Lieut Harry Leslie Baker (MC)

Harry Leslie Baker was born on 10th November 1891 at 106 Birkin Ave, Radford, Nottinghamshire to Nottingham born lace maker Harry Edgar Baker and his Nottingham born wife Leila Mary (nee Flick). They married in the December quarter of 1890 in Nottingham and had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Harry or Leslie as he was known was the eldest and first born.

On 01st June 1896 aged 4 he is enrolled at Lady Cross Infants School, Victoria Road , Sandiacre, Derbyshire. Then on 22 August 1898 aged 6 he was enrolled into the Junior School on Derby Road, Sandiacre.

On the 1901 Census he is aged 9, born in Nottingham, living at 87 Derby Road, Sandiacre, Derbyshire. His father. Harry, is a 31 year old lace maker born in Nottingham, whilst his mother, Leila, is aged 32 also born in Nottingham as was his sibling Nora aged 6, whilst his sister Ethel aged 4 was born in Sandiacre.

In 1902 he is enrolled into Heanor Secondary School.

On the 1911 Census he is aged 19 an accountants clerk, living at 118 Derby Road, Sandiacre. His father Harry Edgar is now aged 42 and still a lace maker, his mother Lily Marie is 42 married. They state that they have been married for 20 years and have had four children, all of whom have survived. His siblings are recorded as; Nora Lillian aged 16 and a chemists clerk, Ethel aged 15 is at school, Stuart Gordon 5 born in Sandiacre is also at school. 

 

In September 1914 aged 22 years he enlisted as Private 2533 into the Sherwood Foresters Regiment. He was soon promoted to Lance Sergeant. In April 1917 he is transferred on Commission to The King's Liverpool Regt as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant. It is probable that he originally served in the 20th Battalion, as the War Diary of that unit mentions him on the 11th November 1917,when he was put in charge of movement arrangements for the Battalion. It is also probable that he was transferred to the 18th Battalion, upon the disbandment of the 20th in February 1918.

The photograph of Harry Leslie Baker on this site taken alongside a number of officer's from other Regiments. Amongst them is Walter Tull, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town footballer.   

 

On 27 March 1918 at Folies on the Somme in France while serving with the 18th Battalion he was awarded the Military Cross for his action in delaying the enemy advance by 24 hrs. 

News of his citation was reported in the Derbyshire Journal 17th May 1918

SANDIACRE OFFICER AWARDED THE MILITARY CROSS

Second Lieutenant H. Leslie Baker, Kings Liverpool Regiment, who has been awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry during operations on the Western Front is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs H. E. Baker, Lyndhurst, Sandiacre. Educated at Heanor Secondary School, he was in the service of a firm of chartered accountants in Nottingham when war broke out, but joined the Sherwood Foresters as a private in September 1914, and received a commission in the Liverpool Regiment in April 1917. 

His Citation also appears in the London Gazette dated 26th July 1918

 

Temp 2nd Lt. Harry Leslie Baker 18th Liverpool King's Regt 

 

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a counter attack on a position when compiled to dig in by the heavy enemy Machine Gun fire, he hung on with the greatest of courage and determination and his fine example so encouraged his men that he was able to delay the advance of the enemy for over 24 hours " 

At the time of his death on 08th November 1918, warfare had become mobile, with the British Army harrying the Germans, who would retreat to a position, fight, then retreat once more.

The day before he was killed the Battalion had just marched from Mariollers to Marbaix in France, when it was ordered to take a position in the line near Marbaix, from the 1/5th Gloucestershire Regiment. On the following day, 8th November an attack was commenced at 07.30am supported by the 100th Battalion Machine Gun Corps and artillery fire. Despite their support, the advancing troops encountered fierce Rifle Fire and machine gun fire from the German position’s.

Although the attack was eventually successful, two more officers and thirty six other ranks were to be wounded, and fourteen other ranks Killed, only three days before the Armistice.

He is buried in Dourlers Communal Cemetery Extension, France, in Plot 2 Row C, Grave 1. The headstone shows his rank as Lieutenant but his medal card shows he was an Acting Captain.  

Dourlers village was in German hands during almost the whole of the First World War. It was taken on 07th November 1918, after heavy fighting, by the 6th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 1st K.O.Y.L.I. The communal cemetery was used by the Germans during the war, but in November 1918, a small extension was made by Commonwealth troops at the west end. After the Armistice, the German graves from the communal cemetery and others from the battlefields, together with Commonwealth graves from isolated positions and small cemeteries, were brought into the extension which contains 161 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 14 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to four casualties known or believed to be buried among them. The extension also contains 108 German burials, 62 of which are unidentified.

The telegram his parents received 72 hours before the end of the War reads:-

BAKER LYNDHURST SANDIACRE NOTTS

DEEPLY REGRET BAKER H L 18/KINGS LPOOL REGT KILLED

IN ACTION NOV EIGHT THE ARMY COUNCIL EXPRESSES SYMPATHY

SECRETARY WAR OFFICE

He was included in a Roll of Honour posted on 18 November 1918 in the Nottingham Evening Post page 2 column 6

 

"BAKER - H. Leslie Baker M.C. King's Liverpool Regt dearly loved Elder son of Mr. & Mrs H E Baker, Lyndhurst, Sandiacre"

Also a heartfelt message from his fiance:

Baker - in loving memory of my dear fiance Lieutenant Baker, M.C. King's Liverpool Regiment, killed in action, November 8th 1918. - Rita 

His Army Pay of £90:17s:8d (£2645 in today's money) was sent on 6 /02/1919 to his Father and a £16 (£469 today) War Gratuity was sent also to his Father on 16th September 1920.

Probate was granted to his father. 

BAKER -  Harry Leslie of Lyndhurst, Derby Road, Sandiacre, Derbyshire, Lieutenant in the Liverpool Regiment who was killed in action on 8th November 1918 at St. Hiliare, France. Administration (with Will) Derby 25 February to Harry Edgar Baker, lacemaker. Effects £229 12s 9d.

Leslie is also commemorated on the Heanor Secondary School Roll of Honour.

 

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