Letters Thomas Charles Richmond Baker 1916-1917 - Part 1

A.W.M. File No. 12/11/593

Captain T.C.R. BAKER, D.F.C.,M.M. and bar, No.4. Squadron,
Australian Flying Corps, who on 4 November 1918 was killed
in action in the Ath region. Other biographical details
concerning him are: bank clerk; of Adelaide; born
Smithfield, South Australia, 25th April, 1897, educated at
St. Peter's Collegiate school, Adelaide; enlisted in the 
A.I.F. on 29 July 1915, and posted to the infantry; 1/9/15,
transferred to the artillery (6th A.F.A. Brigade), and
embarked with the 16th Battery; 25/9/17, transferred to the
Australian Flying Corps, and graded as a 2/Air mechanic on
5 October; 27/3/18, appointed 2/Lieutenant and flying officer
in A.F.C., 16/6/1918, taken on strength of No.4. Squadron,

A.F.C.; 27/6/18, promoted lieutenant; 24/10/18, temporary
flight commander and temporary captain; won the Military
Medal and bar with the artillery. 

4
Cohen's wife has started
a species of league
to send parcels to the
6th Brigade. I suppose
Unc Tom. & Ant. Alla
are connected with
it in some way so
if you can get hold
of the right rails send

a truck load of goodies
etc. will you?
Auntie will no
doubt be very please
to know that the sox

[*Rest of no interest*]
Send a few films
by next parcel will
you? (Thanks).
Tel-el-Kebir
Egypt
27/1/16
My dear Brother & Ma
Hum! It never
rains in Egypt!!!! We've
only had rain every day &
night for the last fortnight.
Its as cold as the pole &
the wind & sand, well, one

can't get away from it.
T'other day I got a large
budget from Auntie &

heard all about your 
trip to Mt Lofty. It must 
have been bonza. I
know the type of cherry
Jeff & I remember our

 2
trip to Mt. Lofty a long
time ago.
For the last week
or two we have been
working harder than
ever. Some of the gunners
emp were employed in
digging gun pits a few
days ago, and we have
started on Brigade manoeuvers.

Yesterday I was told
to go out with the
specialists i.e: signallers,
range finders etc. So I
suppose that that means
3.
dropping the gunning
proper & entering on
a much more interesting
career. I'm not sorry
either, as I know much
more about the other
instrument than the guns,
but of course we have
to be able to use both.
Did you send
that parcel Rho? because
if you did I haven't
received it yet.
Mrs Cohen, Colonel

France
16th June 16
Friday
Dearest Unc.
Your bonza, long,
breezy, chatty, letter came before
my optics on the night of Tuesday
last when I had just written
to you a few days before so
here goes again. I will
just answer your letter. I
can't write any news, there isn't
any. I am sorry to see
that you didn't get anything
from me by those mails, also
glad that M^r Fernie gave
you the "dinkem oil",/i.e
news.)
At last the sun is
giving us a turn for

2
the last two or three weeks

It has been raining incessantly
& there has been nothing but
mud. There the go, bang!
bang! bang! whiz! & then
up in the clouds the answering
plop! plop! plop! The birds
are at it again. As soon
as the sun shows itself
the planes get busy & there
isn't a minute from morn
till night that you can't
see two or three of our
planes out, trying to "wreck
an oyster".(reconnoitre.) The
stormy weather keeps them
in their hangers. Yesterday
though, a huge battle
plane flew overhead very
 

3
low down. It was blowing
a gale at the time and
her engines were roaring
like mad. Was a bonza
sight & at times she was
going almost side on. The 
joint where the men sit
is heavily armoured on
those planes I think. The
"Square Heads" keep their
planes on the ground more
than up top & we seldom
get one over our way. I
have been seriously thinking
of getting in the flying
corps when I get back to
Aust. I would like to
4
take it up & have a thorough
go in at it. Would just
suit me. I don't mean be
just a mechanic or
something similar, but, "a
hossifer". Only officers
fly I think. That is
about the only occupation
I can think of at present
that would do me. Plenty
of time to think of that
though, isn't there. It is 
a thrilling sight to see
half a dozen planes
circling, rising, dropping,
banking & turning etc, all
at the same time, & I
envy the chaps who a

