BAKER, SYDNEY CROFT

Born 1922 in Grimsby

Died 02/03/1940, age 17, killed by enemy action

Buried 07/03/1940

Cadet, Merchant Navy, SS Domala (Glasgow)

Son of Sidney and May Croft Baker of Cleethorpes

Address at time of death: “Seawards”, Queen’s Parade, Cleethorpes

Grave ref: Section B1, Grave 61

From http://www.clydesite.co.uk/

“Under the command of Capt Fitt, Domala suffered a severe bombing attack on Saturday March 2nd 1940. She was carrying a total of 295 people, 46 British and 249 Indians from London via Antwerp to Calcutta. At Antwerp she had boarded 143 British Indian subjects repatriated by Germany. A Heinkel bomber dropped four bombs onto the ship causing terrible casualties amongs the passengers and crew. Capt Fitt was killed with 18 other British people and 81 Indians, of whom 36 were crew. Before flying off the bomber sprayed the liners decks with machine gun fire. The Jong Willem from the Netherlands picked up 48 survivors in a boat, and even as she performed this task, she too was bombed and fired upon by machine gun, fortunately without damage or casualties.”

The Domala was beached off the Isle of Wight. Despite being in a very bad state, the government purchased the Domala and had her converted to a cargo vessel EMPIRE ATTENDANT. As such, on a voyage from the Mersey to Karachi and Durban, she was torpedoed by U582 in 1942. Tragically all of her 59 crew perished.