Peter Arthur David Baker MC (20 April 1921 – 14 November 1966) was a British soldier, author, publisher and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician who served as a member of parliament (MP) for

South Norfolk South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Long Stratton. The population of the Local Authority District was 124,012 as taken at the 2011 Census. History The district was formed on 1 April 197 ...

. He is chiefly remembered as the last Member of Parliament to be expelled from the House of Commons, after his arrest for forgery,"Mr. Peter Baker" (Obituary), ''The Times'', 15 November 1966, p. 12. and as the inspiration behind the eccentric character of publisher Martin York in

Muriel Spark Dame Muriel Sarah Spark (née Camberg; 1 February 1918 – 13 April 2006). was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, poet and essayist. Life Muriel Camberg was born in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, the daughter of Bernard Camberg, an ...

's novel '' A Far Cry From Kensington''.British poet and critic Derek Stanford's chronicles of the Neo-Romantic movement during the forties untitled ''Inside the Forties, Literary Memoirs, 1937–1957'' give some insight into Baker's character.Stanford is also one of the main protagonists of "A Far Cry From Kensington", he appeared as the unfortunate writer Harold Bartlett, nicknamed by Mrs Hawkins, ''Le pisseur de copies (he urinates frightful proses)''. Baker's arrest and trial received extensive international media coverage.

Early life and family

Baker was born on 20 April 1921 in

Willesden Willesden () is an area of northwest London, situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933, and has formed ...

, north west London. He was the son of Major Reginald Poynton Baker (1896–1985) of Loddenden Manor,

Staplehurst Staplehurst is a town and civil parish in the borough of Maidstone in Kent, England, south of the town of Maidstone and with a population of 6,003. The town lies on the route of a Roman road, which is now incorporated into the course of the A2 ...

, Kent,"Dod's Parliamentary Companion 1952", Business Dictionaries Ltd., London, 1952, p. 277. and his first wife Gwendolyn Emily Christabel Baker née Webb (1897–1962). Baker's father later became a successful movie producer based at

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...

.Muriel Spark, "Curriculum Vitae", New Directions Publishing, 2011, p. 196. Baker tried to create a fictional connection with the Tudor Bakers of

Sissinghurst Sissinghurst is a small village in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. Originally called ''Milkhouse Street'' (also referred to as ''Mylkehouse''), Sissinghurst changed its name in the 1850s, possibly to avoid association with the smu ...

Castle,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, whose members included Sir John Baker, a Chancellor of the Exchequer and Speaker of the House of Commons in the 16th century; Sir Richard Baker, an author who was also a Member of Parliament; Sir

Samuel White Baker Sir Samuel White Baker, KCB, FRS, FRGS (8 June 1821 – 30 December 1893) was an English explorer, officer, naturalist, big game hunter, engineer, writer and abolitionist. He also held the titles of Pasha and Major-General in the Ottoman ...

,In "My Testament", p. 247, Falcon Press published in 1949 a work on Sir Samuel White Baker untitled ''Baker of the Nile'', written by Dorothy Middleton (1909–1999). She was asked by Baker to write the book, (author's foreword, 20 July 1948, no mention of any genealogical link between Baker and his famous homonym). the discoverer of Lake Albert; and his younger brother,

Valentine 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 Gloucester and in Ceylon, and in 1848 entered the Ceylon Rifles ...

,"Time Out of Life", p. 213. a famous soldier who also spent some time in Wormwood Scrubs Prison. Baker made another bogus claim, mentioning in his memoirs that St. Luke's Chapel, otherwise known as S^t-Mary-in-the-Marsh and situated inside

Norwich Cathedral Norwich Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. It is the cathedral church for the Church of England Diocese of Norwich and is one of the Norwich 12 heritage sites. The cathedral ...

, had been the site since 1586 of his family weddings and christenings. In fact, it was only used on one occasion by his ancestors, in June 1744 for a quiet wedding. Nevertheless, this

Lady chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British term for a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady", Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chapel or a Marian chapel, an ...

was chosen by Baker as the venue for his youngest daughter's christening. On 5 June 1948, Baker married Gloria Mae Heaton-Armstrong, daughter of Colonel Charles George William Stacpool Heaton-Armstrong, in Kensington. The Heaton-Armstrong family belonged to the

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

Protestant landowning class and were related to soldier and MP Sir Thomas Armstrong. Armstrong was involved in the

Rye House Plot The Rye House Plot of 1683 was a plan to assassinate King Charles II of England and his brother (and heir to the throne) James, Duke of York. The royal party went from Westminster to Newmarket to see horse races and were expected to make the ...

