FAMILY LIFE

Edward Baker was born c1894 in Murwillumbah, son of James Joseph & Mary (Burke) Baker of Bray St, South Murwillumbah. He had 7 brothers & sisters. His parents & three of his siblings lived & died in Murwillumbah. His parents were pioneers of Crystal Creek when they took up selection in 1887 & engaged in dairying.

ATESTATION

Edward was single labourer, living in Murwillumbah, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Brisbane on 31^st December 1915 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his mother, Mary, of Murwillumbah.

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER

On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”

OATH

He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Edward Baker, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law

SO, HELP ME, GOD.” 

MEDICAL EXAMINATION

His medical which showed he was 21 years 7 months old, 5ft 3 ½ inches tall (1.61m), weighed 130 lbs (59kgs), with a dark complexion, grey eyes & brown hair.  His eyesight was good. He was dentally fit with a partial upper denture and does not require a lower denture. He was Roman Catholic

CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER

The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -

Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.

He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service

CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER

The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him  as a private into the 25 Infantry Battalion – 10^th Reinforcements with service No 4113

25TH INFANTRY BATTALION

The 25th Infantry Battalion, part of the 7th Brigade, 2nd Division of the Australian Imperial Force, was raised in March 1915 at Enoggera, Queensland. Their service is remembered for their resilience and contributions to key victories.

ENOGGERA TRAINING CAMP

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together.

Now their training began. Firstly, a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service.

It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas

The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months.

INNOCULATIONS

All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.

THE UNIFORM

The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.

SOLDIER’S KIT

Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.

·      Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.

·      Braces: worn with breeches.

·      Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.

·      Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.

·      Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.

·      Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.

·      Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.

·      Jersey

·      Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.

·      Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.

·      Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.

·      Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.

·      Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.

·      Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.

·      Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.

·      Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.

·      They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.

·      No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid six shillings a day

VOYAGE OVERSEAS BRISBANE TO EGYPT MARCH 1916

On the 28^th March, 1916 the regiment left Brisbane, sailing upon the HMAT Commonwealth. They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant.  It was a foretaste of what was to come.

BASE DEPOT EGYPT MAY 1916

Soldiers arriving from Australia usually underwent a short period of further training and conditioning at the base depots in Egypt.

This included familiarisation with trench warfare tactics & use of gas masks and bayonets. They went on route marches to build stamina & battlefield discipline was reinforced. They were also updated on enemy tactics or new weapons (e.g. gas alerts)

Awaiting Deployment Orders

Soldiers did not immediately go to their units. They had to wait for:

·      A draft of reinforcements to be requested by their Battalion

·      The logistics to arrange movement to the front

·      Sometimes, movement was delayed due to transport availability, enemy activity, or unit reorganisation.

Medical Checks & Paperwork

Troops were also given medical inspections, final checks of records, and issued any missing kit or equipment before joining the battalion

HOSPITALISATION MAY 1916- MUMPS

During this time, on 4^th May 1916 Edward contacted mumps and was admitted to the Suez Hospital till being discharged on 9^th May.

FRANCE TRAINING CAMP MAY 1916

The 25th battalion were stationed at Gallipoli when Edward arrived in the Suez. However, they were returned to the 2nd Division, with which it subsequently served on the Western Front after being transferred to Europe. On the 30th May 1916 he embarked the HT Tunisian at Alexandria & disembarked at Marseilles on 5th June 1916. More training was now needed and the troops were subjected to intensive training in gas warfare, bayonet drill, becoming focused on the prevailing conditions of trench warfare, and on the Allied position of taking the offensive.

When the recruits arrived in France, they entered a period of intensive preparation that was both physically demanding and strategically vital.

Life in camp was austere and relentless. The recruits lived in wooden huts that offered little protection from the French weather in winter, and the cold came as a shock to men who had trained in Australia and/or Egypt. Days began early, often before dawn, with physical training designed to build endurance and toughness. Long route marches across the open downs were a regular feature, men carrying full packs, rifles, ammunition, and equipment as they were conditioned for the demands of trench warfare.

Training was systematic and increasingly realistic. The men would have spent many hours on the parade ground mastering drill, weapon handling, and unit manoeuvres, but the focus soon shifted to battlefield skills. The battalion practised trench warfare techniques, including entering and clearing enemy trenches, bombing drills with Mills grenades, bayonet fighting, and the rapid consolidation of captured positions

Musketry training was constant. The men would have fired thousands of rounds on the rifle ranges, honing accuracy, and speed, learning to fire from awkward positions and under time pressure. Lewis gun teams trained separately, while all infantrymen were taught how to operate the weapon if needed. Gas warfare instruction was also compulsory; men practised donning respirators under simulated gas attacks, a grim but necessary preparation for conditions at the front.

After many months of continuous preparation, the Battalion was judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.

TRENCH WARFARE AUGUST 1916

On 4th August Edward was taken on strength. The soldiers now found themselves fighting the German in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats

The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.

·      Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.

·      Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.

The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.

Edward could scarcely have arrived at a more dangerous time.

