Geburtsjahr: 1889

Geburtsort: Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia

Beruf: Arbeiter

Land: Australia

Truppe: Australian Imperial Force

Rang: Private

Dienstnummer: 2566

Einberufung datum: 14/06/1915

Einberufung ort: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Einheiten:  —  Australian Infantry, 7th Bn.  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Sterbedatum: 25/10/1917

Sterbeort: Decline Copse, Passchendaele, Belgien

Todesursache: Im Kampf gefallen

Alter: 28

1914-15 Star Medaille

British War Medal Medaille

Victory Medal Medaille

Private Ernest Baker served in the 7th Battalion Australian Infantry, part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Australian Division. He was a scout and runner in his battalion and ,allthough not awarded in the end, recommended for his gallant services as a runner for the Military Medal after the Battle of Poelcapelle, in the beginning of October 1917.
On October 26, the 7th Battalion took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the final stage of the Third Battle of Ypres. The ANZAC troops played a minor role in this battle. They had to defend the right flank of the 4th Canadian Division, which had to attack and capture the village of Passchendaele. Because the 7th was located at the far right end of the front, they had a static, defensive mission. On the 26th they had to establish a strong point near Decline Copse extending towards the German strongpoint at Assyria. During the night the 7th Battalion sent out patrols and endured shelling by German artillery.
Private Ernest Baker was killed in action on the 25th of October 1917. As a scout and runner, he participated in most of the patrols and possibly died during the night of October 25 and October 26 while on reconnaissance patrol near Decline Copse. The 7th Battalion’s war diary clearly states that patrols were fired upon from Decline Copse. His remains were never found. On October 31, the Army Corps Commander, Lieutenant-General Birdwood, rendered his appreciation for private Baker’s gallant services during the recent operations. His name is on the (Ypres) Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

7th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/24/32). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Verwendete Quellen

Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/ Verwendete Quellen

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, BAKER E). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx. Verwendete Quellen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1597502

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c7186e94-35f7-4c33-9f3c-babf41b060fb

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7333331

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=11172