拍品專文
Sold with an original 'Order of the Day' (No. 65), detailing the exploits for which the recipient was awarded his M.C.; together with his related Dress Miniatures (10), comprising: Military Cross; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oakleaf; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., one clasp, Malaya; Canadian Voluntary Service 1939-45, with 'Overseas' clasp; Pakistan Independence Medal, the whole contained within a glazed frame.
M.C. London Gazette 18.6.1917. Recommendation states 'For conspicuous gallantry and resource. He was cut off from the rest of his Company owing to two of his rowers being shot, and landed lower down the river opposite an enemy machine-gun. He rushed forward and threw a bomb at the machine-gun forcing the enemy to withdraw it. He then dashed into a trench 40 yards higher up where three other boats had landed, collected a Lewis Gun Team and bombers, built a block under heavy fire and drove off two counter-attacks. He and these few men were cut-off from the remainder of the Company for over three hours but held on persistently'.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Sydney Baker, M.C., was born in 1896 and educated at Dagman House, Hatfield and Denstone College, Staffordshire. Initially finding employment as an Assistant Traffic Superintendent on the East India Railway, he was commissioned into the 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkhas in November 1915 and subsequently witnessed active service in the Mesopotamia operations. Slightly wounded in an action against the Turks in November 1916, he went on to win the M.C. for his persistent bravery in the crossing of the Tigris on 23.2.1917, as detailed in the above Recommendation, approved by Lieutenant-General F.S. Maude, C.O. of the Indian Expeditionary Force.
Rejoining the Colours on the renewal of hostilities in 1939, Baker was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army and served in a Pioneer Battalion on Crete and in North Africa, but transferred to the Indian Army as a Captain in 1942 and was posted to the 2nd Gurkhas. Then on the independence of India in 1947, he transferred to the Pakistan Army and served as a Colonel in command of the Frontier Force Regimental Centre at Abbottabad. In 1951 he once more returned to the Gurkhas, although on this occasion with a Short Service Commission as a Captain, later Major, and served in the Malayan Emergency. Baker finally retired as an Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel in 1953.
M.C. London Gazette 18.6.1917. Recommendation states 'For conspicuous gallantry and resource. He was cut off from the rest of his Company owing to two of his rowers being shot, and landed lower down the river opposite an enemy machine-gun. He rushed forward and threw a bomb at the machine-gun forcing the enemy to withdraw it. He then dashed into a trench 40 yards higher up where three other boats had landed, collected a Lewis Gun Team and bombers, built a block under heavy fire and drove off two counter-attacks. He and these few men were cut-off from the remainder of the Company for over three hours but held on persistently'.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Sydney Baker, M.C., was born in 1896 and educated at Dagman House, Hatfield and Denstone College, Staffordshire. Initially finding employment as an Assistant Traffic Superintendent on the East India Railway, he was commissioned into the 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkhas in November 1915 and subsequently witnessed active service in the Mesopotamia operations. Slightly wounded in an action against the Turks in November 1916, he went on to win the M.C. for his persistent bravery in the crossing of the Tigris on 23.2.1917, as detailed in the above Recommendation, approved by Lieutenant-General F.S. Maude, C.O. of the Indian Expeditionary Force.
Rejoining the Colours on the renewal of hostilities in 1939, Baker was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army and served in a Pioneer Battalion on Crete and in North Africa, but transferred to the Indian Army as a Captain in 1942 and was posted to the 2nd Gurkhas. Then on the independence of India in 1947, he transferred to the Pakistan Army and served as a Colonel in command of the Frontier Force Regimental Centre at Abbottabad. In 1951 he once more returned to the Gurkhas, although on this occasion with a Short Service Commission as a Captain, later Major, and served in the Malayan Emergency. Baker finally retired as an Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel in 1953.