Just Another Pair Of Socks

Melton District ANZACS

Arthur James BAKER

Personal

Born: 7 April, 1893

Birth registration: Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Registration No. 783

Birthplace: Pennyweight, Victoria / Castlemaine

Parents: Robert Baker 1848-1912, Sarah Redman 1854-1915 Birth certificate indicates: Robert a miner, 45 years old, born Launceston, Tasmania; Sarah Redman 40 years old, born Vaughans, Talbot; Married 12/08/1876 at Castlemaine. Other children Beatrice May 11 years, Robert William 9 years, Ethel May 7 years, George Albert 5 or 6, Margaret Ellen , Elizabeth (possibly twins)

Died: 21 March, 1945

Place of death: Repatriation Hospital, Kooyong Road, Caulfield, Victoria

Awards and Honours

  • 1914-1915 Star
  • British War Medal 1914-20
  • Victory Medal

Battalions

8th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements 1st Machine Gun Battalion

Events

Enlistment

Regimental Service Number: 3237 / 3237A

Enlistment date: 13 July, 1915 Melbourne

Age at enlistment: 22 years, 3 months

Religion: Methodist

Marital Status: Single

Next of kin: W. Baker, brother,
86 Albert Road, Albert Park (Emb. Roll)
Maffra, Gippsland (Serv. Rec.)

Physical Description: Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Weight: 9 st. 9 lbs.
Complexion: Medium
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark Brown
Distinctive marks:Nil

Embarkation ship: H.M.A.T. Nestor.

Rank: Private

Return Date: 1 April, 1919

Return Vessel: Shropshire.

Arrival at Australia: 16 May, 1919.At: Melbourne, Victoria

Discharge Date: 8 July, 1919

War Service Summary

11/10/1915    Embarked for service abroad H.M.A.T. Nestor ex Melbourne      07/01/1916    8th battalion Tel-el-Kebir
26/03/1916    Embarked at Alexandria to join British Expeditionary Force 31/03/1916    Marseilles in the field
10/11/1916    Admitted to hospital, Rouen, influenza; sent to England
23/03/1917    65th Battalion
04/04/1917    Transferred to 8th battalion, Perham Downs
28/04/1917    To 66th battalion
01/09/1917   School of Cookery, Tidworth
29/09/1917      Transferred to 8th Battalion on marching out to 63rd Draft Battalion, Hurdcott
12/09/1918   Proceeded overseas to France
14/09/1918    Camiers, France
18/09/1918    1st Machine Gun Battalion
19/01/1919    Sick, 26/01/1919    Sent back to England with chronic bronchitis.
Returned home but sick aboard ship
08/07/1919    Discharged, medically unfit, Melbourne

1917/ 1918    Spends time in England in and out of hospital
Throughout service, often ill & in hospital colds, influenza, bronchitis, debility, TB?,  problems with lungs 

War Service Commemerated

Life After the War

Names of wife; children:

Place/s of residence:
21/07/1923 Woorinen P.O., via Swan Hill

Occupations:

Date of death: 21/03/1945 (P 23 Serv. Rec.)
21/03/1945 Repatriation Hospital, Kooyong Road, Caulfield (The Argus)
Death certificate: The cause of death was unresolved pneumonia which Arthur had for 2 months. He had also suffered with pulmonary fibrosis and chronic bronchitis for 19 years.

Place of burial:

Other relevant information:
Embarkation Roll shows Eric Arthur Ormond Baker, # 3238, aged 26, salesman at the same address with next of kin, D Baker, father.

Additional Information

The Argus
Monday, 23 April, 1945, P. 15

ARTHUR JAMES BAKER, Late of Repatriation Hospital, Kooyong Road,
Caulfield, Military pensioner, Deceased, Intestate - After fourteen clear days Margaret Ellen Elizabeth Langley, of St. Andrew's, North Queenstown, married woman, a sister of the deceased, will APPLY to the Supreme Court for a grant of LETTERS of ADMINISTRATION of the estate of the deceased.
ARTHUR PHILLIPS and JUST, solicitors, 472 Bourke street, Melbourne._


The Argus
Wednesday 23 May 1945, P 14

NOTICE to CLAIMANTS.-Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1928, creditors, next of kin, and all other persons having CLAIMS in respect of the estate of the deceased person named below are required to SEND PARTICULARS to the legal personal representative at the address stated on or before the date stated, after which date the representative will distribute the assets, having regard only to the claims of which notice has then been received:- ARTHUR JAMES BAKER, late of Repatriation General Hospital, Kooyong road, Caulfield, military pensioner, deceased, intestate, died 21st March, 1945. Claims to the administratrix, Margaret Ellen Elizabeth Langley, care of Arthur Phillips & Just, solicitors 472 Bourke street. Melbourne, by 28th July, 1945.

Sources

Embarkation Roll
Service Record Newspapers