Notes
Recovered 21.08.2023 from https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/557547/jehu-baker/
PRIVATE JEHU BAKER
Service Number: 37608
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 10th Bn.
Date of Death 09 May 1918 Age 18 years old
Buried BERLES NEW MILITARY CEMETERY I. A. 18. France
http://www.piddlevalley.info/history_great_war.php#24
09 May 1918
Private ALBERT JEHU BAKER (Piddletrenthide), 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
In my original research for Piddletrenthide's Sacrifices in the "Piddle Valley Book of Country Life" (2002) I wrote that Albert Jehu Baker's name was not recorded on any official lists of men who died during the war. However, when the Bowen's book "Remembering Piddletrenthide" was published, I was introduced to a lady whose father's brother was Jehu Baker. She kindly gave me family details which show that the Baker name on the Memorial Hall plaques is slightly incorrect.
There were two Baker brothers, born to Hedley and Bessie Baker (she was the schoolmistress at Plush). Jehu Baker was born in 1900 and Albert in 1901. The family moved away to Hardington, Yeovil and Jehu was living at Holwell when he was conscripted.
It seems that the two brothers' names were combined in error when Jehu's inscription was put on the plaque. Albert was too young to have served in the Great War.
Jehu Baker initially served as a Private in the Dorsetshire Regiment, but he was then transferred to the 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. This was a pioneer battalion which did all the labouring work in the trenches. Jehu was assigned to Y Company.
On 15th April 1918 they were near a village called Boiry St Martin, which lies between Arras and Bapaume. They repaired roads and dug and wired new trenches, often under shell fire. The Battalion War Diary records that, on 8th May, baths were allotted to Y Company all day, clean clothing was issued and bootmakers attended to necessary repairs. On 9th May, Y Company was back at work, this time on a communication trench south-east of Boiry St Martin. There was heavy enemy shelling. Four men were killed and seven wounded. Jehu Baker was one of the four. He was 18 years old.
He is buried in Berles New Military Cemetery, south-west of Arras. Should the Memorial Hall Plaque now be altered from Albert Jehu Baker to Jehu Baker?