BAKER, Edgar William

Edgar, the son of John and Sarah Baker, was born in 1897.  He was an eighteen year old single man when he enlisted at Inverell in January 1916 and took the oath to serve from 29 February 1916.  At this time he was a Farmer living at Bonshaw, north of Inverell.

He joined the Second Contingent of The Kurrajongs who left Inverell by train for the Narrabri Camp. Edgar became a member of the 36th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement – the Battalion known as   ‘Carmichael’s Thousand’.  He sailed from Australia on HMAT A72 Beltana in May 1916 and arrived in England in July where additional training was conducted until the Battalion was sent to France in November. Two months later Edgar was wounded in action and treated in hospital for a gunshot wound to his head.  He returned to his unit and was again wounded during the Battle of Messines in June 1917.  This resulted in his evacuation to England where he was admitted to Queen Alexandra’s Hospital in London with a gunshot wound to his leg and thigh.

Edgar was returned to Australia, arriving on the ship HMAT Themistocles in January 1918.  He was met in Sydney by his father and two brothers.  Edgar was medically discharged in July 1918. He died in Sydney in 1954.