Joe Baker-Cresswell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Addison Joe Baker-Cresswell
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|---|---|
| Born | 2 February 1901 Mayfair, London |
| Died | 4 March 1997 (aged 96) Bamburgh, Northumberland |
| Buried |
St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh, Northumberland, England
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| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1919–1951 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | HMS Tiger HMS Castor HMS Veronica HMS Adventure HMS Nelson HMS Rodney |
| Commands held | HMS Arrow HMS Bulldog HMS Gambia |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | DSO |
| Other work | High Sheriff of Northumberland |
Addison Joe Baker-Cresswell (born February 2, 1901 – died March 4, 1997) was an important officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for a very important event during World War II. He was the captain of HMS Bulldog when his crew captured a German Enigma cipher machine from a U-boat. This machine was used by the Germans to send secret messages. Getting it helped the Allies a lot in the war.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Addison Joe Baker-Cresswell was born in London, England. His father was a soldier, and his family owned land in Northumberland. He had an older brother who also joined the Royal Navy but sadly died young.
Addison went to Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk. While there, he was part of the school's Officer Training Corps. This group helped young people learn about military life.
In 1919, Addison Baker-Cresswell joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman. This is a junior officer rank. His first ship was a large warship called HMS Tiger.
He served on several different ships:
- HMS Castor, a light cruiser in Ireland.
- HMS Veronica, a smaller warship called a sloop in New Zealand.
- HMS Adventure, a ship that laid mines in the sea.
- HMS Nelson, a powerful battleship.
- HMS Rodney, another battleship, where he was the navigating officer for three years.
By 1937, he was promoted to commander.
World War II and the Enigma Machine
When World War II began, Baker-Cresswell was in Cairo, Egypt. In 1940, he was given command of his first ships. First, he commanded the destroyer Arrow. A few months later, he took command of another destroyer, Bulldog. This ship was based in Iceland.
A Key Moment: Capturing the Enigma Machine
On May 9, 1941, Captain Baker-Cresswell's group of ships was protecting merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean. A German submarine, German submarine U-110, attacked them. This U-boat was commanded by Fritz-Julius Lemp.
After a British ship, Aubrietia, dropped special bombs called depth charges, the U-boat was forced to come to the surface. Captain Baker-Cresswell first ordered his crew to sink the U-boat. But then he remembered something important. He had learned that capturing enemy ships could give valuable information.
So, he quickly sent a team to board the U-110. This team, led by Sub-Lieutenant David Balme, searched the submarine. They found something incredibly important: an intact Enigma cipher machine! This machine was used by the Germans to encrypt (code) their secret messages. They also found code settings and code books. These items were like a key to understanding German secrets.
Baker-Cresswell tried to tow the U-110 away, but it sank a few hours later.
Recognition for His Actions
For this amazing capture, Captain Baker-Cresswell received the DSO award and was promoted to captain. Sub-Lieutenant Balme also received an award.
King George VI himself said that capturing the U-110's cipher materials was "the most important single event in the whole war at sea." This secret was kept quiet until the 1980s.
After this, Baker-Cresswell worked in intelligence in London. He also commanded the Royal Navy's East Indies escort force until 1945.
After the War
From 1946 to 1948, he commanded the cruiser HMS Gambia in the Far East. He then worked as the deputy director of Naval Intelligence from 1948 to 1951.
He retired from the Navy in 1951. He was also appointed as an aide-de-camp to King George VI. This meant he was a personal assistant to the King.
Retirement and Later Life
After retiring, Baker-Cresswell lived in Northumberland, England. He managed his family's estate near Bamburgh. He became a justice of the peace, which is a local judge. In 1962, he was named High Sheriff of Northumberland. This is an old and important ceremonial role in the county.
He passed away in Bamburgh in 1997, at the age of 96.
The U-571 Movie
The movie U-571 was based on the real event of Baker-Cresswell's capture of the German Enigma machine. However, in the movie, the story was changed. The action was moved to the Mediterranean Sea, and the heroes were shown as Americans.
This change caused some discussion in Britain. The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, even said that the film was "an affront" to British sailors. Baker-Cresswell's son also commented that it was a "typical American approach" to history.
