The UK has lost a remarkable centenarian and Second World War hero. Douglas Baldwin, a veteran who was taken prisoner at just 18 years old, passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve at the age of 100.
A Life of Service and Sacrifice
Douglas Baldwin served as a Private during the conflict. His wartime experience took a dramatic turn on August 7, 1944, in the French village of Estry, Normandy. While on patrol, his section was ambushed by German forces.
An enemy soldier, as Mr Baldwin later recounted, seemed to "appear from nowhere" armed with a light machine gun and demanded he surrender. At only 18, he was taken captive.
He spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner, incarcerated in Poland where he was forced to labour in coal mines. His freedom finally came with the end of the war in Europe on May 7, 1945.
Post-War Life and Family in Luton
After the war, Douglas Baldwin built a new life. He married, and though his wife passed away in 2015, they raised a family together. He settled in Luton, where he worked in a variety of roles that reflected the town's industrial and commercial character.
His career included positions at the Co-Op greengrocery, Vauxhall Motors, and Luton Airport. He was born in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, where his father was a railway clerk and his mother cared for their seven children.
In his youth, he enjoyed fishing for eels in the local canals and catching rabbits on the marshes. As a father himself, he maintained strong family ties, often taking his own family back to Sheerness to visit relatives on holiday.
Remembered as a 'Lovely Man' and Charity Stalwart
Mr Baldwin became a cherished member of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, an organisation run by volunteer black cab drivers that has supported veterans since 1948 with outings and events.
Dick Goodwin, Vice President of the charity, paid a heartfelt tribute. "He was a joker and he loved a laugh. A lovely man, he loved chatting and had a whole range of subjects he would talk about. He was a big family man," said Mr Goodwin.
He added, "Doug was an important part of the Taxi Charity family. He was a gently spoken, kind man with a very warm smile who everyone at the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans will miss deeply."
The charity focuses on providing joy and companionship to veterans, organising free trips to museums, concerts, and social gatherings. Douglas Baldwin's passing marks the loss of a direct link to a pivotal generation, a man of resilience, humour, and profound kindness.
