TOPIC:

The majority of medals to the FID are named 'FID' so it is unusual to see a medal named to the 'Intelligence Dept'



Unusually the roll page (WO100.301p33) is titled Field Intelligence Department



The namers usually amalgamated the pages to name the medal to the FID as in the case of R Hart Pringle (see previous post), WO100/301p12..



The block of names in which this recipient appears gives the rank as Topology Guide. Now that would be a rank to see!

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (1), copy clasp, Orange Free State (Guide J. T. Thurston. F.I.D.) attempt to obliterate rank, otherwise very fine.

Clasp verified on WO100/301p26

From a site I have not visited before, Zealandia Medals.


Pictures courtesy of Zealandia Medals

BSACM (1) Mashonaland 1890 (TPR. BAKER, W.H.V. - PIONEERS.),;
QSA (6) Cape Colony, Tugela heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing;s Nek (LT. W. V. BAKER. F.I.D.)m engraved;
KSA (2) (LIEUT: W. V. BAKER. F.I.D.), impressed;
BWM (CAPTAIN W.H.V. BAKER A.I.F.);
VM (CAPT. W.H.V. BAKER. A.I.F.).

Note the BWM was named in Australia whereas the VM was named at Australia House in the UK. This is confirmed on his service file, and explains the slightly differing fonts and abbreviations. All the clasps are confirmed, although the medal roll for the Field Intelligence Department has obscured the column for the Laing's Nek clasp, it is noted he received six clasps on that page, and only five are visible.

Walter Headland Valentine Baker was born on 15 February 1862 at Oamaru, Waitaki, Otago, New Zealand. Son of Andrew and Matilda Jane Baker (née Headland). Details of his early life are sketchy, but it is mentioned in his obituary (1940) that Baker went to sea, serving on the S.S. Dunedin during that vessel's pioneering voyage carrying frozen meat from New Zealand to the UK. Explaining how he went to Africa, Baker said he was third mate on a windjammer which, in 1883, foundered off the Cape. He was left stranded and made his way to Kimberley, where he got a job as an underground overseer at the Central Diamond Mine. Baker soon found himself in the Cape Colony, from where he served on Sir Charles Warren's expedition into Tswana country which resulted in the formation of British Bechuanaland.

In 1890 Baker was a member of the Pioneer Column which, along with the British South Africa Police under Cecil Rhodes, rode into Matabeleland and annexed land thus forming Southern Rhodesia (modern day Zimbabwe). The campaign for this was not authorised until 1927, with only around 200 issued. Of these just 88 were to members of the Pioneer Column, making this one of the rarer campaign medals. Baker was mentioned in the diary of Captain Henry Francis 'Skipper' Hoste: 'On July 23rd we had a capsize. I was doing rear guard with my troop, when Major Johnson rode up and told me to scrape up all the old sailors that I could find, as the wagon that carried the engine and boiler belonging to the electric searchlight had capsized crossing a donga. I accordingly left Beal in charge of the troops and, taking my brother Derick and a man called Valentine Baker, both old sailors, I went on to 'C' Troop where I borrowed the machine guns' crews, who were all sailors. We then went on to the wagon which we found with its wheels uppermost. We then turned to and cut down three large straight trees-fortunately there were plenty close by-and rigged up some sheer-legs. In a short time we had the wagon the right side up again, and found that the only damage done was a slight crack in the smokestack, which had been unshipped and lashed alongside the boiler. That was about the only serious capsize we had during the whole trip, though Sandy Tulloch and his Gardner gun used to capsize in about five sluits out of every ten. His idea was to rush them. In theory the idea was probably good, but in practice it generally ended in a capsize.'

Baker remained in Southern Africa, and during the 2nd Anglo-Boer War his valuable experiences in having lived in the region for around 15 years were soon put to good years. Baker initially served as a scout with Murray's Horse, seeing action at the Relief of Kimberley and serving as a scout for General Buller. Baker transferred to the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles on commission before transferring to the Field Intelligence Department.

Upon the outbreak of the Great War, Baker volunteered for service in 1915 with Australian Forces. He slashed six years off his age - stating he was a sprightly 47 - and was initially posted with 'F' Company, 4th Infantry Battalion with the Tropical Force stationed at Rabaul from November 1915 (no entitlement to 1914-15 Star for this Theatre). Taken sick, he was invalided in February 1916, but recovered and was posted to the 34th Infantry for service in France. Having served as a Captain from 1 August 1916, he was again sick with influenza and pleurisy at Armentieres in October 1916. Baker was permanently discharged in November 1917, the board commenting that whilst his stated age was 48 he 'appears much older'. He took discharge in England, his address shown as the Devonshire Club.

