Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

BAKER James # 5796 26th Battalion

James Baker was born to parents Peter and Mary Baker at Bunya and attended school in the neighbouring district of Warner. When James presented himself for enlistment in Brisbane on 21st July 1916, he was 32 years old, single and stated his occupation as farmer although his mother when completing the Roll of Honour circular after James’ death stated his occupation as labourer. James and his family, which included at least one other brother, had lived their lives in the area bounded by the North and South Pine Rivers following agricultural occupations of various kinds.

Two weeks after enlistment, James reported to Enoggera Army Camp where he was placed initially in the 11th Depot Battalion before being slotted as part of the 16th reinforcements for the 26th Battalion. The latter part of 1916 would prove to be a testing time for the AIF with four of its five divisions engaged on the Western Front. During July and August of that year, four Australian divisions suffered 23,000 casualties at Pozieres, Mouquet Farm and Fromelles. Reinforcements were desperately needed to fill the gaps and as a result after only six weeks training at Enoggera, the reinforcements for the 26th Battalion boarded the transport “Boonah” at Pinkenba Wharf on 21st October 1916. The embarkation roll lists James Baker, farmer aged 32 years of Strathpine Qld, Roman Catholic. He named his mother, Mary, as his next of kin and allotted 3/- of his daily pay to her.

The ”Boonah” was at sea for almost four months sailing to England via Sydney, Melbourne, Freemantle, Capetown and Sierra Leone before arriving in Plymouth on 10th January 1917. The reinforcements were marched out to the Australian Training Camp at Rolleston. After so long at sea, the temptation to see the English countryside proved too much for James. He went AWL for 15 hours and was confined to camp for two days and lost three day’s pay. On 13th April, James was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital with bronchial pneumonia. His records show this illness as “serious” and his mother was informed by telegram that her son was suffering from pneumonia, severe.

James recovered and was granted two weeks furlough to fully recover. By July of 1917 he had crossed the channel to France and was finally taken on strength by the 26th Battalion. The summer of 1917 saw the British Commander, Haig, shift focus from the Somme which had proven so costly in 1916 to Belgian Flanders. Just as James was taken in to his battalion, the Flanders campaign began with the blowing of 19 underground mines and the firing of three and a half million artillery shells at Messines. The campaign would come to be known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres, but veterans usually referred to the campaign as Passchendaele.

The 26th Battalion was part of the 7th Brigade, 2nd Division, AIF. During the summer and autumn of 1917, the 2nd Division would be involved in the battles of Menin Road, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele. The whole campaign ground to a halt in November due to appalling weather and mud; these conditions were poignantly captured in the famous photographs of Herbert Wilkins and Frank Hurley, and are part of the collection at the Australian War Memorial. James came through the battles of 1917 unharmed and he would have rejoiced along with his mates when the entire division were billeted in winter quarters around Poperinghe out of range of the German artillery. The winter was spent training, enjoying sports and games, and most luxurious of all – hot baths.

In March of 1918, the German Commander on the Western Front launched Operation Michael which saw a substantial advance along the valley of the Somme from the strongpoint of the Hindenburg Line west towards the city of Amiens. The British 5th Army which had control of this sector was routed and there was a distinct possibility that the French and British Armies would be split and the German advance could reach the French Coast and win the war.

The British Commander, Haig, rushed the Australian Divisions (which included James and the rest of the 7th Brigade) that were at that time in Flanders south to stem the German advance which was ultimately halted at Villers Bretonneux in April. While holding the line at this point, the Australian Commander, John Monash planned a small battle just north of Villers Bretonneux at Hamel. Monash’s planning for this battle was meticulous, employing artillery, infantry, tanks and aircraft in a coordinated attack which he estimated would take 90 minutes. When the battle was launched on 4th July, the objective was reached within 93 minutes. During the battle, a German tank wagon named Mephisto became bogged and was abandoned. Men of the 26th Battalion captured the tank and it was eventually sent back to Queensland (home of the 26th) as a war trophy. James may well have been there when Mephisto was captured.

Hamel had proved to be a harbinger of the type of battles to come. Once Hamel was secured, Monash began meticulous planning for an even greater battle one month later. He would again rely on his Australian divisions as the spearhead of a large attack which would also involve the Canadians and some British units. The date for the attack was 8th August. It would become to be known as the Battle of Amiens; and for the Germans – Der Schwarzer Tag (The black day). The 2nd Division were tasked with advancing under an artillery barrage to the first objective before being leapfrogged by the 5th Division. By the end of the day, the results were difficult to comprehend. The advance had broken through all of the German defensive lines into open country with hundreds of enemy guns and equipment captured, thousands of prisoners who simply surrendered to the advancing troops and remnants of German units running away. The 26th Battalion alone captured 13 heavy artillery pieces and 26 machine guns, as well taking over 500 prisoners. Casualties for the 26th were comparatively light but James Baker received a gunshot wound to the left breast. James was treated at a casualty clearing station before being moved to a hospital on the French coast. One month later, James was sufficiently recovered to rejoin his battalion.

The manpower situation was becoming critical as far as the AIF was concerned. Without conscription, numbers of reinforcements could not keep pace with casualties. The 26th Battalion was down to less than half strength when James rejoined the battalion in September 1918. The only solution was to disband a number of below strength battalions and combine them with a sister battalion. The 25th Battalion, a sister Queensland battalion was condensed down to two companies which were then absorbed into the 26th.
The newly reinforced 26th would go into its final battle of the war on 3rd October.

Since Hamel in July, the Australian divisions had relentlessly pushed the Germans back. By the end of September, the Germans were back on their defensive line (Hindenburg Line). The 7th Brigade was tasked with attacking the heavy defences of the Hindenburg Line at Beaurevoir; the first line of the defence was the Torrens Canal. During the attack on the Beaurevoir Line, James baker was killed in Action. He was one of 21 killed from the 26th.

James was buried in the Beaurevoir Communal Cemetery some 9 miles north of Peronne and his family eventually received three photographs of his grave with its Portland Limestone tombstone. His mother was sent his personal belongings which included a wallet, letters and photographs and a letter from the Commonwealth Bank. Mary Baker signed for these items and James’ War medals by marking the acknowledgement with an X (Her mark) duly witnessed.