838239 Pte. Wesley George Baker was born in Sarawak Township in Grey County, Ontario, on January 20th, 1887.
Living on the outskirts of Owen Sound, Wesley worked as a sailor and was a 10 year veteran of the 31st Regiment, the local militia unit.
Attesting to the 147th Battalion on December 23rd, 1915, in Owen Sound, Wesley initially served in 'B' Company.
Billeted locally over the winter the 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in the spring of 1916 and left for training at Camp Niagara. As the conditions in the Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June. In September of 1916, the unit received their orders to proceed overseas, but due to an outbreak of diphtheria they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia for over a month.
The 147th BN finally sailed for Great Britain on November 14th, 1916, on the S.S. Olympic, but on January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion.
On March 7th, 1917, Wesley was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. and served with the unit through the Battle of Arras that saw the Canadian Corps storm Vimy Ridge.
Serving the remainder of the war without noted incident, Pte. Wesley George Baker was struck off strength on July 12th, 1919.
Biography details credit: George Auer