After the war Baker was extremely active in veterans affairs in Birmingham. he also gave several interviews over BBC radio, recounting his numerous adventures in South Africa. During the 1930s he often gave lectures about his life and experiences (meeting and knowing Cecil Rhodes, Dr. Leander Starr Jameson and the famous scout, Courtney Selous).

Walter Valentine Baker died 16th May 1940 in Birmingham. His passing produced a number of obituaries: "The death has taken place at the Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham, of Major Valentine Baker, one the founders of the South African War Veterans’ Association in Birmingham. He was too, one of the 180 pioneers of Rhodesia, being present when, half a century ago, the British flag was hoisted in that country. At the relief of Ladysmith, 40 years ago. he was intelligence officer to General Buller. As a young man Major Baker spent much of his early life in South Africa. He served throughout the war in that country and had many stirring adventures. He had a rare fund of reminiscences concerning life among the Boers. In 1878, when homeward bound, he witnessed, in a gale, the wrecking in the English Channel of the Eurydice, at that time the largest wooden frigate in the British Navy. As a youth of 20 he also saw the calamity to the Princess Alice, a pleasure ship, outside the East India Docks. In each instance there was a heavy death-toll."

Baker's wife, Getrude Tidmarsh, some 24 years his junior, returned to Australia and died at Scarborough, Queensland in September 1975. Their daughter, Audrence Walter Baker died in 1976. Their only son, Barrie Baker, was killed in the Battle of Britain. Having seen action in the Fall of France with No. 264 Squadron, he was based at Hornchurch by August 1940. On 26 August Baker was flying with Flight Lieutenant A. J. Banham in Defiant L6985. Having just destroyed a Do17 over Thanet when they were attacked and shot down by Me109's off Herne Bay. Banham baled out but Baker was never found.

Pictures courtesy of Noonan's

DSO VR;
QSA (2) Cape Colony, Orange Free State (Capt: J. Q. Dickson, D.S.O., F.I.D.) engraved naming;
KSA (2) (Capt: J. Q. Dickson, D.S.O., F.I.D.) engraved naming

DSO London Gazette 31 October 1902: ‘In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa.’

John Quayle Dickson was born on 20 November 1860, the son of Major General E. J. Dickson, 91st Foot, of The Green, Castletown, Isle of Man, and Lucy Mylrea Quayle. Educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man, he served in the Boer War initially as a Lieutenant with Nesbitt’s Horse between May and August 1900, but then, presumably having shown talent as a scout and guide, he joined Colonel Henderson’s Field Intelligence Department in September that year, which recruited largely from the various mounted regiments. As an Intelligence Officer, he would have been attached to a particular column, and given a small team of native scouts for reconnaissance and information gathering. He remained with the F.I.D. until 22 July 1902, when he was discharged, and for his services in South Africa he was both Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 23 June 1902) and awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

Following the cessation of hostilities Dickson was appointed a member of the South Africa Native Affairs Commission and served as an Adviser in Native Affairs to the Orange River Colony Government. Considered a ‘haughty old man from the Veldt’ by some, he later took the position of Resident Commissioner to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate between 1909 and 1913. In this role he struggled to strike what was considered an ‘appropriate’ balance between giving genuine support and technical advice to the local Banaban inhabitants concerning the new interest in phosphate mining taking place on the island, and promoting the commercial interests of the Crown and other agents. Soon after posted to become Colonial Secretary of the Falkland Islands in 1913, he was for a time Administrator (essentially Acting Governor), but again ruffled the feathers of local characters of influence in the Falkland Island Volunteers and elsewhere. Returning home during the Great War, he served as Sub-Commandant at the ‘Aliens Detention Centre’ at Knockaloe, Isle of Man, with the rank of temporary Major, where he eventually relinquished his commission upon demobilisation in 1922.

He died in Kent in January 1945.

The lovely trio to Captain Diskson sold yesterday for a hammer price of GBP 2,600. Totals: GBP 3,349. R 75,520. AUD 6,060. NZD 6,630. CAD 5,410. USD 4,110. EUR 3,740