| Surname: | Baker |
| Initials: | J H |
| Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Army Number: | P/1751 |
| Notes: | MFP. Awarded the 1915 Star, Victory and War Medals. First served abroad (1) France, 26/7/1915. Extract from the Sussex Agricultural Express 15 October 1915. PATRIOTIC APPEAL FROM FRANCE. Mr J H Baker, who is a Lance Corporal in the Military Foot Police in Calais, has written and interesting letter to Mr T Clarke. of High Street. He concludes with a stirring appeal to all at home to do their share in the present War. "I have been out here now about three months. Of course, I have not been here all the time. I have had three moves since I have been out here, but I hope to stay here for a while, as it is fairly comfortable. I am the only East Sussex representative out here as far as I know of; the last time I heard of others were still in Aldershot. We have constables from all parts of England, Our duties are practically the same as in civil life, although much harder, and, of course as you know, when we have completed our tour of duty, we don's lie on feather beds. I am pleased to have come out, I could not have settled at home. I feel it only my DUTY TO DO SOMETHING. We had only two chances, and they were to join the Military Foot Police or the mounted - as I think it only right that every single man, with no one dependent upon him should join something. I see from the papers that the women of England are asking for National Service. I don't think that will ever be; I hope not, as I don's think that we, as true Britishers want driving to fight. We have always been a free country, and never shown the white feather yet, and I'm sure we shan't now. But you know as well as I do that there are ever so many shirkers. There is one thing which strikes me in the conversation of our fellows returning from leave and that is the fact that people in England or should I say some people don't relalise that there is something going on worse than murder, and not far from them. It may seem hard to lose a son or relative, especially when their period of service has been short, but the difficulty is those in England realize that we are up against the finest, largest, strongest and best equipped Army in the world, and that we are struggling for our very existence as a nation. It is hard as you know, that so many bright young lives should be ruined. On these occasions no doubt a good many people in the dear homeland have lost sons and relations, but it must be. When will the people of England awaken to this fact, that it is better to lose a son or a relative than to be conquered and ruled by such a ruthless nation as Germany. Who dies if England live. Will the people of England realise that we have been and are fighting for our lives and those of dear ones at home, and had EVERY AVAIALBE MAN not bee placed in the field when 6they were, we could not have stemmed the Germans' attack and they would have swept on, eventually to cross the Channel and make waste and ruin our beautiful homeland - England. The sooner some people in England awaken to what we have to do and put their whole energi4es to our assistance, the quicker the war will be over. People of England, wake up and realise that every little helps and every German attack stayed is one more nail in the coffin of Prussian militarism and arrogance. Do not wait to be asked come. Place your service at the disposal of the Motherland and when peace comes you will have the pleasure of knowing that you did you little bit to keep the old flag flying. I haven's been out here long, but the time seems to fly. One don's hardly know the day of the week or what date it is' we very often have to ask one another. |