Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-27
"HOBY" BAKER IS
KILLED in FRANCE
Airplane Falls While Making
Practice Flight Prior to
Sailing For Home

Cable advices from Paris late yes
terday carried the news that Cap
tain Hobart \. II. Baker, famous
Princeton athlete, aviator in the
/ American Army in France, and fly
! ing associate of Major Charles j.
! Biddle, Lieutenants Este, Drew and
/ other famous Americans, had been
{ killed in the fall of his machine.
! Amplitied cable advices indicate
! that Baker died while making q
! practice flight at Toul on Saturday
} last. IL was to have been among
/ the last of his flights, for Captain
: Baker had his sailing orders in his
/ possession at the time. 1t is under
/ stood that he was performing some
difficult efforts when the machine
/ plunged to the ground, causing his
/ death.
Captain Baker was a Philadel-
! phian, and connected with n number
of families socially prominent in
that city. His father IL Alfred
J Thornton Baker. of Princeton, with
whom he made his home. His moth
er was Miss Mary Pemberton before
marriage, daughter of Mrs. Clifford
Pemberton, OF l2O Spruce street.
NOltu dICtf as an AlllicIc
Captain Baker was - years old.
He began has athletic career at ST.
Paurs school. Concord. Mass, where
he learned to play hockey, a sport
in which he later eXcelled. in fact he
was considered one of the best, if
not the best, hockey player in the
United States.
From st. Pauls Baker went to
Princeton, entering in the class of
1914. There he soon became as
noted on the gridiron as he later
was to become on the ice. He
played halfback for three years, be-
ire chosen captain of the 1913
eleven, gaining a reputation as an
inspiring leader, tiashy open field
runner and a sound and dependable
player.
After leaving Princeton, Baker
went to New York, where his moth
er lived. \ star of the Princeton
hockey team, as well as of the foot
ball eleven, he now turned his ef
forts in the line of sports to the for
mer, and as member of the crack
st. Nicholas combination he soon
became the idol of the rinks in the
great revival of that winter sport a
few years ago.
Fought 10000 Feet in Air
Bakers career as an aviator in
France was described in Philadel-
phia last night by Major Charles ].
Biddle, one of the American aces
who was in command of the group
in which Baker served. Major Bid
die returned home last week. He
said that Baker during his service at
the front brought down three Ger
man machines, one at 4pres and
two in st. Mihiet sector in the last
ten days of the war. The last ma
chine, Major Biddle said, was attack
ed by Baker 10000 feet in the air
and was crarying propaganda leat-
let's to be dropped among American
infantry.
Baker, who was famous as a foot
ball and hockey player, left for Eng
land in the summer of 1917, after
one of his flights was from New
flying in this country for about
year, principally at Mineola, l.. l.
York to Princeton and back again,
ter further training in England he
was sent to the American school at
Issoudun, France. Later he was sent
to the French gunnery school near
Bordeaux, where he finished his
training, and then was assigned to
instructing Americans. Baker join
ed the Lafayette squad and went 10
the front about April /. In the lat
ter part of May he brought down his
first German machine at Ypres and
was awarded the French war cross.
About July l, according to Major
RiddIe. Baker was transferred as a
flight commander to the 18th Aero
Pursuit Group, with the rank OF
firstlieutenant. In August he was
placed in command of the 14lst Pur-
suit Squadron and sent to the rear 10
organize It, There was some delay,
over which Baker had no control,
in getting the squadron organized,
and it was not until the middle OF
October that he was sent to the ST
Mihiel front. About this time ne
was promoted to captain. He was In
command of 26 officers, $50 men,
and controlled 20 to 20 machines;
CaDtain Baker flew in the st. Mihlel
sector until the armistice was sign
ed. -.
Major Biddle said that the last
German machine brought down py
Captain Baker was an exceptionally
6ne niece of work. The German
was attacked 20, 900 feet up. The
German machine turned over anu
tho observer fell out and dropped
within the American lines. Inc
German pilot, however, managed to
rieht his machine and Baker again |
attacked him, with the result that
the German and ms alrpiSne AR Garrien %
about a mile within the German
lines. 80. .io,rod |
Major BIddle said. American avia-
tors went over the front ana eA
a mined the machine where 1t had
fallen and found quantity Of Ger
man man propaganda for circulation
among American infantry:
captain Baker ", was ,1S,a sur Ieft ar on De- De-
front when Major Biddle leiU oh
cember l. -, no. n !
better pilot" said Major Biddle. HE
was very skillful and particularly
fearIess. He would have had an even
l'..a,ter record if he had been at the |
ss,o,t more than he was.