en action.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3975 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"fr","credit":"Ross Baker"}]} "Memory Project Image #3975")
![Ross Baker]({"id":"2dc53386-691b-4e72-8040-46ab25484c75","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"3974_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":34943,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:38.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:38.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #3974","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker standing in rubble in Germany. He made the vest he is wearing from salvaged leather.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3974 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3974_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3974_600.jpg","credit":"Ross Baker","pivot":{"mediable_id":"c47e2788-ca79-450d-8725-acafad7ec20b","media_id":"2dc53386-691b-4e72-8040-46ab25484c75","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"ec9e0859-4eb4-46e2-9ef1-b801f88c0b40","media_id":"2dc53386-691b-4e72-8040-46ab25484c75","title":"Memory Project Image #3974","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker standing in rubble in Germany. He made the vest he is wearing from salvaged leather.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3974 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"en","credit":"Ross Baker"},{"id":"d67329a9-b3f9-4c1a-9bba-74a142188d43","media_id":"2dc53386-691b-4e72-8040-46ab25484c75","title":"Memory Project Image #3974","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker debout dans des d\u00e9combres en Allemagne. Il a fait le gilet qu'il porte avec du cuir qu'il a r\u00e9cup\u00e9r\u00e9.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3974 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"fr","credit":"Ross Baker"}]} "Memory Project Image #3974")
![Ross Baker]({"id":"4cf4c11b-04ef-4061-aa6d-6a2310119496","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"3973_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":33620,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:38.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:38.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #3973","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker picked up this cloth-bound Bible with the American flag on the cover during his travels through Europe.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3973 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3973_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3973_600.jpg","credit":"Ross Baker","pivot":{"mediable_id":"c47e2788-ca79-450d-8725-acafad7ec20b","media_id":"4cf4c11b-04ef-4061-aa6d-6a2310119496","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"4a5e5c7f-2142-4c05-92a7-c57311e4b00c","media_id":"4cf4c11b-04ef-4061-aa6d-6a2310119496","title":"Memory Project Image #3973","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker picked up this cloth-bound Bible with the American flag on the cover during his travels through Europe.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3973 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"en","credit":"Ross Baker"},{"id":"7d3db2ca-664a-4be1-8c62-d845fdd164c9","media_id":"4cf4c11b-04ef-4061-aa6d-6a2310119496","title":"Memory Project Image #3973","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker a transport\u00e9 cette Bible reli\u00e9e avec du tissu et portant un drapeau am\u00e9ricain sur la couverture pendant ses voyages \u00e0 travers l'Europe.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3973 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"fr","credit":"Ross Baker"}]} "Memory Project Image #3973")
![Ross Baker]({"id":"98377aa0-16d2-4c0a-9cd9-6b425a25ca9b","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"3972_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":36003,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:36.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:36.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #3972","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Sewing kit that Ross Baker was issued when he enlisted.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3972 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3972_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3972_600.jpg","credit":"Ross Baker","pivot":{"mediable_id":"c47e2788-ca79-450d-8725-acafad7ec20b","media_id":"98377aa0-16d2-4c0a-9cd9-6b425a25ca9b","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"cd82092c-59fd-4514-8bab-04ee450a04f8","media_id":"98377aa0-16d2-4c0a-9cd9-6b425a25ca9b","title":"Memory Project Image #3972","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Sewing kit that Ross Baker was issued when he enlisted.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3972 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"en","credit":"Ross Baker"},{"id":"ec1a5add-58b6-4240-93de-55ed4582b4f1","media_id":"98377aa0-16d2-4c0a-9cd9-6b425a25ca9b","title":"Memory Project Image #3972","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Set de couture remise \u00e0 Ross Baker lorsqu'il s'est enr\u00f4l\u00e9.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3972 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"fr","credit":"Ross Baker"}]} "Memory Project Image #3972")
![Ross Baker]({"id":"f90629c2-9fc5-41ba-8c54-e9563b4f119a","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"3971_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":29514,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:35.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T20:48:35.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #3971","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker, shortly after enlisting in the Royal Canadian Artillery. He is wearing his dress uniform in this photo that was taken at Petawawa, Ontario, in 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3971 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3971_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/3971_600.jpg","credit":"Ross Baker","pivot":{"mediable_id":"c47e2788-ca79-450d-8725-acafad7ec20b","media_id":"f90629c2-9fc5-41ba-8c54-e9563b4f119a","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":5},"translations":[{"id":"e9df2f18-1ea7-44c4-b4b0-3f3ee1aa5da5","media_id":"f90629c2-9fc5-41ba-8c54-e9563b4f119a","title":"Memory Project Image #3971","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker, shortly after enlisting in the Royal Canadian Artillery. He is wearing his dress uniform in this photo that was taken at Petawawa, Ontario, in 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3971 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"en","credit":"Ross Baker"},{"id":"f32bc598-f5e6-42f0-873d-98bd51be78ef","media_id":"f90629c2-9fc5-41ba-8c54-e9563b4f119a","title":"Memory Project Image #3971","alt":"Ross Baker","caption":"Ross Baker, juste apr\u00e8s son enr\u00f4lement dans l'Artillerie Royale Canadienne. Il porte son uniforme de c\u00e9r\u00e9monie sur cette photo prise \u00e0 Petawawa, Ontario, en 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #3971 - Veteran #1571","source":"Ross Baker","locale":"fr","credit":"Ross Baker"}]} "Memory Project Image #3971")
Transcript
I'm Ross Baker, and I'm in the artillery – the Royal Canadian Artillery. My number was B44351, and I was in on the D-Day invasion. My vehicle was a tank. I was going in an observation tank and it hit a mine and one of the triangles going in, and it floundered and I had to get out and swim in. The rest of the barge had to back out because the tank was in the way, and go into a different spot, and then the guns went off. Our guns were what you called 'priests'. They were 105 guns on tank chassis', and so they were really mobile. They went on in to the outside of the town of Bernieres-sur-Mer, and within a half hour, two of the guns were blown to smithereens, and seven of the boys were killed and two wounded, and there were two wounded on the beach and two killed. This all happened just within the first hour, or half hour perhaps. I'm going over there the 6th of June this year, and we're putting a plaque up where these guns were blown up, and they're going to put the names of all those nine that were killed that day on this plaque. I was over there last year for the celebrations of sixty years of Holland liberation. Two of my daughters went with me. I was there two years before that for the opening of Juno Beach, and there was me and seven of my family there for that. Juno Beach [Centre] was originated by Garth Webb, who was my gun position officer on D-Day, so I've been involved with that over the few years it took to get that going. And I'll be visiting some of my Dutch friends that I made during the war and still keep in touch with.
