Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ray was killed in Belgium on the 20th September 1917 after being wounded and whilst laid on a stretcher at a make shift medical post he and most around him were killed (See: Image 1). The family were initially told he was wounded, then wounded and missing.

The family tragedy worsened by conflicting accounts of Ray’s plight in Belgium. Whereby Ray’s parents, the researcher’s grand uncle and aunt, Alfred and Louisa Baldock, nee Perry, was assisted by friend and neighbour, Mr James Menzies MLA. Mr. Menzies was also their their lay pastor. It is he who got to the the heart of the matter.

Noting that Mr. James Menzies 1862-1945 served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1911 to 1920, representing the district of Lowan. Before entering politics, he ran the general store in Jeparit and he is the father of Robert Gordon Menzies 1894-1978, Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister. Ray and Bobby Menzies, were neighbours, started their school days together when they both enrolled in June 1899 the day Mr John Livingston, senior took charge of the Jeparit State School which was a one teacher, one classroom school. Ray and his mate Bob, their brothers and friends played football, cricket and hockey on the often muddy or dusty Roy and Charles Street Jeparit, swam and rowed together on Lake Hindmarsh; and the Wimmera River, throughout their shared pioneer boyhood days 1899-1905.

Ray and Bob further completed state school on the same day December 1905. Before the start both boys moved to lodge with their grandmothers. This enabled Bob to continue his education in Ballarat whilst Ray went west to complete a number of years higher school at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills South Australia. This is where his widow grandmother Jane Baldock, nee Pratt continued to hold her husbands property acquired since the early 1850s and managed by Ray's uncle William Baldock.

Image 2 shows a handwritten note by an unidentified person, presumed public service or military clerk, and in a position of responsibility, providing his manager, Mr MacIntosh (refer Image 3 - a companion document to the note), with information about a meeting held between the author and Mr Menzies MLA, along with a briefing note in regards to a follow up. The note tells the story that James Menzies MLA of Victoria (i.e., Mr James Menzies) says he is in possession of letters written by a “13.7.P."

Whereby, the author confessors in his note he does not know what “13.7.P." means. He further cite Mr Menzies referring to an informant of Ray's demise a person Menzies names as “Dick Vine," stating that "his [Vine's] mate found the pay book of Number: 520 Baldock who was killed”. The matter Mr. Menzies is pursuing was about the status of Ray Vernon Baldock 1894-1918 life, whereas on the 7th January 1918 the AIF were telling his parents Ray was wounded, or returned back to his unit, and/or was missing.

Contrary to that information, Mr Menzies became informed that his son Robert Gordon Menzies 1894-1978 boyhood friend of Jeparit was dead.

Less than 9 days from Mr Menzies active intervention, it was determined absolute that Ray had died; and despite being declared wounded but missing, investigations in Belgium found out subsequently, provided evidence to confirm Ray died on the 20th September 1917, after being wounded and carried to a hastily established assembly point along with other wounded soldiers. Then a few minutes after a photograph was taken when ray and his peers were alive (refer Image 1) they were bombed; and most if not, all assembled living when the photograph was taken were killed.

Ray is also the first cousin of Percy Logan's younger brother Cliff Baldock Logan 1896-1966, who served in France as a Driver (soldier) Australian Service Corps Company (ASCC) on the frontline and returned home and was also a boyhood friend of Bob.