Captain Thomas C.R. Baker

Name Thomas Charles Richmond Baker Date of Birth 2nd May 1897 Place of Birth Smithfield, South Australia Occupation Bank Clerk Date of Enlistment 29th July 1915 Place of Enlistment Adelaide, South Australia Flying Unit 4 Sqn AFC Previous Unit 16th Battery, 6th Field Artillery Brigade AIF Service Australian Flying Corps Theatres France AIF Rank Captain Awards MM, bar to MM, DFC Victories 12 Nickname - AIF Fate Killed In Action Date of AIF Fate 4th November 1918 Final Rank Captain Date of Death 4th November 1918 Place of Death - Cause of Death - Notes In the same dogfight, the German aces Karl Bolle and Ernst Bormann of Jasta Boelcke claimed two and one victories respectively. Baker may have been claimed by either Bolle or Bormann.

Thomas Charles Richmond Baker was born on the 2nd of May 1897 in Smithfield, South Australia. After gaining employment as a Bank Clerk in early civilian life, Baker enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 29th of July, 1917 with the 6th Field Artillery Brigade. Baker was awarded the Military Medal in December 1916 for his work in repairing broken telephone wires while under fire at Guedencourt in France. Soon after Baker recieved a bar to the award, coming to the Australian Flying Corps in December of 1917 already a highly decorated soldier. After training in England and 60 hours of flying experience, Baker was transferred to 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps in the summer of 1918.

Victory information taken from "Above The Trenches : A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915 - 1920", Christopher Shores, Norman Franks and Russell Guest, 1990. More detail of the AFC ace victories are contained in the volume.

Name Thomas Charles Richmond Baker. DFC, MM and bar. Number - Rank Captain Aircraft Sopwith Snipe E8062 Squadron 4 Squadron Unit Australian Flying Corps Service Army, Australian Imperial Force Conflict 1914 - 1918 Date of Death 4th November 1918 Cause of Death Killed In Action Memorial Panel 188 Memorial Details Belgium 367 Escanaffles Communal Cemetery Hainault. France Next of Kin Son of Annie Martha Baker, of 55, Park Terrace, North Unley, South Australia, and the late Richmond Baker. Enlistment Adelaide, South Australia Source AWM 145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army. Commonwealth War Graves Roll of Honour Card. Missing information on card and additional information added by AFC Website Notes Shot down in an engagement with Jasta Boelcke

Lest We Forget

The supplement for "Above the Trenches" lists Baker's Snipe that he was shot down in as E8062, "Who Shot Down the Aces" lists Baker's Snipe he was shot down in as E8065.

Description of the Belgium 367 Escanaffles Communal Cemetery Hainault from the Commonwealth War Graves Commision, "The village of Escanaffles is located east of Ronse (Renaix) on the N391. From the E17 motorway turn off at junction 3, Kortrijk-Oost, and onto the N8 direction Zwevegem. Follow the N8 through Heestert and into the village of Avelgem. In the village turn right by the square into Kerkstraat and then right again onto the N353 direction Bossuit. At the junction with the N391 turn onto the N391 direction Escanaffles. In the village turn left at the crossroads into Place and at the T junction turn right, the cemetery is along on the right. The graves are located through the main entrance and to the right. The two War Graves are near the East boundary, North of the entrance. "