Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension | Plot 2. Row A. Grave 69. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.116 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 57B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Born the first half of 1890, 2nd son / 3rd child of Walter and Elizabeth Baker of Birkenhead, Cheshire, living at 40 Hollybank Road, Tranmere. He had 3 brothers and sisters Lilian Amelia (1882-1961), George A (1885) and Edith (1892-1956).Family :
Probate record shows: BAKER, Walter Sanders of 6 Merton Place, Birkenhead. Rifleman 1/6th battalion Kings Liverpool regiment. Died 8th August 1916 in France. Probate administered at Chester 6th October to Elizabeth Amelia Baker - wife of Walter Baker (his mother). Effects £328 8s 1d.Education & Career :
Bookkeeper (1911) for a Forwarding Agent.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1/6 The King's (Liverpool Regiment) |
1/6th Battalion (Rifles) August 1914 : in Princes Park Barracks, Liverpool. Part of Liverpool Brigade, West Lancashire Division. 25 February 1915 : landed at Le Havre and transferred to 15th Brigade, 5th Division. 18 November 1915 : left Brigade and attached as Army Troops to Third Army. 26 January 1916 : transferred to 165th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division. |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Detail :
Private BAKER died of wounds
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Albert Coveney No. 3519 E.C. | Cheshire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
26th September 1911 | 24th October 1911 | 28th November 1911 |
Walter was "initiated" on the same day on which the lodge was consecrated. The lodge was granted dispensation, it would appear, to perhaps initiate one of a group where the remainder were notionally included. With the same group, Walter was passed and raised en masse.
In the records of United Grand Lodge it shows an annotation that Walter was "Killed in Action Sep'r 1916"
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley