L/Cpl
Christopher Baker
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1895 |
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Place of birth: Curragh Camp, Kildare, Ireland, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 10957 |
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Enlistment place: Naas, Kildare, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 9th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Frost House, Frezenberg, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 22 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: LV Row: A Grave: 2 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Christopher Baker was born in Curragh Camp, County Kildare, Ireland. He enlisted in the village of Naas, County Kildare. He would eventually participate with his battalion in the Battle of Passchendaele.
On August 15, 1917, the men of the 9th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers left the area around Vlamertinge to move towards the front. There they were taken to their starting positions near Frost House to take part in the attack on the Frezenberg the following day. The attack was to take place in coordination with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, positioned on their right near Railway Dump, and the 8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, positioned near Low Farm. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers was located near the Frezenberg Redoubt for support. During the night of August 15–16, the men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers faced a German bombardment that reached its peak around 3 a.m.
At 4:45 a.m., the attack began. The first wave, consisting of men from A, B, and C Company, left their trenches. Shortly after, the second wave, again with men from the same companies, followed. D Company remained in support. The attack proved to be a chaotic undertaking. The various reports sent by the officers arrived in some cases only 2 hours after being sent. Around 5:40 a.m., the attacking troops, many of whom had already been killed or wounded, were stopped by the Bremen Redoubt. Only around 7:30 a.m. was this situation communicated to headquarters. Around 10 a.m., the Germans gathered for a counterattack. Around the same time, Allied shells fell between their own lines. By 12:30 p.m., the attacking troops were stranded in front of Vampire Farm. The Bremen Redoubt had still not been captured. In the afternoon, several German counterattacks developed, but the Irish managed to hold their lines. As darkness fell, several sections withdrew to earlier positions. The combat strength was later estimated at 40 men.
Christopher Baker was killed on August 16 in the starting positions for that day's attack. After the war, he was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot LV, Row A, Grave 2.
On August 15, 1917, the men of the 9th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers left the area around Vlamertinge to move towards the front. There they were taken to their starting positions near Frost House to take part in the attack on the Frezenberg the following day. The attack was to take place in coordination with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, positioned on their right near Railway Dump, and the 8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, positioned near Low Farm. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers was located near the Frezenberg Redoubt for support. During the night of August 15–16, the men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers faced a German bombardment that reached its peak around 3 a.m.
At 4:45 a.m., the attack began. The first wave, consisting of men from A, B, and C Company, left their trenches. Shortly after, the second wave, again with men from the same companies, followed. D Company remained in support. The attack proved to be a chaotic undertaking. The various reports sent by the officers arrived in some cases only 2 hours after being sent. Around 5:40 a.m., the attacking troops, many of whom had already been killed or wounded, were stopped by the Bremen Redoubt. Only around 7:30 a.m. was this situation communicated to headquarters. Around 10 a.m., the Germans gathered for a counterattack. Around the same time, Allied shells fell between their own lines. By 12:30 p.m., the attacking troops were stranded in front of Vampire Farm. The Bremen Redoubt had still not been captured. In the afternoon, several German counterattacks developed, but the Irish managed to hold their lines. As darkness fell, several sections withdrew to earlier positions. The combat strength was later estimated at 40 men.
Christopher Baker was killed on August 16 in the starting positions for that day's attack. After the war, he was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot LV, Row A, Grave 2.
Sources 5
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9 Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1974/4). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Ireland, Wills of Irish Soldiers Who Died in the British Army, 1897-1922 (BakerC_E440019) https://www.nationalarchives.ie/ Sources used |
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Ireland, World War I Casualties, 1914-1922, The Committee of the Irish National War Memorial, comp. Dublin: Maunsel and Roberts, 1923. http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919, His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), 1921. http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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UK, World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923, (Western Front Association: 013/0039/Bai-Bak) https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ Sources used |
More information 2
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461799 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=49684f69 |