Baker, Norman William

347 Sergeant Norman William Baker MM - 36th Heavy Artillery Group

Norman William Baker was born at Nova Scotia Canada on the 14th December 1887 to Edgar and Adeliade Baker. He was educated at Kentville Nova Scotia and after leaving school took up service with the Princess Louis Fusiliers with the Army in Canada prior to his arrival in Western Australia.

On the 11th February 1914 Norman joined the Royal Garrison Artillery of the Australian Permanent Forces. Norm had been previously working as a Clerk in Fremantle. Norm was assigned for duty to the Fremantle Artillery Barracks.

On the 20th June 1914 he married Gertrude Somerset in Beaconsfield. They would reside at 38 Malcolm Street Fremantle which is just next to the Fremantle Artillery Barracks at 2 Burt Street Fremantle.

On the 1st June 1915 Norm and other permanent Gunners volunteered for service overseas. Norm passed his medical examination which noted that he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, had a ruddy complexion and had a chest measurement of 39 inches.

Norm and his fellow Gunners who had enlisted to serve overseas would form part of the Heavy Artillery Siege Brigade.

The Gunners who enlisted in WA were then sent to Victoria where the other Artillerymen of the Permanent Forces were gathering. On the 17th July 1915 Norm and the others of the original Australian Siege Brigade departed from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Orsova which took them to England.

After a few months of training in England, Arthur and the 36th Heavy Artillery Group arrived in France on the 27th February 1916.

Norman served with the 55th Siege Battery through 1916 and 1917 participating in such actions as the Battle of the Somme in 1916. In November 1916 Norm fell ill and was evacuated to hospital in France and was then transferred to hospital in England in January 1917.

He was Mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Dispatches on the 2nd January 1917 for his gallant and distinguished service during 1916.

For much of 1917 Norm was in England, firstly in Hospital and after recovering he was put to work at the Australian Artillery Base in England. It wasn't until the 7th December 1917 that he rejoined the 55th Battery in France.

Norm then served through 1918 with the 2nd Siege Battery, during which time he had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He remained with his unit until the 27th May 1919.

On his return to England Norm was granted leave and was also able to undertake some Non Military Employment.

Norman's award of the Military Medal was mentioned in the London Gazette of the 3rd July 1919 issue, though unfortunately the actions for which he was awarded the Military Medal no longer seems to exist.

Norm left England on the 22nd January 1920 and arrived back in Fremantle on the 28th February 1920.

Norm was discharge from the AIF on the 29th April 1920.

They had a son Keith born in 1921 and Neil in 1923.

In 1921 after returning to the Permanent Artillery, Norm had the rank of Gunner/Signaller. He was then promoted to Bombardier and in 1923 to Corporal. In 1924 Norm was promoted to Lance Sergeant and the following year to Sergeant.  In 1932 Norm was promoted to Staff Sergeant and then to Battery Quarter Master Sergeant.

In 1935 Norm was again promoted, this time to Warrant Officer II and in 1940 to Warrant Officer I.

During these inter war years, Norm also attended various courses including, a general staff course, an intense use of the Vickers Machine Gun course, an anti gas school and also a Master Gunners Course.

In 1934 in Perth and then in 1937 in Albany Norman had been re-engaged as a member of the Australian Permanent Forces for another three years. He would have been facing another possible re-engagement in 1940 but World War Two intervened an Norman's experience was put to good use.

At the time of World War Two, Norm and Gertrude were residing at 2 Burt Street Fremantle.

In 1940 Norm was posted to Western Command Headquarters in Perth before being sent to the 3rd Heavy Brigade in Fremantle in November 1940. As previous to the war Norm had been serving in Albany he was given some time off to move his family and belongings back to Fremantle.

From November 1940 to 1945 Norm served with the 3rd Heavy Brigade in WA, mainly at Fremantle and Rottnest Island, though it appears he also spent a week in Darwin in February 1942.

With the war over in 1945, Norm was returned to the Fremantle Artillery Barracks to serve out his last two years of service.

Norm was retired from the Australian Permanent Forces in 1947 as he had reached 60 years of age. He had served in the Australian Military forces for 33 years and 307 days.

As well as his Military Medal, Mention in Dispatches and his service medals from the Great War, Norm had also been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1935 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 1940. He would also qualify for home service medals

Norman Baker died in Cottesloe on the 9th February 1967 aged 85. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.