Education and military service

Baker was educated at

Eastbourne College Eastbourne College is a co-educational independent school in the British public school tradition, for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, in the town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. The College's headmaster is Tom Lawson. Over ...

. He was preparing to study at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

until the imminent outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

led him to enlist in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. Although he could have taken an immediate commission, Baker and a friend who had joined up at the same time determined to serve at least six months in the ranks before accepting a posting to an Officer Cadet Training Unit in

Catterick Garrison Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and military town south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 13,000 in 2017 and covering over 2,400 acres (about 10& ...

in March 1940. He was then posted to an artillery regiment based in

Lockerbie Lockerbie (, gd, Locarbaidh) is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, south-western Scotland. It is about from Glasgow, and from the border with England. The United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town ...

, Dumfriesshire, and served for fourteen months across southern Scotland. He was commissioned as a

2nd Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

on 7 September 1940. Considering the job of an artillery officer boring, Baker accepted in October 1941 a posting to be a Staff

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in Military Intelligence based at the War Office. He hoped that the new appointment would make it more likely that he could obtain an overseas posting. After four months he applied for a transfer, although it took a further six months to persuade his superiors to let him leave.

Phantom

He was assigned to the

GHQ Liaison Regiment GHQ Liaison Regiment (known as Phantom) was a special reconnaissance unit of the British Army first formed in 1939 during the early stages of World War II. The regiment's headquarters were at The Richmond Hill Hotel in Richmond, Surrey (now in Lo ...

(known as ''Phantom''),The regimental badge was a white letter ''P'' on a black background."SAS Heroes Remarkable Soldiers, Extraordinary Men", by Peter Scholey, published by Osprey Publishing 2009. a mysterious unit established by

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

George Frederick Hopkinson, commander of the 1st Airborne Division. ''Phantom'' was renowned for the unusual selection of brilliance, nobility and idiosyncrasy, wit, achievements and even criminality exhibited by its officers. Following training and exercises in Britain, Baker was assigned in June 1943 to the Phantom unit in North Africa at camp Bugeaud in

Bône Annaba ( ar, عنّابة, "Place of the Jujubes"; ber, Aânavaen), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River ...

, Algeria. The unit consisted of three squadrons (E, K and H) and the Assault Detachment under the command of Major Mervyn Sydney Bobus Vernon (1912–1991) of the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

. Baker joined E squadron, which was headed by Major Hugh Fraser. E squadron was supposed to have followed the Assault Detachment (led by

Christopher Mayhew Christopher Paget Mayhew, Baron Mayhew (12 June 1915 – 7 January 1997) was a British politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) from 1945 to 1950 and from 1951 to 1974, when he left the Labour Party to join the Liberals. In 1981 ...

) into

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, but the invasion turned out to be much easier than anticipated. At the end of August, E squadron was ordered to

Bizerta Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the cap ...

to be ready to take part in the invasion of Italy. The squadron's role was to carry out long-range reconnaissance, which it did initially from

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

. Baker, with a small team, drove an unarmoured and lightly-armed jeep up to a hundred miles from the forward base to discover the location of German troops. Late in 1943, the squadron withdrew to

Trani Trani () is a seaport of Apulia, in southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, by railway west-northwest of Bari. It is one of the capital cities of the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. History Overview The city of ''Turenum'' appears for the fir ...

, where Baker developed abdominal pains; he was flown back to Britain before Christmas, and was given four weeks' sick leave before being passed as fit for sedentary duty only. He was then recruited by

MI9 MI9, the British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9, was a highly secret department of the War Office between 1939 and 1945. During World War II it had two principal tasks: (1) assisting in the escape of Allied prisoners of war (P ...

, and was offered and accepted the command of a small reconnaissance and intelligence unit which was part of Intelligence School 9 (Western European Area). I.S.9 (W.E.A.) was a small executive branch formed by

Airey Neave Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave, (;) (23 January 1916 – 30 March 1979) was a British soldier, lawyer and Member of Parliament (MP) from 1953 until his assassination in 1979. During World War II he was the first British prisoner-of-war ...

and Jimmy Langley (after the war IS 9 was transformed into the 23 SAS Regiment based in the

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

).Paul Routledge, "Public Servant, Secret Agent", Fourth Estate, 2002. Baker's role was to run and reorganise resistance groups and escape routes in France and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

in preparation for the forthcoming landings in France on D-Day; his section was attached to

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

under the ultimate command of

SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF th ...

