Captain Thomas C.R. Baker
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.
Roll Of Honour Card
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. " www.australianflyingcorps.org : A Complete History of the Australian Flying Corps |
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