THE BATTLE OF POZIERES

The 25th Battalion was in the midst of the Battle of Pozières, one of the bloodiest battles ever fought by Australian troops on the Western Front. The battalion had already participated in a major attack on the night of 4 August against the German trench systems known as OG1 and OG2, beyond the shattered village of Pozières. The objective was the high ground around the famous Pozières Windmill, a position that dominated the battlefield. The attack succeeded, but at terrible cost. The battalion suffered hundreds of casualties from machine-gun fire, artillery, and German counter-attacks. He almost certainly entered the line while this fighting was still underway.

AUGUST 5^TH WOUNDED IN ACTION

On 5 August the Australians were desperately consolidating their newly captured positions. German artillery subjected the area to one of the most intense bombardments experienced by Australian troops during the war. Shells fell continuously across the ridge, destroying trenches, burying men alive, and causing enormous casualties. German counter-attacks were expected at any moment, and the battalion was holding shell-hole positions amid a landscape that witnesses described as resembling the surface of the moon.

For a newly arrived reinforcement such as Edward, there was little opportunity to acclimatise. Men were often marched directly from reinforcement camps into a battalion already in action. It was not uncommon for a soldier to join his unit and become a casualty within hours. In fact, many reinforcements arriving at Pozières in early August 1916 were killed or wounded before they had even learned the names of the men in their platoon.

Edward was one these casualties, wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the thigh. Edward's experience was typical of many reinforcements who reached the Somme in the summer of 1916. Having arrived in France on 4 August, he entered the line while the 25th Battalion was engaged in the brutal fighting around Pozières. The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation. The village itself had been reduced to rubble, and the surrounding countryside was churned into a wasteland of shell holes, shattered trenches, and tangled wire. German machine-guns and artillery dominated the area, and casualties were heavy among both seasoned veterans and newly arrived reinforcements.

Sometime during these operations, Edward received a gunshot wound to the thigh. Such wounds were often caused by rifle or machine-gun fire and could range from relatively straightforward flesh wounds to severe injuries involving shattered bone and extensive tissue damage. Even a comparatively minor wound to the thigh could be extremely painful and dangerous because of the large blood vessels running through the leg. Immediate treatment would have been provided by battalion stretcher-bearers or regimental medical staff, who applied field dressings and attempted to control bleeding before evacuation from the battlefield.

HOSPITALISATION AND REST CAMP AUGUST 1916

The journey from the front line to safety was often an ordeal in itself. Edward would likely have been carried by stretcher through communication trenches and shell-torn ground to an Advanced Dressing Station, where his wound would have been examined and stabilised. From there he eventually reached the 37th Field Ambulance on 13 August. Despite its name, a Field Ambulance was not a vehicle but a mobile medical unit responsible for treating and evacuating wounded soldiers. Here doctors and orderlies would have cleaned the wound, changed dressings, monitored for infection, and prepared him for transport further behind the lines.

Once his condition was stable, Edward was transferred to the 37th General Hospital at Boulogne. Situated on the French coast, Boulogne was one of the principal medical centres of the British Expeditionary Force. The hospital was far removed from the noise and danger of the front. Rows of wards, operating theatres, and convalescent facilities cared for thousands of wounded men arriving from the battlefields of France and Belgium. Here Edward would have received more comprehensive treatment. Surgeons carefully cleaned wounds to remove dirt, cloth fibres, and any fragments carried into the body by the bullet. Preventing infection was a constant concern, as antibiotics did not yet exist and even a seemingly simple wound could become life-threatening.

During his weeks in hospital, Edward would have enjoyed better food, a proper bed, and a chance to recover his strength. Nurses, including members of the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service and Voluntary Aid Detachments, provided care and comfort to the wounded. For many soldiers, the hospital represented their first opportunity for uninterrupted rest after months of military service.

REST CAMP SEPTEMBER 1916

By 4 September, his condition had improved sufficiently for him to be transferred to a rest or convalescent camp. Although the exact camp is not recorded, its purpose would have been to bridge the gap between hospital and active service. Such camps were generally located near the coast or in quieter areas behind the lines. The routine focused on rebuilding physical fitness through light exercise, route marches, and gradually increasing activity. Men attended medical inspections, received fresh uniforms and equipment if necessary, and prepared themselves for eventual return to duty.

For Edward, the move to a rest camp marked the end of the most critical phase of his recovery. Only a month earlier he had been fighting amid the carnage of Pozières and suffering from a painful gunshot wound. Now, removed from the battlefield and under medical supervision, he could begin regaining the strength needed to continue his service. Like many Australian soldiers wounded on the Somme, his path from battlefield casualty to convalescent soldier followed a carefully organised chain of evacuation and treatment that saved countless lives during the war.

DISCIPLINED

On 6^th September he was, whilst on active service, absent from 9am to 5.30pm and forfeited 2 day’s pay

WOUNDED IN ACTION 2^ND OCCASION

He rejoined his unit on 10th February 1917 which was engaged in operations following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. The notation "2nd Occ." indicates this was his second occasion of being wounded during the war. The nature of the wound is later recorded as a gunshot wound to the right foot. Foot wounds were common on the Western Front, where men were frequently exposed while moving through trenches, shell holes, or during attacks. Even a relatively small bullet wound could be serious, as the foot contains numerous small bones that could be fractured or shattered.

