L/Cpl
Christopher Baker
Information about birth
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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.) |
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 at Curragh Camp, County Kildare, Ireland. He had enlisted in the village of Naas in County Kildare. He had been assigned to the 9th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division) and had ultimately taken part in the Battle of Passchendaele.
Christopher Baker was killed in action on August 16, 1917, during the Battle of Langemarck, part of the Battle of Passchendaele.
On August 15, 1917, the men of the 9th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers had left the area around Vlamertinge to move to the front. There, they had been brought to their starting positions near Frost House and Rabbit Villa to participate in the next day’s attack on the Frezenberg. The attack was to be coordinated with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, positioned to their right near Railway Dump, and the 8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, located near Low Farm. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers was in a supporting position near the Frezenberg Redoubt. During the night of August 15 to 16, the men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers had endured a German bombardment that had peaked around 3 a.m.
At 4:45 a.m., the attack had begun. The first wave, composed of men from A, B, and C Companies, had left their trenches. Shortly afterward, the second wave, also from the same companies, had followed. D Company had remained in support. The attack had turned into a chaotic operation. Several messages sent by the officers had only arrived up to two hours after being dispatched. By 5:40 a.m., the advancing troops, many of whom had already been killed or wounded, had been halted near Bremen Redoubt. It was only around 7:30 a.m. that this situation had been reported to headquarters. At about 10 a.m., the Germans had gathered for a counterattack. Around the same time, Allied shells had fallen between their own lines. By 12:30 p.m., the attacking troops had become stranded before Vampire Farm, and Bremen Redoubt had still not been captured. In the afternoon, several new German counterattacks had developed, but the Irish had managed to hold their lines. As darkness fell, several sections had withdrawn to previous positions. That evening, the combat strength had been reported at only 40 men. However, during the night, a shell had caused more casualties when it hit a dugout directly.
Christopher Baker’s body was found on the Frezenberg near Frost House after the war. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot LV, Row A, Grave 2.
Christopher Baker was killed in action on August 16, 1917, during the Battle of Langemarck, part of the Battle of Passchendaele.
On August 15, 1917, the men of the 9th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers had left the area around Vlamertinge to move to the front. There, they had been brought to their starting positions near Frost House and Rabbit Villa to participate in the next day’s attack on the Frezenberg. The attack was to be coordinated with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, positioned to their right near Railway Dump, and the 8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, located near Low Farm. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers was in a supporting position near the Frezenberg Redoubt. During the night of August 15 to 16, the men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers had endured a German bombardment that had peaked around 3 a.m.
At 4:45 a.m., the attack had begun. The first wave, composed of men from A, B, and C Companies, had left their trenches. Shortly afterward, the second wave, also from the same companies, had followed. D Company had remained in support. The attack had turned into a chaotic operation. Several messages sent by the officers had only arrived up to two hours after being dispatched. By 5:40 a.m., the advancing troops, many of whom had already been killed or wounded, had been halted near Bremen Redoubt. It was only around 7:30 a.m. that this situation had been reported to headquarters. At about 10 a.m., the Germans had gathered for a counterattack. Around the same time, Allied shells had fallen between their own lines. By 12:30 p.m., the attacking troops had become stranded before Vampire Farm, and Bremen Redoubt had still not been captured. In the afternoon, several new German counterattacks had developed, but the Irish had managed to hold their lines. As darkness fell, several sections had withdrawn to previous positions. That evening, the combat strength had been reported at only 40 men. However, during the night, a shell had caused more casualties when it hit a dugout directly.
Christopher Baker’s body was found on the Frezenberg near Frost House 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 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database 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 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/139781 |