Valentine Baker

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For Captain Valentine Baker, of Martin-Baker Aircraft, see Valentine Baker (pilot).

Valentine Baker
Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)
Mahdist War
RelationsSir Samuel Baker

Valentine Baker (also known as Baker Pasha) (1 April 1827 – 17 November 1887), was a British soldier, and a younger brother of Sir Samuel Baker.

Biography

Baker was educated in

10th Hussars, succeeding only a year later to the command. This position he held for 13 years, during which period the highest efficiency of his men was reached, and outside the regiment he did good service to his arm by his writings.[1]

He went through the wars of 1866 and 1870 as a spectator with the German armies, and in 1873 he started upon a famous journey through

Fred Burnaby. Although he was unable to reach the Khanate of Khiva the results of the journey afforded a great deal of political, geographical and military information, especially as to the advance of Russia in Central Asia
.

In 1874, he was back in England and took up a staff appointment at Aldershot.

The following year, Baker's career in the British army was ended by a scandal. He was arrested on a charge of indecent assault upon a young woman in a railway carriage. The woman, Rebecca Kate Dickinson, ended up clinging to the outside of the carriage to escape him. The matter went to trial and there was much public interest. Baker offered no defence, and was sentenced to a year's imprisonment and a fine of £500. He was then dismissed from the service.[1][2]

Two years later, having left

Gourko. Promoted Ferik (lieutenant-general) for this feat, he continued to command Suleiman's rearguard. After the peace he was employed in an administrative post in Armenia, where he remained until 1882. In this year he was offered the command of the newly formed Egyptian Army, which he accepted. On his arrival at Cairo, however, the offer was withdrawn and he obtained command only of the Egyptian police. In this post he devoted by far the greater amount of his energy to the training of the gendarmerie, which he realised would be the reserve of the purely military forces.[1]

When the

battle of El Teb
he was wounded.

He remained in command of the Egyptian police until his death in 1887.[1]

Works

Among the books he wrote are Our National Defences (1860), War in Bulgaria, a Narrative of Personal Experience (London, 1879), Clouds in the East (London, 1876).

Family

He married, on 13 December 1865, Fanny, only child of Frank Wormald of Potterton Hall, Aberford, by which marriage there were two daughters, the younger of whom only survived her father and married Sir John Carden, bart.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Carr 1901.
  2. ISBN 0-19-214107-4
    .

Bibliography

External links

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