Identifying an Australian soldier by his uniform

[tonepad]

The soldier with the twins appears to have a medal ribbon above his left tunic pocket.
Do the military records you have indicate the date of any medal awards?


Tony

[majm]

He RTA to Australia in mid 1919.  The  girls could would be 3 1/2  if the photo was taken in Australia on his return.


JM

[Dundee]

I think they could easily be 3½ years.

On Wednesday evening last Lieutenant J. J. Baker, after nearly four years active service abroad was given a welcome home at 'Lenora', the residence of his sister, Mrs. A. Fordham, Myola-street, Mayfield.......

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162567243

Bottom of second highlighted column and continues third column.

Debra 

[kdsoph]

Looks like the same man in both photos to me.

Jamjar

Thank you so much for your thoughts - I want them to be but the evidence is hinting they are not. They do look very alike but they still could be cousins or something? 

[majm]

Looks like the same man in both photos to me.

Jamjar

Thank you so much for your thoughts - I want them to be but the evidence is hinting they are not. They do look very alike but they still could be cousins or something? 

I think we have established that the chap in the photo with the girls is your Lieutenant John James BAKER..

Photo after his RTA.

JM

[kdsoph]

I am still getting a handle on how to reply to all these amazing insights so I apologise if I am doing this wrong. I am a bit methodical so am working my way down the list. Thank you all so much!

It was not possible for any person serving in the AIF and in 1917 at the Front .. to travel back to Australia and then return back to the front within two weeks. 

1.  Voyage by ship  depended on available ships and they were all basically required for troop transport...
2. Voyage by ship from any east coast Australian port to Albany in W.A. took almost a fortnight ...
3. Aeroplanes had not yet managed to fly between Europe and Australia ...
    

Question ... are you sure the girls are twins ... the NSW BDM online index has a provision for drilling down on birthdates,  and they are listed as running numbered references BUT do you actually have the details from those two consecutive registrations ...

JM

Thank you Jm and Thanks too Debra.
I figured that but I was living in the delusional hope.

Yes I am sure the girls were twins. I knew both of them very well. They were so identical that later in life after they retired and Syl's husband had died, (when they were bored) they would swap homes 1000km apart for 6 weeks and wreak havoc in their sister's community and then swap back to survey the damage. It left 2 small suburbs of Mayfield in Newcastle and Regents Park in Sydney very confused for about a decade 

I have the transcripts of their birth certs. Please see attached.
Kim

[kdsoph]

There are quite a few John James Baker war records online. Could you indicate which is your John’s record, please?

Jamjar

Jamjar- tell me about it. My John James Baker enlisted in South Australia. his NOK was his mother Mary Ann Baker SN: 1566 3rd light Horse and 12th Army Brigade on the 28th July 1915 age about 26.
I have attached a screenshot of the 1st page in the hopes that helps

[kdsoph]

I think I agree with Jamjar that the 2 men look the same similar, my only reservation is the first appears to have a dimple in his chin whereas it's hard to see if the 2nd has the same dimple (could be just the low resolution scan).

Yup. the 2nd is a very low res scan. its a photo of a photo and I cropped him as he is part of a family group. Do men grow dimples as they get older? 

[kdsoph]

.....
Question ... are you sure the girls are twins ... the NSW BDM online index has a provision for drilling down on birthdates,  and they are listed as running numbered references BUT do you actually have the details from those two consecutive registrations ...

JM

NSW BDM may not have them with same dob ... or perhaps my  puter is having a lend of NSW BDM ...

 ;

JM

Sylvie L FORDHAM  46254/1915

Gweneth L FORDHAM  46255/1915

both with parents Arthur G and Lena A at Waratah.

 

Has anyone drilled down to get actual dd/mm/1915 dob?  I am on e reader now but earlier when on my puter I had difficulty getting exact dob for theose two consequective numbers ... to confirm them as twins ...

JM  ps please excuse my e reader as it cannot spell.     

According to their birth cert transcripts, they were born on the 19th Dec 1915. I am wondering if this can be trusted as there are so many other dates flying around. In my first post 10th June 1915 came up. I only just ordered these transcripts so I am thinking they were 'voted' the most correct?