. Assembling near

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

at the end of May 1944, and crossed into France on D-Day itself (with the unit's support equipment crossing seven days later). In Operation Marathon, Baker was part of the group, led by Airey Neave, that rescued a group of 152 Allied pilots who were hidden in the

Fréteval Fréteval () is a commune in the French department of Loir-et-Cher. The village is located on the right bank of the river Loir. Archaeological evidence indicates that the site was occupied by the second century CE. In the Middle Ages, the fortifi ...

Forest near

Châteaudun Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War. Geography Châteaudun is located about 45& ...

. He followed the Allied armies into Paris and Brussels when they were liberated, before arriving in the Netherlands and basing himself in

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Dutch resistance (including with double-agent

Christiaan Lindemans Christiaan Antonius Lindemans (24 October 1912 – 18 July 1946) was a Dutch double agent during the World War II, Second World War, working under Soviet control. Otherwise known as Freddi Desmet, a Belgian army officer and Special Operations Ex ...

, codenamed 'King Kong')

Taken prisoner

In the Netherlands, Baker's relationship with his commanding officer Airey Neave was difficult. Although Baker claimed to be an "old and esteemed friend", Neave said that Baker "fancied himself as a secret agent". Original Title ''Saturday at M.I.9.'' and was wary of his interest in writing accounts of his activities for the American press (while admiring Baker's 'dash and enthusiasm'). In early October, Baker and Neave moved their unit to just west of

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

, and Neave obtained permission to send Baker (codenamed 'Harrier') through enemy lines to make contact with the Dutch Resistance. Baker was ordered to wear his British Army uniform and not leave his safe house during the day. On 11 October, Neave took Baker and

Private First Class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...

Theodore Bachenheimer Theodore Herman Bachenheimer (23 April 1923 – 23 October 1944), was an Americans, American soldier. In just three years, he achieved legendary status as one of the war's most daring reconnaissance scouts, he was better known as ''The Legendary P ...

(from the 504th Parachute Infantry in the US Army) to the

River Waal The Waal (Dutch name, ) is the main distributary branch of the river Rhine flowing approximately through the Netherlands. It is the major waterway connecting the port of Rotterdam to Germany. Before it reaches Rotterdam, it joins with the Afg ...

,"Public Servant, Secret Agent", p. 152. where they crossed in a canoe, and eventually made contact with the Resistance. The same canoe was used to bring out Dutch diplomat

Herman van Roijen Jan Herman van Roijen (10 April 1905 – 16 March 1991) was a Dutch diplomat and politician. He was Dutch foreign minister in 1946. Early life Van Roijen was born in Constantinople on 10 April 1905. He was the son of Jan Herman van Roijen S ...

(later Dutch foreign minister) with critical intelligence information for his government in exile. Baker disobeyed orders by exchanging his military uniform for civilian clothes and staying at a farmhouse where, hosted by the Ebbens family, he and PFC Bachenheimer walked around the area during the day and within sight of German troops. On the night of 16–17 October, the house was raided by German forces. Baker and Bachenheimer were arrested while sleeping and taken as

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

. The Ebbens family were all executed. Baker's superiors were furious that his disobedience threatened the rescue,

Operation Pegasus Operation Pegasus was a military operation carried out on the Lower Rhine near the village of Renkum, close to Arnhem in the Netherlands. Overnight on 22–23 October 1944, the Allied military forces, MI9, the British intelligence organization, ...

, of hundreds of British paratroopers stranded in German-controlled territory.

Escape attempt

After interrogation Baker said he was taken to a transit camp at

Culemborg Culemborg () is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city had a population of 29,386 on 1 January 2022 and is situated just south of the Lek river. Direct train lines run from the railway station towards the cities of U ...

, and was then marched 45 km on foot to another transit camp at

Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a city and municipality in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands, about 20 km from the city of Utrecht and 40 km south east of Amsterdam. As of 1 December 2021, the municipality had a population of 158,531, making it the second- ...

. From there, a five-day train journey took him to

Stalag XI-B Stalag XI-B and Stalag XI-D / 357 were two German World War II prisoner-of-war camps ('' Stammlager'') located just to the east of the town of Fallingbostel in Lower Saxony, in north-western Germany. The camps housed Polish, French, Belgian, Sovie ...

