Baker, Walter Headland Valentine

Captain Walter Headland Valentine Baker - 34th Battalion AIF

Walter Headland Valentine Baker was born in Omaru New Zealand on the 16^th January 1869 to Andrew & Matilda Baker. He spent much of his early life here before joining the New Zealand Military Forces. It seems Walter also served in the British army as he served in the Matabele War between 1893-1896 in what is now Zimbabwe; the 1897 Punitive expedition in Benin, the Boer War from 1899-1902 and the Natal Rising of 1906. It appears that after this action Walter came to live in Australia. In 1910 he was in Bourke NSW and married Gertrude. Two children soon followed Audrence in 1910 and Barrie in 1913. There are two reports of Barrie being born; in Bourke NSW and also Fremantle WA.

However it does appear that by 1913 the Baker family were in Western Australia, as the family were living in Spearwood WA in a house named ‘Kia Ora’. At this point Walter was working with the Australian Navy at the Henderson Naval Base as a Clerk. He remained here up until the Great War, when in 1915 he applied for a commission to join the AIF.

On the 29^th August 1915 Walter’s application was signed by the 5^th Military District Commander, Colonel Bruche. Perhaps due to his attachment to the Australian Navy, Walter was not sent to join the AIF but became part of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force at Rabaul. Walter arrived there on the 20^th November 1915 and was taken on strength as a 2^nd Lieutenant. He went to the garrison post at Kopopo but only lasted until the 6^th January 1916 when he returned to Rabaul. Walter spent another month here but on the 14^th February he was returned to Australia for a period of furlough. It appears that after he arrived in Sydney, Walter was able to leave the service of the AN&MEF and transfer across to the AIF. He was allotted to ‘C’ Company of the newly forming 34^th Battalion AIF and he stated he was only 45 years old when in fact he was nearing 48 years old.

Walter was now given the rank of Honorary Captain and after their training; the 34^th Battalion departed Sydney on the HMAT Hororata on the 3^rd May 1916. After the long sea journey they arrived at Plymouth on the 23^rd June 1916. The 34^th Battalion were then disembarked and were sent to the 3^rd Division’s training round on the Salisbury Plains. For the next five months the 34^th Battalion trained near Larkhill and except for a few days in hospital suffering from pleurisy Walter was with his unit the entire time.

On the 21^st November 1916 the 34^th boarded a transport ship at Southampton and sailed across to France. After being disembarked the Battalion was sent to the Armentieres sector to become accustomed to trench life on the Western Front. Walter would not have much time with them as on the 12^th December he was evacuated to the 10^th Field Ambulance with influenza. He was then transferred to the 1^st Casualty Clearing Station for further treatment. On the 15^th December Walter was transferred to the 7^th Stationary Hospital at Boulogne. He spent six days here and on the 21^st December he was put aboard the Hospital Ship Jan Breydel and sent to England. After his arrival Walter was sent to the 3^rd London General Hospital and he would spend Christmas at this hospital. On the 30^th December Walter was given a medical examination which found that he was also suffering from pleurisy and it appeared certain that Walter would be declared unfit to return to the front. He was then transferred to the 5^th Auxiliary Hospital where he remained until the 23^rd March 1917. Walter then marched in to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Perham Downs and was placed on the supernumerary list of officers. On the 9^th May Walter transferred to No.3 Command Depot at Hurdcott where he was given another medical examination which found him to be permanently unfit for military service. However he remained at the AIF Bases until October 1917. A medical examiner then found Walter physical condition matched that of a 57 year old and that he, “looked much older than his stated age’.

On the 13^th November 1917 Walter resigned from the AIF and instead of returning to Australia he accepted his discharge in the UK and took a rank of Honorary Captain. He remained around London before moving to Birmingham in the early 1920’s. He organised for his wife and two children to join him in England.

In World War Two Barrie Baker joined the RAF and in 1940 he was posted to 264 Squadron with the rank of Sergeant/Air Gunner. It was a busy time for the RAF as they covered the withdrawal through France and the evacuation from Dunkirk. On the 21^st August 1940 264 Squadron moved to Hornchurch. On 26^th August 1940 Barrie was flying with Flight Lieutenant Banham in a Defiant (L 6985). They had destroyed a Dornier over Thanet when they were attacked and shot down by German Bf 109s. Their aircraft crashed two miles off Herne Bay and although Banham managed to bail out and parachute to the sea from where he was rescued, Barrie was never found and was thought have been in the plane when it crashed. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 11. Barrie Baker was 27 years old.