Thomas Baker (1897–1918) was an Australian soldier, aviator and flying ace of the First World War. He was employed as a clerk with the Bank of New South Wales before he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915, for service in the First World War. Posted to an artillery unit on the Western Front, he was awarded the Military Medal for carrying out numerous repairs on a communications line while subject to severe artillery fire. In June 1917, Baker was awarded a bar to his decoration, for his part in quelling a fire in one of the artillery gun pits that was endangering approximately 300 rounds of shrapnel and high explosive. In September 1917, Baker applied for a position as a mechanic in the Australian Flying Corps. He was instead selected for flight training, and was posted to courses in the United Kingdom. He graduated as a pilot and was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1918. Posted for active duty in France that June, Baker joined the ranks of No. 4 Squadron AFC. Over the next four months, he rose to the rank of captain and was credited with bringing down twelve German aircraft. He was shot down and killed on 4 November 1918. In February 1919, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Baker_(aviator)
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1941:
Second World War: After suffering torpedo damage the previous day, the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (91) sank as it was being towed to Gibraltar for repair. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)
1952:
Al Martino's "Here in My Heart" became the first song to be listed at the top of the UK Singles Chart. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Singles_Chart
1970:
Southern Airways Flight 932, chartered by the Marshall University football team, crashed into a hill near Ceredo, West Virginia, US, killing all 75 people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Airways_Flight_932
1995:
As a result of budget conflicts between President Bill Clinton and the United States Congress led by Newt Gingrich, the federal government was forced to shut down non-essential services. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_government_shutdown_of_1995_and_1996
2003:
Astronomers Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz discovered the trans-Neptunian object 90377 Sedna (artist's impression pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/90377_Sedna
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
rhubarb rhubarb: 1. (chiefly UK, film) Background noise of several "conversations," none of which are decipherable since all the actors are actually just repeating the word rhubarb (chosen because it contains no very sharp or recognisable phonemes), or other words with similar attributes. 2. (chiefly UK) Blah blah; etc, etc. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rhubarb_rhubarb
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Where freedom is menaced or justice threatened or where aggression takes place, we cannot be and shall not be neutral. --Jawaharlal Nehru https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jawaharlal_Nehru