 Arthur Baker  Ernest Alfred Baker |
Name : Baker brothers of Yarmouth Sons of : Frederick Baker and Mary Ann Baker (née Baker), of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Arthur Baker :- Born : 18 September 1894, Newport, Isle of Wight. Married : 1927, Alice Maud Whitewood, at All Saints Church, Calbourne, Isle of Wight. Children : Sheila Elizabeth, born 1927; Cecil Hedley, born 1928. Died : 1970, Totland, Isle of Wight. Ernest Alfred Baker :- Born : 15 January 1900, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Married : 1924, Elizabeth May Beachey (registered Portsmouth). Children : Joan, born 1925; Pamela, born 1932; Brian, born 1936; Marion, born 1946. Died : 29 March 1952, Abingdon, Berkshire. |
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Census information : 1901 : Frederick and Mary Baker, with their children, including Arthur and Ernest, are at Station Road, Yarmouth. Frederick Baker is a Branch manager for a Brewery. 1911 : Frederick and Mary Baker, with their children, including Arthur and Ernest, are at The Square, Yarmouth. Frederick Baker is a Branch manager for a Brewery; Arthur Baker is a Mariner (Yachting). |
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Service Details : Gunner 931282 Arthur Baker, Royal Field Artillery (T.F.) AB J/79705 Ernest Alfred Baker, Royal Navy Served in both World Wars. Involved in the relief operations in Greece following the 1932 earthquake; Marion Pointer has compiled an acoount of this based on her father's photographs and notes and this can be seen here : Greek Earthquake 26 Sep 1932 (PDF file (1.2 Mb), requires Acrobat Reader) Mentioned in Depatches 1940 for his involvement in operations off Zeebrugge to blockade the U-Boat base. |
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Commemorated on these Memorials :
Yarmouth Methodist Church Roll of Honour Yarmouth Town Hall Roll of Honour |
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Photo Gallery :
Click on images to enlarge |
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Documents and Newspaper cuttings :
 Attestation record (page 1) for Arthur Baker Marion Pointer writes :
Arthur Baker - 2/2 Wessex Depot Battery Royal Field Artillery
Born in Newport, Isle of Wight on 18th September 1894, Arthur was the fifth child of seven born to
Frederick and Mary Ann Baker. By the time of the 1901 census the family had moved to The Laurels
in Station Road, Yarmouth and by 1911 they were resident in The Square. Arthur's father Frederick
ran a soft-drinks business at The Bugle and at that time the family lived in a flat at the end of
the building. Close inspection of the original census document reveals that Arthur's occupation
is shown as 'Mariner (Yachting)' aged 16. We know that he spent some time as a crewman on large yachts.
Arthur's British Army Service Record shows that he joined the Royal Field Artillery, 2/2nd Wessex Depot
Battery in 1915 at the age of 21 and served in France from November 1916 to May 1917. Unfortunately
this document is in poor condition and some of the pages are difficult to read, however, it appears
Arthur was injured, probably in France, and spent some time in East Leeds War Hospital. He was
medically discharged in 1918. As long as the family can remember he always wore a built up boot
and walked with a significant limp.
In 1927 Arthur married Alice Maud Whitewood at All Saints, Calbourne; they had two children. Arthur and Alice lived in Yarmouth all their married life. At one point they lived at Alma Villa in Tennyson Road, but for the most part they lived at Yarra Braes in St. James's Street (more recently known as Ivy Cottage). The time scales of Arthur's various employments are unclear but most if not all of the following would have been post war, and his injury would undoubtedly have restricted the type of work he could undertake. We know he worked for the Harbour Commissioners Office operating the Yarmouth opening bridge for the larger yachts to pass through, and lived in Bridge House at this time (which burnt down at a later date). Arthur was also Pier Master at Totland Bay, and he worked for Fountain Coaches who had an office in Yarmouth, opposite Harwoods in The Square, meeting people from the ferries who had booked island tours. He was also involved with the Royal Solent Yacht Club by the pier in some capacity, possibly as caretaker or similar. Alice died in 1969; Arthur continued to live in 'Yarra Braes' before moving into a home in Totland shortly before his death in 1970. |
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Acknowledgments :
Many thanks to Marion Pointer for all the information and photos provided. Her father was Ernest Alfred Baker, her uncle was Arthur Baker. |
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Page status :
Page last updated : 28 November 2014 (added account of Greek earthquake relief work) |