Bad Fallingbostel Bad Fallingbostel (Northern Low Saxon: ''Bad Fambossel'') is the district town (''Kreisstadt'') of the Heidekreis district in the German state of Lower Saxony. Since 1976 the town has had a state-recognised Kneipp spa and has held the title of ...

where he was to stay until sent on to

Oflag 79 Oflag 79 was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp for Allied officers. The camp was located at Waggum near Braunschweig in Germany, also known by the English name of Brunswick. It was located in a three-story brick building that had previo ...

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...

. During the journey, PFC Bachenheimer escaped, but was shot by German forces near the village of

't Harde t Harde is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is situated about 6 km southeast of Elburg, on the edge of the Veluwe forest. It has a train station with connections to Zwolle and Amersfoort. The village's population is approx ...

on the night of 22–23 October. Baker was forced to abandon his own plans to escape from the train, but on arriving at Fallingbostel noticed that escape was possible there. He joined with a Belgian officer and a Malagasy French liaison officer named Jacques Hannebicque to make plans. Baker claimed that his group of three passed themselves off as French prisoners and joined a work party which was sent out of the prison camp to collect firewood on the morning of 7 November. When the party got to the wood they broke away and started walking west. Baker claimed that "the most effective way to pass unsuspected was to salute everybody in uniform", whether military or civilian. The three had got 60 km away from their camp after two days, when they were detected by a German soldier, and failed in their bluff of being 'Men of confidence' (who were trusted to take charge of other prisoners of war). Baker decided to reveal his real identity long before he was given over to the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...

, to avoid mistreatment in their hands; however he believed they were only saved from being shot as spies when the farmer where they were discovered objected to the shooting happening on his land. He was sent to Stalag X-B at

Sandbostel Sandbostel is a municipality in Lower Saxony (''Niedersachsen'') in northwestern Germany, 43 km north-east of Bremen, 60 km west of Hamburg. It is part of the Samtgemeinde Selsingen. In 2013, it had 830 inhabitants. History Sandboste ...

where he was interrogated with violence, and then spent 35 days in solitary confinement in multiple prisons before finally going to Oflag 79. His fellow escapee Hannebicque survived the war and later became a writer and photographer. Arising out of his escape plans, Baker said he and his colleagues were

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

ed for forging leave passes. The Gestapo and the prosecution initially asked for the death penalty, but later altered it to six weeks in a punishment camp. They were actually sentenced to twenty-eight days' solitary confinement, of which twenty-five days were deducted because they had only previously had a sentence of ten days. During the spring of 1945, rations ran short in the camp as the Allied armies moved closer, and the camp was liberated on 12 April 1945 by the

US Ninth Army The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM). Activated just eight weeks be ...

. Baker gained permission to make his own way home and drove in a requisitioned Mercedes to

Venlo Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherland ...

, from where he flew to

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

and then back to London. He weighed 7 stone 2 lbs when he returned to England. On 2 August 1945, Captain Peter Baker (148257) of the Intelligence Corps, Staplehurst, Kent was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North-West Europe.

Post-war

As early as 1940 Baker had found himself in charge of editing a broadsheet of poems, including some he had written himself. The collection was known as the ''Resurgam Poets''. Baker later adopted the pseudonym Colin Strang to edit two anthologies and write poetry reviews for newspapers and magazines, until he was posted to Africa. In early 1944, while he was in Britain, Baker's poem sequence "The Land of Prester John" was published, to what he thought was a poor critical reception. After the war Baker, became a publisher with financial backing from his father; the company he founded, Falcon Press, was named after the armoured car which Baker had used during the war. As wartime paper rationing was continuing and Falcon Press was a newcomer without a large quota, he printed books in several foreign countries instead. The business was initially successful, enabling Baker to build up a "minor business empire" including four publishing companies, printing works, a wine merchants and a whisky distillery, aircraft research company, and a property business.

worked for Falcon Press from 1951. When Falcon Press ran into debt, Baker and

Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, member of parliament (MP), suspected spy, and fraudster. Early in his life, Maxwell escaped from N ...

(then making his name as a leading British publisher) planned to merge their respective publishing businesses; however the plans fell through. Maxwell eventually bought the British Book Centre in New York from Baker in 1952. He was a frequent visitor at the Thursday Club, a raffish luncheon club located at Wheeler's oyster bar, in

Old Compton Street Old Compton Street is a road that runs east–west through Soho in the West End of London. History The street was named after Henry Compton who raised funds for a local parish church, eventually dedicated as St Anne's Church in 1686. Th ...