France/Somewhere in)
Friday (I think) 25th Aug.
Dearest Unc, 

When we came an went out
 of action last, about two weeks ago we

though ah! etc, etc, here goes for a dinkem
spell. Well we were out for about a week
4 days of which was spent in travelling. Did
I write or did I not. I can't remember
anyhow, I have received so many
letters of late that I don't know how
I will do justice to the pile. I
want a private sec or something
While in the "rest camp" we were
paid 80 francs & I spent the lot on
things to eat & got a good fill up.
I also received a xxx cable from
Uncle. Tom from Wilbecks Palace
Hotel, London, asking me to go over
& stay with him if I could get 
leave. Of The mails were dated
9th Inst but I didn't get it till 16^th.
"Rotton I calls it.". Anyhow I answered
it as well as poss & thanked him
for previous & present kindnesses etc.

2.
but couldn't get leave, as that same

night, whilst another fellow &
myself were out shopping the Bty
got a sudden call & moved out
minus the most important part ie. me
Anyhow, I get out to catch up on
foot. Fortunately some of the chaps
had put my gear on the limber.
We walked for a couple of hours
when it came on to rain hard, so
we crawled under some bushes,
waited, going to sleep in the meantime
After a while along came some
guns belonging to another bty
I promptly hopped on, the only place
left being the barrell, but anyhow
we caught up at about 1 am &
have had plenty of work since. 
We went into bivouac that night
& shifted early next morning to
the wagon lines. Spent what was
left of the day sleeping & dodging
rain drops & after getting drenched
went to bed to get up at 3 am
next morning & go into action.

3.
We worked all that day on two
pieces of biscuit & when we had
nearly finished enough to get the
guns in & were about ready to roof
over the telephone office we found
we had to advance 1000 yards. 
Of course we had to cart all our
things & material up & it was fairly
late that night ere we turned in &
were at it hard with pick & shovel
all next day, but are now fairly
well settled until the heap of furniture
& material left behind in Fritz's
dugouts. Some of the officers
quarters are beautiful in these dugouts.
They are about 50 feet down & have
five or six rooms, with stoves, electric
light & in one trench I saw an enamel
bath. Some rooms are papered &
have mirrors on the walls, & a
confusion of battles, all over the
joint. Fritz evidently meant to
stay, but we're sorry we couldn't
put him up so let him down, as
the papers will tell you. I collared
a bonzer little stove, & four of us

4.
take it in turns to cook & clean up.
We also get tack from the canteen &
have a right royal time. For
breakfast we have quaker oats,
fried bacon, ^onions, chips, bread roll, meat & jam & coffee, etc,
Today's dinner was, Lentle soup,
fresh herrings, coffee, dates, cake, sweets
etc. Tea is usually toast jam butter, tea
coffee or cocoa & then porridge for
supper. Of course this is the Hotel [[Ceil?]]
or perhaps the Oriental. Remember
the last dinner at the Oriental?
Yesterday I had a
letter from Aunt. Alla. Very nice &
by jingoe, when we get out, I'm
going to do my best to get over. I
had 9 letters yesterday & 8 today. One
of todays was from Unc. Tom, so you
see we are going strong as far as
communication is concerned.
I had a trip to the
front line observation post two days
ago, & whilst there a straff commenced
lasting for 5 hours. It was just a
sample of bottled Hades, full strength

5.
& the telephone line didn't last 5 mins.
On the way back we had the most
exciting time I've ever had. All the
same it was interesting although a
fellow thanks God that he gets out
safely. I'm not going to frighten
you but all the explaining on
anyones part, & you couldn't conceive
what it's like. I remember plainly
what "Bill Sykes" the minister bloke said
his son said. "You don't know what
war is like till you've been." By
Hades, he's right chum. Anyhow we're
going good,-oh! now. 
I had six papers & also a
bonza parcel from Auntie today. I don't
know what to say about those mittens _^& balaclavers
which Auntie put in. They would be
just "it" in winter, but how do we know
where we will be then! In case any
are sent later, if some are thick & some
are thin, then everyone would be able
to have them according to taste, or feel.
The mittens are A.1. as regards pattern.
Of course Auntie put in some body