Thomas Durand Baker
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Durand Baker KCB
(23 March 1837 – 9 February 1893) was a British army officer, and Quartermaster-General to the Forces
.
, Baker was commissioned into the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment in 1854. He served in the Crimean War
and was present at the Siege of Sevastapol. In 1857 he was involved in suppressing the Indian Mutiny
.
In 1863 he was deployed to New Zealand where he served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General and then Assistant Adjutant-General. He was involved in the capture of Orakau in 1864.
Then in 1873 he was despatched, during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War, to West Africa where he served as Assistant Adjutant, then Quartermaster-General and then finally as Chief of Staff
.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 1879 where he became a Brigade Commander and took part in the Battle of Kandahar
in 1880. In 1882 he went to Ireland as Deputy Quartermaster-General and then as Deputy Adjutant-General. In 1884 he was Adjutant-General in the East Indies
and in 1866 he was General Officer Commanding
a Division of the Bengal Army
.
His final appointment was as Quartermaster-General to the Forces
in 1890; he died while still in office in 1893.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(23 March 1837 – 9 February 1893) was a British army officer, and Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
.
Military career
Educated at Cheltenham CollegeCheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
, Baker was commissioned into the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment in 1854. He served in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and was present at the Siege of Sevastapol. In 1857 he was involved in suppressing the Indian Mutiny
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
.
In 1863 he was deployed to New Zealand where he served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General and then Assistant Adjutant-General. He was involved in the capture of Orakau in 1864.
Then in 1873 he was despatched, during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War, to West Africa where he served as Assistant Adjutant, then Quartermaster-General and then finally as Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 1879 where he became a Brigade Commander and took part in the Battle of Kandahar
Battle of Kandahar
The Battle of Kandahar, 1 September 1880, was the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The battle in southern Afghanistan was fought between the British forces under command of General Roberts and the Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan, inflicting nearly 3,000 casualties in...
in 1880. In 1882 he went to Ireland as Deputy Quartermaster-General and then as Deputy Adjutant-General. In 1884 he was Adjutant-General in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
and in 1866 he was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
a Division of the Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
.
His final appointment was as Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
in 1890; he died while still in office in 1893.