Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"BAKER.— Killed in action in France, July 6, Private Edward Baker, second son of the late John Henry Baker, Howard-street, Hindmarsh." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 27 Jul 1918 (nla.gov.au)

Son of Mr John Henry, Mrs Frances Ann Baker, and little brother to Ms Elsie Baker, of Howard Street, Hindmarsh, Edward Baker was born on May 27, 1888. His religion was listed as the Church Of England and he was a single 27-year old laborer when he enlisted to join the Australian Army on January 7, 1916, even though he had lacked any form of prior experience or service. However he did have family connections to the military as three of his cousins, EC Baker, Percy Baker and W Baker all had served in the military. Unfortunately, all three of his cousins were killed in action.

Upon enlisting, Edward Baker was assigned to the 3rd reinforcement of the 51st battalion which fought on the Western Front in France. He embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on the 18 of July 1916, Western Australia aboard the HMAT A48 Seang Bee. 

On November 23, 1916, Edward was transferred away from the 51st Battalion and he was taken on strength from the 44th Battalion that were fighting in the trenches along the Western Front in France and Belgium. Edward Baker disembarked in France to support the 51st battalion on November 25, 1916

After a whole month of constant fighting in the battle of France and Flanders, Edward Baker was unfortunately wounded in action on January 3rd, 1917. He was aided by the field ambulance who brought him back to the Casualty Clearing Station behind the battlefront. In the medical facility, he was informed that he had fractured his metatarsal bones in his foot. After a month spent in the medical facility, he was discharged on February 11, 1917, to the General Base Depot in Etaples, France. Edward spent two weeks in the Base Depot before eventually re-joining the 44th battalion in the field trenches on the 20 of February 1917.

Five months after re-joining his battalion Edward was sent back into battle. He was sent into the third battle of Ypres alongside the British which was fought for three months. The Allies successfully advanced twenty kilometres in those three months, capturing Passchendaele. Unfortunately for Edward in a turn of events, he was wounded in battle and was once again admitted to the medical facility by the casualty clearing station on the 2nd October 1917. Edward was discharged, once again to the Base Depot where he spent one week before being sent back to his battalion on the 18th of October 1917. Two months after being returned to his battalion Edward Baker was granted a leave which he used to travel to the United Kingdom. He spent two weeks in the UK before he was required to return to his battalion on February 16, 1918. On the 21st of March 1918, Edward Baker was sent in to fight the battle of Somme Valley. He fought in the Picardy sector of Somme defending against what was known as the "massive German spring offensive". It was this specific battle where Private Edward Baker met his fate, paying the ultimate sacrifice for his country at the age of 30 on July 6th, 1918.

After his death in the war Edward's sister, Ms Elsie Baker was the first to find out as she was his next of kin. Edward Baker's passing was also written in the Daily Herald on the 22nd of July 1918. Edward Baker's body was never found and therefore in recorded as "known unto god" however his death is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in Somme, France, alongside ten thousand other soldiers who lost their lives in that battle.