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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 356

Four: Able Seaman W. Baker, Royal Navy

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (W. Baker, A.B., H.M.S. Pearl.); 1914-15 Star (179263. W. Baker, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (179263 W. Baker. A.B. R.N.), slightly bent suspension to the BWM otherwise very fine (4)

William Baker was born on 2 December 1878 at Stonehouse, Devon and was a general labourer prior to joining the Royal Navy on 5 April 1894 as a Boy 2nd Class. He was promoted to Boy 1st Class on 21 March 1895 and to Ordinary Seaman on 2 December 1896 where he was serving on Racoon. Baker served on Philomel from 15 June 1897 and was promoted to Able Seaman on 1 March 1898 the same day he left the ship. Baker then served aboard Pearl between 17 December 1901 until 29 November 1904 and during this time was to see service in the Second Boer War. Pearl was involved with escorting transports and landing parties of men at Port Nolloth and Lamberts Bay and was to assist in unloading and guarding transports, she remained in South Africa until 1904 when she was paid off at Simonstown.

It is considered that he should be entitled to a clasp 'South Africa 1902' see OMRS Journal Summer 1999 'The late award of Clasps to the Queen's South Africa Medal as issued to the Royal Navy' by Peter Singlehurst. On 7 May 1922 a Fleet Order was issued confirming that the clasp 'South Africa 1902' could be awarded to various ships involved in this specific action.

Baker then served on Simoon and served on various ships to include Defiance, Sentinel and Vivid I until he joined Tiger on 1 October 1914. Tiger was the most heavily armed battleship at the start of the Great War and fought at the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 where she did not perform well by all accounts. She next saw action at the Battle of Jutland and despite heavy shelling from the Germans suffered only slight damage. She was to provide distant cover at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1917 but spent the remainder of the war patrolling the North Sea. Baker spent his entire time on Tiger until he resigned from the Royal Navy on 14 March 1919.

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Sold for
£210

Starting price
£140