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>
_______________________________________________
Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list.
To unsubscribe, visit:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l
Questions or comments? Contact dal-feedback@wikimedia.org