George Baker

Bank: National Provincial Bank of England

Place of work: Bournemouth branch

Died: 23 September 1916

George Stanley Charles Baker was born on 21 October 1895, the son of Benjamin Alfred Baker and his wife Minnie. In 1914 he started work for National Provincial Bank of England as an apprentice at its Bournemouth branch, but after only a few months the First World War broke out, and almost immediately Baker went on active military service.

In November 1914 he was given a probationary commission (later confirmed) as a Second Lieutenant in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. He served time in the trenches, and was later promoted to Lieutenant. In September 1916 he was training new recruits on the Isle of Wight when, during bomb-throwing practise, one recruit failed to clear the trench parapet with his throw. The live bomb fell into the trench and Baker, attempting to catch the bomb and throw it to safety, was killed. He died on 23 September 1916. He was 20 years old.