, London, a men's eating and drinking group dedicated to "Absolute Inconsequence";The Thursday club's spirit was that friends would meet once a week, no issues of importance would be allowed, no international question would be solved, eat well, tell stories and swap reminiscences. other members included the actors

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He is best remembered for portraying pompous authority figures in comedies including each of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Grego ...

and

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

, the future

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...

, the intelligence officer

Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963 he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring which had divulged British secr ...

, celebrity photographer Stirling Henry Nahum, (known as

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

) and Baker's friend, Colonel Sean Fielding, editor of ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'' magazine and later of the ''

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

''. Baker was also a member of the

Junior Carlton Club The Junior Carlton Club was a London gentlemen's club, now dissolved, which was established in 1864 and was disbanded in 1977. History Anticipating the forthcoming Second Reform Act under Benjamin Disraeli, numerous prospective electors decide ...

Political career

While a prisoner of war, Baker wrote an essay "in political diagnosis" to explain to a fellow prisoner why he supported the Conservative Party. After the war, he published the essay as "The Silent Revolution". He added an epilogue written late in 1945, giving some of his diary entries for the latter part of the war and reflecting on the impact of peace on the purposefulness of the wartime generation. At the same time, he also completed his war memoirs, which he had begun writing while a prisoner of war; the resulting book was titled ''Confession of Faith'', and was also published by his own publishing company Falcon Press in 1946. Persuaded by his friend

James Thomas James Thomas may refer to: Politicians * James Thomas (Australian politician) (1826–1884), civil engineer who was Director of Public Works in Western Australia, 1876–1884 * James Thomas (Governor of Maryland) (1785–1845), served as the 23rd ...

, at the time Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party, to enter active politics, Baker agreed to let his name go forward for selection as the Conservative Party candidate for

. The South Norfolk division was not far from where he had grown up, but Baker found that the local Conservatives were divided between an official Conservative Association and an Independent Conservative Association. The South Norfolk Independent Conservative Association had been set up by supporters of John Holt Wilson in 1944, after a dispute over the previous selection. Although feelings between the two Associations were still tense, both participated in the selection. Baker won easily, beating Eric Smith and John Holt Wilson. He had already decided that he needed to reunify local Conservatives, and brokered a joint constitution in which officers of both would be represented at every level. His solution was accepted despite breaking most of the model rules sent by

Conservative Central Office The Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ), formerly known as Conservative Central Office (CCO), is the headquarters of the British Conservative Party, housing its central staff and committee members, including campaign coordinators and manag ...

Parliament

In the 1950 general election, Baker gained the seat with 18,143 votes, defeating the Labour candidate,

(15,714 votes), who was the poll favourite. Aged 28, he was then the youngest MP ("

Baby of the House Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament from which the term originated. The title is named after the Father of the House ...

"). He was returned again in the 1951 general election and took an interest in agricultural matters in Parliament. In June 1953, Baker invited

US Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...

to visit England and see ''Democracy at work'' and offered to let McCarthy stay at his London home or at his house in

Pulham St Mary Pulham Saint Mary is a rural village and civil parish in Norfolk, that lies next to the village of Pulham Market. It is situated approximately northeast of Diss and south of Norwich, covers an area of and a population of 892 at the 2011 censu ...

, Norfolk. He later became chairman of an ill-fated movement called ''the Company of Commonwealth Venturers'' whose main goal was to promote a 'new Elizabethan Age' among

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

countries. Baker improvised a

Pageant Pageant may refer to: * Procession or ceremony in elaborate costume * Beauty pageant, or beauty contest * Latter Day Saint plays and pageants, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or by members local to the area of the pageant * ...

to fill the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in 1954, 15,000 supporters requested the 8,000 seats available.

Health

When he had arrived back in Britain at the end of the war, Baker's doctor had given him a check-up and told him to take six months' rest, the first half in bed, as his heart was in a poor condition. The military authorities also recommended two small operations. Baker disregarded their advice and entered business. Baker suffered a nervous breakdown in 1954, which he ascribed to his excessive workload as both a member of parliament and a businessman single-handedly running many companies (which were in financial difficulties). He claimed to have had multiple day-time blackouts and to have attempted suicide twice before he became a voluntary patient in a nursing home. In May 1954, he announced that he would not seek re-election due to ill-health. While in the nursing home, he agreed to revise his war memoirs ''Confession of Faith'' and add his post-war life story, which he intended to be published under the title ''Testament of Faith''."Time Out of Life", p. 55.

