Born at Scarborough c.1816.
Enlisted at Beverley, Yorkshire, on the 26th of February 1835.
Apart from his trade as a labourer, no other enlistment details are shown.
Embarked for India on the 27th of June 1835.
Hospital Orderly in the Crimea 1st of April — 30th of June 1855.
Died at Camp Kadikoi on the 5th of July 1855, aged 39 years.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
In a letter to his family on the 9th of July 1855 Sergeant John Howes of the 4th Light Dragoons referred to his comrades dying around him almost daily. He wrote:
"Many a man who rises in the morning in the enjoyment of good health is dead and buried the same day. A singular instance occurred a few days ago in the 11th Hussars, they are lying close to us, one of their men died sometime in the forenoon and one of the Hospital orderlies who assisted in sewing the man up in his blanket was buried in the same grave at 6 o'clock that evening, so I will leave you to judge our state of uncertainty of life."
From such a combination of dates etc., the latter was almost certainly William Baker, the other man concerned being 1659 James Wiffen of the regiment. (See his record.)
Buried in the 11th Hussar Cemetery on the road between Kadikoi and Karani. His name appears on both the combined memorial board which was erected, and a separate one. (There is a copy of the memorial inscriptions in the 11th Hussar file.)
[PB: It would be good to have more information, and perhaps a link.]