Trooper AJ Baker

TROOPER ARTHUR JAMES BAKER  14/08/1916 – 01/06/1994 –

‘B’ Squadron 3rd CARABINIERS PRINCE OF WALES’S DRAGOON GUARDS

26-10-2014 185651
Born in 1916 in Custom House, London E16, and unemployed during the 1930’s depression, my Grandfather and his pal, whilst walking in a London park in early 1935, got talking to an old soldier who told them what a wonderful adventure he had experienced in the British Army. He told them that as they were both out of work they should join up and experience what he had during his army days. The friends enlisted that same day, although my Grandfather’s mother was most upset when he told her!!! My Grandfather joined the 3rd Carabiniers Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards and trained at Aldershot, passing out with ‘B’ Squadron in 1935

 

DSC_0021-rev
My Grandfather joined the 3rd Carabiniers Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards and trained at Aldershot, passing out with ‘B’ Squadron in 1935
DSC_0025-rev
Photo of ‘B’ Squadron at Aldershot with my Grandfather, 3rd Row from back, 4th from the left

 

DSC_0016
On the 6th May of the same year my Grandfather was part of the detachment from the 3rd Carabiniers lining the route during King George V Silver Jubilee procession. (Aldershot, May 1935 with the ‘Jubilee Party’ in full ceremonial dress; believe my Grandfather in second in from the left at the back, however understand he never made the final cut in the procession, but lined the route instead. Interesting to note the 2 trespassers (young boys) at the back of the photo gate-crashing the parade ground & photo)!!!

 

DSC_0009

 

The next year, Trooper Arthur James Baker (known as ‘Gary’ to his comrades due to his similarity to the film star Gary Cooper of that era), would be departing as for Sailkot, India.

(i4. See full photographic records for ‘B’ Squadron collated by my Grandfather covering this time in India up to the outbreak of WW2. Some key photos are,:- the arrival of the Carabiniers at Sailkot train station in tropical uniform;  final mounted parades; scenic photos of areas of the Khyber Pass and what is now Pakistain; the arrival and testing of the Vickers light tanks as part of the mechanisation process in 1938 – how my Grandfather learnt to drive. Also, note newspaper clipping announcing the 3rd Carabiniers journey to India and their ‘wooden horses’ they will not be taking)!!!

(For some reason there does not appear to be many, if indeed any photographs during WW2. The only photograph that can be dated to that time for sure is the title photo of my Grandfather showing  him in his Scouting role, now  Corporal  Baker,  posing next to a more modern mid 1940’s jeep/truck, no doubt he used for his Scouting and mapping role. He actually sent this photo back to his mother as a greeting card. (N/B, he was documented in Feathers & Carabinier in 1937 as being promoted to L.Corpral-unpaid)

Fate would now once again step in when after visiting a bazaar (maybe ever documented in some of the market scenes in the photos) my Grandfather and his friends enjoyed some ice-cream (nowadays a big no, no in India and other parts of the world knowing what we do about tropical disease)!!! This is how he believes he and his mates caught Typhoid, which indeed killed his mate. My Grandfather was lucky to survive on two counts, both the illness and missed ending up in Burma due to hospitalization and convalescing in India.

After completing 12 years with the Carabiniers, the whole time in India, he returned to Great Britain in 1947 and left the army.  He married and settled in North Woolwich employed by the Port of London Royal Group of Docks for the remainder of his working life.

He often mentioned how he loved his army days, particularly his horse, and how lucky he was during WW2. He also mentioned how he admired the Gurkhas he served with and was given as a gift the Kukri, which he left to me, together with his stirrups & spurs, as well as the photo album.  (see all photos. Regarding his stirrups and spurs and note how well-worn they are, as well as how he removed the ‘stars’ on the spurs as he felt this was too cruel to his horse).

He always had a fondness for his time with the Regiment and in particular India and its people and the adventures, and friends, he had during those 12 years with the 3rd Carabiniers ‘B’ Squadron – just like the stories from the old man in the park that set him on this journey and thus enabled this wonderful documented history that my Grandad Jimmy looked after and shared with us…

DSC_0094DSC_0096DSC_0097DSC_0098DSC_010011-10-2014 10041011-10-2014 100410211-10-2014 100410311-10-2014 100410411-10-2014 100410511-10-2014 100410611-10-2014 100410711-10-2014 100410811-10-2014 100410911-10-2014 1004101011-10-2014 1004101111-10-2014 1004101211-10-2014 1004101311-10-2014 1004101411-10-2014 1004101511-10-2014 1004101611-10-2014 1004101711-10-2014 1004101811-10-2014 1004101911-10-2014 1004102011-10-2014 1004102111-10-2014 1004102211-10-2014 1004102311-10-2014 1004102411-10-2014 1004102511-10-2014 1004102611-10-2014 1004102711-10-2014 1004102811-10-2014 1018124

11-10-2014 1018123

11-10-2014 1018122

11-10-2014 101812

11-10-2014 1018126

11-10-2014 1018125

 

King George’s Jubilee Trust – Official Programme of the Jubilee Procession

19-10-2014 165424 19-10-2014 1654242 19-10-2014 1654243 19-10-2014 1654244 19-10-2014 1654245 19-10-2014 1654246 19-10-2014 1654247 19-10-2014 1654248 19-10-2014 1654249 19-10-2014 16542410 19-10-2014 16542411 19-10-2014 16542412 19-10-2014 16542413 19-10-2014 16542414 19-10-2014 16542415 19-10-2014 16542416 19-10-2014 16542417 19-10-2014 16542418 19-10-2014 16542419 19-10-2014 16542420 19-10-2014 16542421 19-10-2014 16542422 19-10-2014 16542423 19-10-2014 16542424 19-10-2014 16542425 19-10-2014 16542426 19-10-2014 16542427 19-10-2014 16542428 19-10-2014 16542429 19-10-2014 16542430 19-10-2014 16542431 19-10-2014 16542432 19-10-2014 16542433 19-10-2014 16542434Royal Procession to St Paul’s Cathedral 6th May 1935

19-10-2014 164622 19-10-2014 1646222 19-10-2014 1646223 19-10-2014 1646224 19-10-2014 1646225 19-10-2014 1646226 19-10-2014 1646227 19-10-2014 1646228 19-10-2014 1646229 19-10-2014 16462210 19-10-2014 16462211 19-10-2014 16462212 19-10-2014 16462213 19-10-2014 16462214 19-10-2014 16462215 19-10-2014 16462216 19-10-2014 16462217 19-10-2014 16462218 19-10-2014 16462219