TREATMENT AND EVACUATION CHAIN MARCH 1917

Following treatment by the battalion's medical staff, he entered the evacuation chain. On 11 March 1917 he was admitted to the 6th Field Ambulance and transferred to a Casualty Clearing Station (CCS). These facilities were located a few miles behind the front and represented the first stage of major medical treatment. Doctors assessed wounds, performed emergency surgery where necessary, and decided which men could return to duty and which required evacuation further from the fighting.

On 12 March he was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the right foot. By this stage it was clear that his recovery would require more extensive treatment than could be provided in France. Two days later he was transferred across the English Channel.

EVACUATION TO ENGLAND MARCH 1917

On 13 March 1917 he embarked aboard the hospital ship Warilda. Hospital ships were specially equipped floating hospitals staffed by doctors, nurses, and medical orderlies. For wounded men, the crossing to England represented a welcome escape from the dangers and discomforts of the front line. The voyage was usually calm and comparatively comfortable, although many soldiers were anxious about the extent of their injuries and uncertain about their future.

ENGLISH HOSPITAL MARCH 1917

After arriving in England, he was admitted to the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital at Millbank, London. Unfortunately, his troubles were not over.

DEVELOPED PNEUMONIA MARCH 1917

On 18 March 1917, while recovering from his wound, he developed pneumonia and was recorded as being dangerously ill. In the days before antibiotics, pneumonia was a serious and potentially fatal disease. Many wounded soldiers whose bodies were weakened by injury, exhaustion, and exposure succumbed to respiratory infections. The fact that he was officially listed as dangerously ill suggests that his condition caused considerable concern among the medical staff and likely among his family as well.

FURLOUGH MAY TO JUNE 1917

Fortunately, he survived. After more than two months of treatment and convalescence, he was granted furlough from 21 May to 1 June 1917. Such leave was intended to help recovering soldiers regain their strength before returning to military duties.

WAREHAM TRAINING JUNE 1917

Following his leave, he was ordered to report to the Australian training establishments at Wareham in Dorset on 5 June 1917.

Wareham was one of the principal Australian training centres in England. Soldiers recovering from wounds often spent time there rebuilding their fitness through drill, route marching, physical training, and military instruction before being considered fit to return overseas.

DISCIPLINED JUNE 1917

However, his return to military discipline proved problematic. On 9 June 1917, while attached to the 4th Command Depot, he was charged with being Absent Without Leave (AWL) from 3.30 p.m. on 5 June until 11 p.m. on 6 June, a period of approximately thirty-one and a half hours. He appeared before Captain G. C. Neech on 7 June 1917 and was awarded two days' Field Punishment No. 2, one of the common disciplinary penalties of the period. He also forfeited four days' pay, amounting to £1.

Field Punishment No. 2 was less severe than Field Punishment No. 1. It generally involved hard labour, extra duties, and confinement to camp, but did not include being tied to a fixed object. For a soldier who had recently survived a gunshot wound and a life-threatening bout of pneumonia, the punishment was embarrassing rather than severe, and it was far from uncommon. Many recovering soldiers found the strict discipline of training depots difficult after months of hospital treatment and leave.

THE BATTLE OF MENIN ROAD SEPTEMBER 1917

He rejoined his unit on 12^th August and the battalion on 18^th August.  The 25^th had taken part in many battles in the past months and on 20^th September the Battle of Menin Road, near Ypres, Belgium began.  

The Battle of Menin Road was an offensive operation, part of the Third Battle of Ypres on the Western Front, undertaken by the British Second Army to take sections of the curving ridge, east of Ypres, which the Menin Road crossed. This action saw the first involvement of Australian units (1st and 2nd Divisions AIF) in the Third Battle of Ypres. The attack was successful along its entire front, though the advancing troops had to overcome formidable entrenched German defensive positions which included mutually supporting concrete pill-box strongpoints and resist fierce German counter-attacks. A feature of this battle was the intensity of the opening British artillery support. The two AIF Divisions sustained 5,013 casualties in the action

KILLED IN ACTION 20^TH SEPTEMBER 1917

On the first day of battle Edward was killed in action.

COMMEMORATION

Edward’s body was not found and he is commemorated at the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium with the inscription No known grave - "Known unto God".

PERSONAL EFFECTS

His effects consisting of kit store book no 12, a balaclava, a devotional book, rosary, match box, key, medallions, 2 metal chains & 2 bag handles were received by his mother in April 1918. Further effects of wallet, photos and postcards were forwarded in May.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service, Edward was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is located at panel 103 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial

PENSION FOR MOTHER

His mother was granted a pension of 30 shillings per fortnight from 5 December 1917.

MEDALS AND PLAQUE

His war medals were sent to his father on 5th January 1922 and the memorial plaque in September.

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