Fred Baker (soldier)
| Frederick Baker | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Fred Baker, circa 1941–42
|
|
| Born |
19 June 1908 Kohukohu, New Zealand |
| Died | 1 June 1958 (aged 49) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand
|
| Service/branch |
 New Zealand Military Forces
|
| Years of service | 1926–1943 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Commands held | 28th (Māori) Battalion (1942) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order |
| Other work | Accountant Public servant |
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Baker DSO (19 June 1908 – 1 June 1958) was a New Zealand soldier who served in the Second World War, leading the 28th (Māori) Battalion from 13 July to 2 November 1942. He was injured at the commencement of the Second Battle of El Alamein and his wounds were such that he was repatriated back to New Zealand. He later worked in New Zealand's public service, leading the Rehabilitation Department which assisted servicemen returning from the war into civilian life, by providing them with finance, training and housing.
Frederick Baker was born in the Hokianga, in the north of the North Island of New Zealand, on 19 June 1908 to a bushman and his wife. Of Ngāpuhi descent (via his mother), he attended local schools in the area. Entering the public service after completion of his education, he worked for the Public Works Department based in Whangarei before moving to Hamilton in 1928. He became an accountant, qualifying in late 1931. He transferred to Wellington in 1933, working for the Audit Office and in the same year, married Edna Mavis Carrie. The couple would go on to have two children. By 1935, he was working for the Mortgage Corporation of New Zealand.
Baker had joined the Territorial Forces in his late teens and served with the Northland and Waikato Mounted Rifles as a lieutenant. When he moved to Wellington for work in 1933, he became a reserve officer due to the absence of mounted rifle units in Wellington. Having maintained an interest in the military and concerned by the increasing likelihood of war, in May 1939 he requested to be placed on the active list.
It was not until November 1939 that a role was found for Baker, as intelligence officer of the 28th (Māori) Battalion, then in the process of formation. However, Baker himself never particularly identified as being Māori. In May, the battalion embarked for the Middle East to join the first echelon of the 2nd New Zealand Division in May 1940 but were diverted for defensive duties in England. By early 1941, the threat of invasion by the Germans had eased and the battalion was finally shipped to Egypt to join up with the rest of the division. Baker in the meantime, had been promoted to captain and placed in command of the battalion's headquarters company.
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