Downfall

Falcon Press began to encounter financial difficulties in the early 1950s. The official receiver was called in to Falcon Press (London) Ltd in 1954, and discovered a total deficiency of £290,823. A creditors' meeting in July 1954 was told that the company was "well on the rocks" by March 1950, and so often had a sheriff's officer attended at the company offices that the staff had bought a wreath on learning of his death. With Baker himself in the nursing home, his father (who was also a director) claimed that high production costs, insufficiently selective choice of books to publish and insufficient sales pressure, were responsible for the failure. When Baker's companies came into financial trouble, he forged signatures on letters purporting to guarantee their debts. Baker was arrested and charged with seven counts of

uttering Uttering is a crime involving a person with the intent to defraud that knowingly sells, publishes or passes a forged or counterfeited document. More specifically, forgery creates a falsified document and uttering is the act of knowingly passing ...

forged documents, and pleaded guilty to six of the counts. Prosecuting counsel were

Christmas Humphreys Travers Christmas Humphreys, QC (15 February 1901 – 13 April 1983) was a British barrister who prosecuted several controversial cases in the 1940s and 1950s, and who later became a judge at the Old Bailey. He also wrote a number of works on M ...

and

Mervyn Griffith-Jones John Mervyn Guthrie Griffith-Jones (1 July 1909 – 13 July 1979) was a British judge and former barrister. He led the prosecution of Penguin Books in the obscenity trial in 1960 following the publication of D. H. Lawrence's ''Lady Chatterley' ...

, while Baker was defended by Richard Levy and

James Burge Charles George James Burge, (8 October 1906 – 6 September 1990) was an English criminal law barrister, remembered for his defence of Stephen Ward in the Profumo affair in 1963. He is also remembered as John Mortimer's original inspiration for ...

. He was subsequently convicted on all seven counts and was sentenced at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

to seven years imprisonment. Immediately on his imprisonment at

HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs (nicknamed "The Scrubs") is a Category B men's local prison, located opposite Hammersmith Hospital and W12 Conferences on Du Cane Road in the White City in West London, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's ...

, Baker was given permission by the Prison Governor to write to the Speaker of the House of Commons.In "Time Out of Life", pp. 31–32, Baker claims he had to write a second time because the Wormwood Scrubs authorities always tore up the first letter any prisoner sent to an MP. Explaining that he had discovered he was "unable to vacate my seat in any way while the matter was ''sub judice''", he stated that he was not going to appeal and therefore "you can now dispossess me of my seat without delay". The Leader of the House of Commons,

Harry Crookshank Harry Frederick Comfort Crookshank, 1st Viscount Crookshank, (27 May 1893 – 17 October 1961), was a British Conservative politician. He was Minister of Health between 1951 and 1952 and Leader of the House of Commons between 1951 and 1955. B ...

, then put down a motion "That Mr. Peter Arthur David Baker be expelled this House" which was agreed without a division on 16 December 1954. In the subsequent by-election in January 1955, South Norfolk elected Conservative

John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...

as its new MP.

Prison

His literary agent,

Anthony Blond Anthony Bernard Blond (20 March 1928 – 27 February 2008) was a British publisher and author, who was involved with several publishing companies over his career, including several he established himself, or in partnerships, from 1952. Biograph ...

, and publisher,

John Calder John Mackenzie Calder (25 January 1927 – 13 August 2018) was a Scottish-Canadian writer and publisher who founded the company Calder Publishing in 1949. Biography Calder was born in Montreal, Canada, into the Calder family associated with the ...

, were allowed to visit Baker occasionally to discuss the publication of his book, for which he had left only "a chaotic welter of hand-written chapters, and extracts from articles, newspaper interviews and broadcasts" which Blond and Calder had to assemble into a logical sequence. Blond and Calder eventually published the book under the title ''My Testament'', which Baker had not approved. While in Wormwood Scrubs, Baker met up with

Raymond Blackburn Albert Raymond Blackburn (11 March 1915 – 3 November 1991) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for the Birmingham King's Norton and Birmingham Northfield constituencies. Early life Blackburn was born on ...

, a former MP who had also been imprisoned for fraud. Baker had not known Blackburn well when in Parliament (Blackburn had been a Labour MP) but had become friendly with him afterwards. On 12 May 1955, during the general election campaign, Baker was taken from prison to the Bankruptcy court for his public examination. His liabilities were stated as £335,598 8s 10d, and he had assets of £10 19s 1d. Baker presented the court with 212 pages of evidence, and spent three hours in the witness box. He blamed his bankruptcy on the withdrawal of support by Sir

Bernard Docker Sir Bernard Dudley Frank Docker (9 August 1896 – 22 May 1978) was an English industrialist. Born in Edgbaston, Birmingham, he was the only child of Frank Dudley Docker, an English businessman and financier. Career Docker was the managing dir ...

