This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Keith Baxter-Family
to remember
Baxter, Robert T, EM1.
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Contact Info
Home Town Bronx, NY
Last Address New Jersey
Date of Passing Feb 17, 2012
Location of Interment Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery - Wrightstown, New Jersey
Other Memories When leaving Natal, Brazil, we were the lead ship of the escort convoy sailing for Europe. Two days underway, two freighters were sunk by a submarine. We had orders to chase the submarine. As evening was approaching, the skipper ordered the starboard 24 inch searchlight turned on and to keep the lens closed so the sub could not see us. I was in charge of keeping the lights working. After about twenty minutes of trying to keep the arc lit, I turned to the skipper and asked him if he would turn around so we could turn the port side light on instead. I can�??t repeat what he said, but the upshot was that we never got to sink the submarine. About a month later we crossed the equator and were inducted into the group called �??shellbacks.�?? This traditional naval initiation was a step up from �??pollywog�??. I was brought up on charges that I was accused of trying to get Sunburn from a 24 inch searchlight, because I had been burned by the light while trying to keep it lit during our contact with the submarine. Because I crossed the line(equator) and arounded Cape Horn I and the honor of being a Moss Back and Horned Shellback.The title of Mossback. Members of this exclusive brotherhood are those who have completed the fearsome voyage around stormy Cape Horn. They are given the right to spit into the wind, if they want to risk it. Or if you round the Horn and cross the Equator on the same voyage, you are duly honored as a Horned Shellback. Of course, it's hard for a Mossback to avoid becoming a Shellback; but this certificate is rare.
