He was born during March 1891 in the Reigate District of Surrey. Described by the Imperial War Graves Commission as the son of Samuel (Millers Assistant, later Miller & Corn merchant) and Ellen Baker of The Mill, Merstham, Surrey. 1891: a nurse child with Alfred and Lucy Wates, Park View, Worth, East Grinstead. 1901: The Census shows him aged 10 with Samuel, Ellen and family, at The Mill, Merstham, Surrey, but described as their Grandson. 1911: He was a 23 year old Gardeners Labourer, boarding with George Mitchell (Jobbing Gardener) and family in South Merstham.
During the early part of the war Thomas Baker was living in Woodford, employed by the London County Council at Claybury Hospital Woodford Bridge. He enlisted at Stratford and was allocated to the Royal Field Artillery.
22 Divison deployed to France in September 1915, but on 27th October 1915 it began to embark in Marseilles for Salonika. The relocation was almost completed in November 1915, but some artillery units arrived in the weeks up to 13th December 1915.
It is unclear how much Thomas Baker would have participated in military operations, because he died in Salonika on 6th December 1915 from tuberculosis.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
FindmyPast.co.uk
LCC Record of Service