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Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:57 pm

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Forum , Can anyone enlighten me please on the soldier named ? . In the Red Soldier on page 100 there is a piece by Sgt W Morley " H " Coy 2 / 24 th . QUOTE " Not a single man of the 2 / 24 th was left to tell the tale , " G " Coy was on out - post duty , left in camp and all were killed except C /Sgt ROSS , Ptes Jones , Baker , and Etbridge who were out with us " .

I believe this is 2416 Pte GEORGE ALBERT Baker of " G " Coy. Pte Baker as far as i am aware did not participate at Isandlwana nor indeed at Rorke's Drift . He was awarded the South African medal with clasp on the 13 th April 1881 . What duties did Pte Baker perform c Jan 22 1879 ? . I have a copy of his discharge parchment , he left the army in 1884 after serving 7 years 116 days in the Army and 4 years 249 days in the reserve. He eventually died in 1920 . Pte Baker was indeed lucky as the duties he performed saved his life , i am curious to know in what campaign he was engaged in during his time in South Africa .

Gratitude in lorry loads would be sought if anyone can " beef up " the records concerning Pte Baker , thanks , " Sapper " . Wink

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:16 am

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Dear Forum , Can i ask ANYONE if they know of the movements of Pte Baker 1 / 24 th during his time in South Africa ??? , it would appeat his duties on Jan 22nd 1879 were the cause of his survival and i am trying to ascertain this for his descendant , thank you , " Sapper " Wink

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:48 pm

Sapper

You have headed up your first post "2/24" and described Baker as such in your message. However, in today's post you have him in the 1/24.

If we start by assuming that today's "1/24" is simply a typo, and that you have established quite independently that the Baker mentioned by Sgt Morley is 2416 Pte George Albert Baker, it would seem that the Pte Baker mentioned by Morley was out with Chelmsford. He is quite specific about that. They were "out with us" and he describes the activities of Chelmsford's force that day in his letter, and says that he (Morley) was part of that force.

So as this is clear, was it the exact duties of Baker and his fellow "G" Coy ptes and Colour Sgt on that day which you wanted to discover? As they were part of a large force which split up more than once during that day, I doubt if that would be possible, other than from the possibility of this small group from G Coy 2/24 being mentioned, quite by chance, in subsequent correspondence or in a report from someone else in Chelmsford's force.

Presumably you'll need to find out why this small group was detached from their company either before or during the G Coy picqet duties. If they were switched before the 22nd, presumably it could have happened at any time, and if on the 22nd, then perhaps they were picked up by Glyn's force for some reason just as that force moved out of the camp at around 4 am? Perhaps such a letter does exist and someone here is familiar with it.

Certainly Morley is clear they were out with him. Whether this Baker, out with Morley, is also the one you describe by name and number, is up to your own findings.

Peter

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:21 pm

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Dear Peter , once again thank you for the correction , indeed Pte Baker was in the 2 / 24 th and the error was mine in putting the 1 / 24 th .

I am interested also in what ( if known ) Pte Baker did in his time in South Africa ( ? ) . Sometimes these facts will never be known but i pose the question anyway , thank you , " Sapper " Wink