Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Initial research for SCRoll had difficulty in identifying Gordon Baker's military service. But, in 2023 the South Canterbury Museum was contacted by D Pinnell who noted: “Although his marriage entry says Chiswick, New South Wales, Gordon Albert Baker was born in Chiswick, Middlesex , England in 1898. His father was George Gorton Baker, a bread baker, and his mother Jane Lawrence (shown in UK Census of 1901 as living at 77 Duke Road, Chiswick). Jane died, and George remarried to Elizabeth. (Shown in UK Census of 1911 as living at Mortlake in Surrey, Gordon is listed as son from former marriage).

At 14 years old, he was legally allowed to leave school, and Gordon enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, aged 14 years and 22 days on December 30th, 1912. He was assigned as Trooper 71544 to the 31st Reserve Battery, Royal Field Artillery. He served throughout the First World War, and was discharged as Gunner 71544 on June 5th, 1919. In the UK Census of 1921, he is listed as a discharged soldier, visiting the Stokes family in Sheffield, UK. At some time in the next 8 years he made his way to New Zealand as he married Kathleen Hannifin on 2 April 1929 at St Patricks Church in Waimate. He was 30 years old. He does not appear to have served in the New Zealand Army at all.”

This varies dramatically from the stories Gordon shared in later life, when he claimed to have served in the Australian Imperial Forces. His obituary in 1977 tells an even taller tale, presumably told by Gordon himself, of serving first with the Light Horse in Gallipoli, and later with the Australian infantry in France – where he supposedly won a DCM for capturing 18 German soldiers when aged only 17!

Birth, death, and marriage records (BDM UK and GRO) confirm his birth was recorded in the first quarter of 1899 in Brentford, Middlesex, to Jane Lawrence. He can then be found listed in the 1901 census living with his father, George Gorton Baker and mother Jane, plus his grandparents and siblings, in Chiswick, Middlesex. By the time of the 1911 census still was still living with his father and stepmother Elizabeth (nee Bird), and a half brother at 56 Lower Richmond Rd, Mortlake.

The Surrey recruitment register the recorded Gordon enlisting in 1912 with the Royal Field Artillery. While there is no sign of his war attestation (possibly since lost), several medal cards remain to attest to his service (see attached). These indicate he probably went to Europe in 1915 and his service earnt him the Victory Medal, the British War Medal, and the 1915 Star. He also was awarded the Silver Star, given to soldiers discharged early. His records indicate he was discharged in 1919 due to sickness. For his service he was awarded a pension, which gives his home address as 6 Lower Richmond Road, Mortlake.

Gordon then appears to have gone to Australia on the ship “Canberra”, which travelled from London to Sydney in September 1919, working as a baker. It appears Gordon had made his way to Waimate, New Zealand by 1928. The following year he married Kathleen Hannifin there. On the certificate he (falsely) claimed he was born is Chiswick, New South Wales. He gave his father's name correctly, but listed his mother as Elisabeth Lawrence – mashing his stepmothers first name and his biological mother's maiden name. A wedding report published in the paper listed his parents as the “late Mr & Mrs Baker, Riverine, NSW”, even though George and Elizabeth Baker had lived in England, where George's death was recorded in 1927. Gordon and Kathleen had no children and this was confirmed in Kathleen's probate in 1982 as she left her estate to her sisters.

Gordon is buried in Waimate Lawn Cemetery, which bears a plaque with his service number, rank, and names the unit he served with (i.e. 7/1544, Royal Field Artillery). Gordon's claim that he was in the AIF appears to have been entirely false, he wasn’t born in Queensland and there is no record of a DCM on his medal card. We may never know where and why tall tales of service with the AIF developed, but perhaps Gordon suffered from what we now call PTS?

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (May 2015); Archives New Zealand; New Zealand BDM Historical Records online; Assorted records from ancestry.co.au [accessed March 2024]; SCRoll web submission by D Pinnell, 1 & 19 June 2023; NZ Archives probate, Kathleen Baker, 1982; SCRoll submission by K Foley, 31 May 2024

External Links

Related Documents

• G A Baker - assorted records (pdf, 1.8 MB updated 17-Mar-2024)
• Baker-Hannifin wedding - reported in Waimate Daily Advertiser 13 April 1929 (pdf, 112.7 KB updated 03-Jul-2024)

Researched and Written by

Liz Shea, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.