Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 101 SITUATION: Lieutenant Colonel Renald Dufour, CD, the current commanding officer of the North Shore (NB) Regiment (NSR), had been made aware that the Canadian Mint was preparing a coin to mark the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landing. It was proposed that the coin would utilize the photo of the NSR assaulting Juno beach in the Nan/Red sector. The photo was from the film recorded by Sergeant Bill Grant of the Canadian Army Film Unit (CAFU) on the morning of 6 June, 1944. MISSION: Attempt to identify the soldier who turned his head enough to have his face caught by the camera of Sgt Grant. EXECUTION: Send out a request for information to all possible credible sources. SUPPORT: Historians, both professional and amateur, who had an interest in the history of the NSR. In early October, 2018, Dr Marc Milner of the Gregg Centre at UNB made the commanding officer of the NSR aware that the Canadian Mint had plans to strike the commemorative coin noted above. On 28 November Dr Milner contacted LCol Rénald Dufour about the identity of the soldier in the photo. Dr Milner noted that in 2004, while researching his book “D-Day to Carpiquet: The North Shore Regiment and the Liberation of Europe,” that Fred Moar, MC, who had been a lieutenant with ACompany NSR during the assault, stated, "It looks like Pte Baker from my company." The next day LCol Dufour was able to confirm that a Pte G H Baker was part of the assaulting force on the morning of D-Day, but that he was not sure where Baker might be from. In less than 24 hours Bruce Morton was able to confirm that a Pte G H Baker # F56627 had landed with No 2 section, 3 Platoon, A Company of the NSR on D-Day. Bruce also noted that Pte G H Baker was the only soldier with that surname, who came ashore with the NSR on Juno beach that day. I chipped in by noting that the ”F” in Baker’s service number indicated that he enlisted in Nova Scotia or eastern PEI. Based upon his service number it was probable that he was originally from NS or PEI, but it was not definitive as he might have come from anywhere in Canada and just enlisted in NS/PEI. Dr Marc Miner was able to confirm, via Veterans Affairs Canada, that a G H Baker # F56627 died on 23 July, 2003 in North Brookfield, NS. That same day Brandon Savage, using the date of death information from Dr Milner, decided to do a web search of obituaries for NS. He searched cemetery databases for a grave marker in Nova Scotia that would match the details; eventually, he came across one for a George Herman Baker. Using the full name found on the grave marker, and searching an obituary database, he was able to find an obituary for George Herman Baker, which included the names of the next of kin and the places they lived in 2003. Brandon would have the Eureka moment. Finding Private Baker By Gary Silliker continued ...
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