Name
George Baker
4 May 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/05/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
26992
Somerset Light Infantry
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 4.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor (*1), Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Richard George Baker (known as George) was born in 1890 in Boxmoor, nr Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the only son of Daniel and Mary Baker and one of six children, having five younger sisters. He was baptised in St Mary's Church, Apsley End on 21 September the same year.
On the 1891 Census, the family were living at 25 London Road, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was working as a General Labourer. They remained at the same address in 1901 and 1911, at which time, George was working as an Envelope Maker and his father was a widower, his mother having died in 1910.
He was educated at Apsley boys school, from 1895 until he left in 1903 to work for John Dickinson & Co at Home Park Mills in Kings Langley.
His father Daniel later gave his address as 191 London Road, Boxmoor, Herts on pension records.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford in December 1915 and initially served with the Hertfordshire Regiment (reg.no. 5852), later being transferred to the 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry.
On 3 May 1917 the 6th Battalion was near Wancourt, France, south of Arras and came under heavy artillery bombardment and gas shelling for four days.
George was killed in action on 7 May 1917. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
*1 There are 2 George Bakers who could be the man listed on the memorial, currently we have chosen this man, George and not George Albert Edward simply because the Church memorial generally includes middle names and this man does not appears to have any. His father received a war gratuity of £7 and pay owing of £2 11s 7d. He also received a pension of 5 shillings a week. (N.B. Soldiers Who Died in the Great War records his birthplace as Elmdon, Essex and has been confused with another George Baker who was born there in 1888. Date of death is also incorrect and is should be 7 May 1917, not 7 March 1917.)
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com
