Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Both of Harold’s parents, Ernest John and Elsie Edith, were born in Hamilton, Victoria where Harold’s two older siblings, sister Elsie Mildred in 1913 and brother John in 1915, were born. The family then moved to South Australia where Harold was born at Mount Barker on the 9th March 1919.
Post school, Harold, commonly known by his nick-name Pompey (or Pompy) worked as a storeman. He played A grade Rugby for East Torrens, being named several times in the best players.
With the outbreak of WWII, with Harold recently turning 21, he decided to enlist at the end of June ’40 and was given the number SX6828 in the 2/48th Battalion. He was initially housed in the Motor Pavilion of what is now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. His ‘bed’ was straw filled hessian on wooden pallets. The young men were later given kitbags on which their names were stencilled. Unfortunately, during his time at Wayville Harry contracted an illness resulting in him being placed in isolation.
(The following year, Harry’s married older brother, 26-year-old John, a garage attendant, enlisted in December. His served in the Citizen’s Military Force as S50480. Early in his service he was diagnosed with a rheumatic heart, with his service being restricted to Australia.)
Following pre-embarkation leave, Harry then boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, in November, arriving on the 17th December. Once in the Middle East, the young men marched to a Staging Camp but during those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals. Soon after arriving, Harry was graded as a Group III Driver with his battalion in June ’41. He was also soon being involved in intense conflicts where the reputation of the 2/48th Battalion for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. Harry was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk.
By the end of the year, the desert conditions in the Middle East contributed to Harry contracting pleurisy, resulting in several weeks of hospitalisation, before he was able to return to his battalion. Harry was first wounded in July ’42 from a bomb blast where he received wounds to his face and also concussion. This was during the fierce fighting where the 2/48th were attempting to capture West Point in a dawn attack. The initial assessment of Harry’s injury were later updated, revealing that he had ruptured his right ear drum and deflected his nasal septum, affecting his breathing. It was not until the end of October that Harry was able to return to the 2/48th Battalion.
That year was a challenging one for the 2/48th. Orders had been received to capture West Point of Tel el Eisa in a dawn attack. In late June ‘42 with Rommel crossing into Egypt, the 2/48th were in an offensive to capture Trig 33, which was achieved on the 10th July. In doing so, over 400 Italian prisoners were taken. The 2/48th battalion then advanced south, capturing the Tel el Eisa station and repelling numerous counter attacks. However, they were eventually forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties. The 2/48th battalion suffered 215 casualties between the 7th July and 23rd October. Of that number, 64 men were killed and six, died of their wounds. 125 other men were wounded but survived, including Harry.
In his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’, John G. Glenn described the ferocious encounter.
‘When the troops were well forward of the start-line they came under terrific fire from shells and mortars from the front and left, and suffered heavy casualties. With the slow deliberate movement of perfectly trained soldiers both companies continued the advance in perfect formation, over ground that trembled and erupted with vicious explosions. Through this, sometimes obscured by the smoke and dust, the men moved, and, as they advanced, the fire kept place with them, leaving behind the still shapes of fallen men among the camel bush and sand.’ In the lead up to the battle at El Alamein that October, John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan wrote “This was indeed it! To the men who listened, the significance of the recent hard training exercise and the adoption of new methods must have been firmly drive home.” He later added “We thought of ourselves as few enough then. But surely even the bravest among us would have shuddered if they could have known to what a weary handful we would be reduced by morning..”
Back home, the Chronicle carried the names of those killed and injured. Besides Harry, those named in his battalion included: Wounded In Action SX6828 Pte Harold R L Baker Adelaide. SX8878 Pte Gerald W Bellinger Millicent. SX9388 Pte Clarence G Brown. Port Wakefield, SX1075 L-Cpl. Eric Brown SX11079 Pte Harold D Brown, Trinity Gardens. SX537 Pte. P. A Carey, Broken Hill. NSW SX7497 L-Cpl Ronald Chinner, Angaston. SX7725 Pte. Cecil Clark, Langhorne's Creek. SX8132 Pte. Cyril H. Fleet, Menlngle. SX7417 Pte. Clarence L Gallagher, Murray Bridge. SX7330 Pte. Allen R Harris, Moonta. SX13570 Pte Charles Holman, Broken Hill. NSW. (Later KIA Oct ’42) SX12363 A-Cpl. Harry B. Irwln. Port Augusta. SX8017 L-Cpl. Charles. G. Manuel. Balaklava. SX8138 Pte Albert. V. McKenzie, Minlaton. SX11302 Pte. Walter Sharp, Magill. SX7952 Pte Kevin P Stephens. Adelaide. SX7294 Cpl. Henry P. Stopp. Keith. SX9034 A-Cpl. Noel A Tietzel. North Adelaide. SX8539 Pte Edward J Young Inf., Morgan.
The August edition of the Advertiser also carried the news that ‘Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Baker, of Gilles street, Adelaide, have been informed that their son, Harold Richard Leahy Baker, 23, has been wounded in action in Egypt. He enlisted in June 1940, and went overseas the following November. He served eight months in Tobruk. Before enlisting he played A grade Rugby football.’
Within months of returning to his battalion, Harry was again wounded at the end of October ’42 and received a further diagnosis of concussion. That time marked a decisive battle in the Western Desert. John Glenn described how at zero hour, ‘the artillery opened up with a receding barrage – one that creeps back on itself. The attack was towards the guns themselves.’ ‘One gun was landing shells right among the men.’ In a huge tribute to the stretcher bearers, all injured men, over the four thousand yards from Trig 29 to the blockhouse and wider, were tended and evacuated.
With modern knowledge, more is now understood of Harry being diagnosed as being in an ‘anxiety state’ and being classified as ‘fit for duties other than active service’. He returned to Australia via Melbourne with his battalion, arriving in February ’43. The Chronicle that month also listed Harry as being injured. He contracted an upper respiratory tract infection but was able to enjoy three weeks of leave. With little regard for his condition, at the conclusion of his leave, Harry, not unexpectedly, went absent without leave, incurring a two day pay penalty.
In March ‘44, whilst in Queensland he was promoted to Corporal with the 2/3rd. That year also heralded his marriage with an announcement in the Advertiser ‘BRADLEY —BAKER. Marriage Coral Valmai, younger daughter Mr. and Mrs. H. J Bradley, Plympton, to Cpl H. R. L. (Pompy) (AIF, ret.), younger son Mr. and Mrs. E. Baker, Adelaide. St. Augustine’s Church, Unley, May 13, 6.30pm.’
in June ’44, tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee virtually put an end to Harry’s service, as he was ‘unfit for duties involving long marching’. Leave followed orthopaedic treatment and finally led to his discharge in July ’45.
In seeking to receive her father’s (John’s) service medals, Harry’s niece Josephine Dolly shared a poignant poem called ‘The Soldier’ which reflected well the service of Harry and her own father.
‘It’s the soldier not the Reporter who has given us the freedom of the press,
It’s the soldier not the Poet who has given us the freedom of speech,
It’s the soldier not the Campus Organiser who has given us the freedom to demonstrate,
It’s the soldier not the Lawyer who has given us the right to a fair trial,
It’s the soldier who salutes the flag, and has the flag draped over his coffin,
Who gives the Protester the freedom to burn it.’
She added that this poem ‘makes one stop and think’.
Harry lived to be 81. He died on the 4th November 2000 with his remains being placed in the Derrick Gardens at Centennial Park, marked by a tree in bed 40.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.