, and at the end of his evidence he asserted that his plea of guilty had been incorrect.

Appeal

During his evidence, Baker had told the court that he intended to petition for a retrial; he had previously decided that he would only do so after he had been expelled from the House of Commons, and a by-election in South Norfolk and a general election had been held."Time Out of Life", p. 83. As he was bankrupt, his legal case was funded by friends including

William Rees-Mogg William Rees-Mogg, Baron Rees-Mogg (14 July 192829 December 2012) was a British newspaper journalist who was Editor of ''The Times'' from 1967 to 1981. In the late 1970s, he served as High Sheriff of Somerset, and in the 1980s was Chairman of th ...

Anthony Nutting Sir Harold Anthony Nutting, 3rd Baronet (11 January 1920 – 23 February 1999) was a British diplomat and Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 1945 and 1956. He was a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from ...

William Teeling Sir Luke William Burke Teeling (5 February 1903 – 26 October 1975) was an Irish writer, traveller and a Member of Parliament (MP in the United Kingdom). He was known for his enthusiasm for a Channel Tunnel. Background Born in Dublin to a promi ...

Martha Gellhorn Martha Ellis Gellhorn (8 November 1908 – 15 February 1998) was an American novelist, travel writer, and journalist who is considered one of the great war correspondents of the 20th century. Gellhorn reported on virtually every major worl ...

and his legal adviser Hugh Quennell."Time Out of Life", p. 125. Baker duly petitioned to the

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...

in May 1955, asking for either a retrial, an appeal out of time (with permission to change his plea to not guilty), a public inquiry, or an immediate release. Talks between Baker's solicitors and the Home Office were inconclusive, so Baker's solicitors applied to the Court of Criminal Appeal. Mr Justice

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

refused Baker permission for leave to appeal out of time against his conviction on the papers, so Baker renewed his appeal at a hearing in the Court of Criminal Appeal on 21 November 1955. The hearing was adjourned on application of Baker's counsel, because they were not ready. Baker later claimed that Hugh Quennell had obtained assurances that the Home Office intended to procure his release by March 1956 at the outside, and so he reluctantly agreed to withdraw his appeal and let the Home Office proceed. The appeal was withdrawn on 16 December, his solicitors announcing that there were legal and technical difficulties in appealing after a guilty plea and in arranging a new trial. Baker's memorandum to the Home Office was met only with an official rejection.

Second appeal

At the end of 1956, Baker prepared a second application for leave to appeal, with his solicitor Brian Hetreed preparing a large bundle of documents and witnesses (including, according to Baker, two former Chief Justices). However junior counsel John Mathew was doubtful of the chances of a retrial unless Baker had been insane when he pleaded guilty. On 28 January 1957, Baker was indeed refused leave to appeal, to argue for a change of plea, for extension of time, to call new witnesses and to produce new evidence, with the

Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

Lord Goddard William Edgar Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard, (10 April 1877 – 29 May 1971) was Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Chief Justice of England from 1946 to 1958, known for his strict sentencing and mostly conservative views despite be ...

pointing out that his plea of guilty must stand. Immediately after this appeal was dismissed, Baker was transferred from Wormwood Scrubs to

HM Prison Leyhill HM Prison Leyhill is a Category D men's prison, located in the parish of Tortworth in Gloucestershire, England. Leyhill Prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History Leyhill Prison was originally a United States military hospital ...

, an

open prison An open prison (open jail) is any jail in which the prisoners are trusted to complete sentences with minimal supervision and perimeter security and are often not locked up in their prison cells. Prisoners may be permitted to take up employment w ...

. From there Baker sent a request to the

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

asking that his case be referred to the Committee of Privileges, to inquire into why he pleaded guilty and to allegations of perjury and withholding of evidence. He claimed to have received "more than seventy letters of encouragement" when his request was publicised. His attempts to circumvent restrictions on letters from prison were detected and resulted in his transfer back to closed conditions, first at

Horfield Horfield is a suburb of the city of Bristol, in southwest England. It lies on Bristol's northern edge, its border with Filton marking part of the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Bishopston lies directly to the south. Monk ...

and then back to Wormwood Scrubs.

