Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Alfred Baynton TD AMIEE Royal Engineers
Defence Medal. War Medal 1939-45. Efficiency Decoration 'Territorial' Geo VI.
The Man Little is known about Ronald Alfred Baynton, Alderman Alfred Alfred Baynton's son and at present no photograph of him is available. He was born on 7th March 1906 in Hackney and later lived at 43 Hillview Court in Woking, Surrey. He attended Imperial College, London winning two athletic medals during his time there and later married Elisabeth Scott Baynton. Before World War 2 he worked for a company called Crompton Parkinson which was a British electrical manufacturing company formed in 1927 by the merger of Crompton & Co and F & A Parkinson Ltd. It seems he joined them in 1928 aged 21 as he was awarded their 10 year long service badge with his personal details engraved on it in 1938. He joined the Territorial Army Royal Engineers sometime during the 1920s as a Sapper and on 1st November 1928 was Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant into the 27th (London) Anti Aircraft Battalion (London Electrical Engineers), RE, service number 40891. On 1st November 1931 he was promoted to Lieutenant in the same Battalion of the Anti Aircraft Searchlight Company and had become an Associate Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. On 6th May 1938 he was promoted to Captain and the next day 7th May transferred to the 49th (West Yorkshire Regiment) Anti Aircraft Battalion. Mobilised for war on 24th August 1939 he qualified as an instructor in searchlights at a War Searchlight Course, possibly training members of the Home Guard. At this time the Royal Artillery took over responsibility of the Anti Aircraft command from the Royal Engineers and on 1st August 1940 Ronald transferred to the Artillery. On 4 May 1941 he was promoted to Temporary Major and on 18th November 1942 Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. On 20th January 1944 he was awarded the Efficiency Decoration ‘Territorial’ and on 11th April 1945 promoted to Major. In August 1946 he was released to the reserve as Honorary Lieutenant Colonel and 10 years later, on 4th July 1956 aged 50 ceased to belong to the TA Reserve of Officers as having exceeded the age limit but retaining the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He may also have been involved with the St. John Ambulance Brigade in later life. Ronald died on 13th May 1978 aged 72 leaving £22,760.00 in his will and outliving his father by only two years!
 Obverse of Ronal Adfred Baynton's Crompton Parkinson Long Service Badge
1938. |
 Reverse of Crompton Parkinson Badge engraved. |
Medal Details:
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as issued.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as issued.
- Efficiency Decoration: 1944
This page last updated 12 Dec 14
