Name
Albert Thomas Baker
1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/11/1918
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265441
Hertfordshire Regiment
"F" Coy. 1st/1st Bn.
F Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GHISSIGNIES BRITISH CEMETERY
A. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
"NOT LOST TO US BUT GONE BEFORE"
UK & Other Memorials
Wigginton Village Memorial,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Albert Thomas Baker was born in 1897, in Wigginton, Herts, son of Frederick Baker, A Cowman (B 1859 in Wigginton, Herts) and Lucy Baker (nee Mead) (B 1859 in Wigginton, Herts).
1901 Census records Albert aged 4, living with his parents, stepbrother Christopher 17, sisters Annie 12, Matilda 10, Amy 7, Lillian 3 months and brother Archibald 2, near the Brewhouse, Wigginton, Herts/Burks.
By 1911 Albert had left school and was working as a Farm Labourer, living with his parents, sister Amy 17, and brother Archibald 12, near the Brewhouse, Wigginton, Herts.
On the 25th March 1914, Albert travelled to Tring, Herts and enlisted in the Hertfordshire Regiment Teritorial Force for four years and given the Service No. 2418, he was Embodied ("Full Time" instead of "Part Time") on the 5th August 1914.
Wartime Service
On the outbreak of war Albert was already serving with the Hertfordshire Regiment as he was a member of the Territorial Force and had been called to full time service on the 5th August 1914.
In November 1914 Albert was stationed with his Regiment in Bury St. Edmonds when they received orders to mobilize, leaving Bury St. Edmonds in two trains on the 5th November 1914, and in the evening embarked on the "CITY of CHESTER", sailing at midnight, arriving at Le Havre in the morning of the 6th November 1914, disembarking at midday, they then marched about 3 miles to No. 2. Rest Camp, where they stayed for a couple of days then moved to St. Omar.
Albert received a new Service No. 265441 when numbers were standardised in about 1917. He was wounded a few times receiving a GSW, effects of gas and a wound from a gas shell. On the 4th November 1918, during the "Final Advance in Picardy - The Battle of the Sambre" he was Killed in Action during an attack on the enemy's position between the Villages of Ghissignes and Lougivnies.
Additional Information
The value of his effects were £21-14s-7d, Pay Owing and £19-10s-0d, War Gratuity, which went to his mother Lucy Baker.
His brother Private 24742 Archibald Baker was killed in action on 3rd May 1918, he is buried in the CWGC Mailly Wood Cemetery, Somme, France.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild, Brenda Palmer, Stuart Osborne.
