The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (QX53195) Lieutenant Glen George Baker, 4 Army Ordnance Depot AAOC, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Tristan Rallings, the story for this day was on (QX53195) Lieutenant Glen George Baker, 4 Army Ordnance Depot AAOC, Second World War.

QX53195 Lieutenant Glen George Baker, 4 Army Ordnance Depot AAOC
Illness 15 December 1943

Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Glen George Baker.

Glen Baker was born on 9 August 1915 in Townsville, Queensland, the son of Mary Baker.

After his schooling, Baker went on to work as a clerk. He also showed great talent for cricket. While he initially played with some success in the Townsville competition, it was when he came to Brisbane as a member of the Vacuum Oil Company’s staff that his career took off. A right-handed batsman and medium bowler, he played 29 first-class cricket matches, all but one for Queensland.

The coming of the Second World War disrupted many professional sporting events. By December 1941 most state cricket associations had agreed to abandon interstate matches until the end of the war, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground was commandeered by the services.

Baker enlisted in August 1940, and became part of the Australian Army Ordnance Corps, which took care of the supply, administration, demolition and disposal of explosives, as well as the salvage of battle-damaged equipment.

During initial training, Baker must have impressed, as he was promoted to corporal on 11 November, the same day that he was taken on strength of the unit. Baker’s rise through the ranks continued in February the following year, when he was promoted to sergeant.

On 5 April 1941, Baker married Mavis Jean Barkley in Brisbane. A collection of his cricketing teammates formed a guard of honour at the wedding. After enjoying a honeymoon at Tamborine Mountain, Baker returned to duty.

Baker was promoted to the rank of warrant officer in February 1942, and in July was offered a commission. A month later, Lieutenant Baker left Brisbane for overseas service.

He arrived at Milne Bay in New Guinea in mid-August 1942, as Allied forces established an airfield and a garrison. By 22 August, about 8,500 Australians and 1,300 Americans were on site.

Japanese aircraft soon discovered the Allied presence, which presented a threat to Japanese plans for another seaborne advance on Port Moresby. An amphibious assault was launched, and 2,000 Japanese marines were landed on the northern side of the bay. The Australian lines did more than hold, driving back the initial assault and then pursuing the enemy towards their beachhead.

Milne Bay was a significant morale boost for Australia. The Japanese drive to conquer all of New Guinea had been stopped, and the myth of Japanese invincibility had been dispelled.

The 7th Division would continue the Allied offensive in New Guinea, with Gona falling in December 1942, and Buna and Sanananda in January 1943. The Allies began to reduce and capture the vast Japanese naval and air facilities at Rabaul.

While the fighting could be vicious and unrelenting, the inhospitable conditions meant that disease and starvation claimed more Japanese lives than enemy action. Nor were the Australians immune from the effects of malaria, dengue fever, scrub typhus, tropical ulcers, dysentery, and tropical ulcers.

In February 1943 Baker was admitted to hospital suffering from fever, and in June he was having undiagnosed problems with his ankle that continued for some time. On 6 December he was diagnosed as suffering from scrub typhus. Despite receiving medical attention, he died of his illness on 15 December 1943. He was buried at Soputa War Cemetery that day.

He was 28 years old.

After the war, his remains were reinterred in the Port Moresby War Cemetery, where they lie today.
His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Lieutenant Glen George Baker, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section