Release

Baker was released from Wormwood Scrubs on 23 October 1959, being met at the prison gates by his father and by

Lord Pakenham Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, 1st Baron Pakenham, Baron Pakenham of Cowley, (5 December 1905 – 3 August 2001), known to his family as Frank Longford and styled Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician and ...

. Shortly after his release he gave an interview to the ''

'', in which he declared his intention to bring back his wife and children from Australia, where they had moved without warning in the summer of 1958, leaving no address but arranging for letters to be forwarded through a bank. On 4 November, Baker called a press conference on "the weaknesses of justice and prison administration in Britain", which he explained as an apology for hiding from the press, and an attempt to prove that this was not from fear.

Later life

Baker's creditors received only 0.1611 d. in the £ (or 0.067%), in the first dividend paid after his bankruptcy; when he applied for discharge from bankruptcy on 17 December 1959, the discharge was suspended. In April 1962, his discharge from bankruptcy was allowed after a two years and six months suspension. A supplemental dividend was paid to creditors in May 1963 of 0.196 d. in the £ (or 0.08%), making less than 0.15% in total. In February 1960, Baker asked

for an appointment as a Director of his new publishing company; Maxwell refused. He wrote his prison memoirs, published under the title ''Time Out of Life'' by

Heinemann Heinemann may refer to: * Heinemann (surname) * Heinemann (publisher), a publishing company * Heinemann Park, a.k.a. Pelican Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States See also * Heineman * Jamie Hyneman James Franklin Hyneman (born Se ...

in 1961; in them Baker claimed his financial downfall was caused by his financial guarantors repudiating their signatures, and that he had always believed them to be genuine. He could not explain why he had pleaded guilty. The book included a foreword from Pakenham, by then the Earl of Longford, who praised it as a "valuable contribution" to understanding the prison system. In March 1961, he was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving,In "My Testament", p. 247, Baker acknowledged his careless driving in a 1949 dinner event, Baker offered British conservative

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

to drive him to the House of Commons, Baker drove so fast that he completed five circuits of the roundabout on the Embankment before delivering Eden, green and apprehensive, at the House. Eden never forgave Baker for that. having knocked down a pedestrian on a crossing in the

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

; Baker said that he overtook a taxi whose driver had signalled to him that it was safe to do so. He was divorced from his wife in November 1961, on grounds of her desertion. Attempts to overturn his conviction or to hold an inquiry continued. In September 1963, Baker persuaded

Earl Attlee Earl Attlee is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 16 December 1955 for Clement Attlee, the former Labour prime minister. At the same time he was made Viscount Prestwood, of Walthamstow in the County of Essex, which s ...

, the former Labour Prime Minister, to support an inquiry. Baker unsuccessfully petitioned for a

Royal Pardon In the English and British tradition, the royal prerogative of mercy is one of the historic royal prerogatives of the British monarch, by which they can grant pardons (informally known as a royal pardon) to convicted persons. The royal preroga ...

in 1965. On 4 April 1966, his creditors filed a new bankruptcy petition against him; a receiving order was made on 22 July 1966, and on 26 September, he was again adjudicated a bankrupt. He died in hospital in Eastbourne on 14 November 1966, aged 45.

Literary depiction

Baker is depicted as Martin York in Muriel Spark's novel ''A Far Cry from Kensington''. York, like Baker, is sentenced to seven years' imprisonment "for multiple forgeries and other types of fraud"; the date of his imprisonment is also 1 December 1954. In the novel, Nancy Hawkins (based on Spark) describes how Martin York frequently makes promises to publish books written by his friends, but the books they write are not always acceptable, and she turns down one manuscript from a friend of York's who had been offered a contract during a drinking session. York relays to Hawkins advice to send a cheque for a random amount in income tax, so that it cannot be tallied with any amount owing and results in the taxpayers' file being passed around and eventually lost. She describes seeing York signing documents in his own handwriting but in other people's names. York remarks to Hawkins that "if it is widely enough believed that you have money and wealth, it is the same thing as having it. The belief itself creates confidence and confidence, business."''A Far Cry from Kensington'', p. 23.

Works

*''The Beggar's Lute'' (set of twenty-one poems), Favil Press, 1940 *''Confession of Faith'', Falcon Press, 1946 *''The Silent Revolution'', Falcon Press, 1946 *''Land and Empire'', Falcon Press, 1948 *''My Testament'', John Calder, London, 1955 *''Time Out of Life'', Heinemann, London, 1961

Notes

References

External links

* * The Peerage.com
Peter Arthur David Baker
* Diss Community Partnership
Hero and Shyster The Fallen MP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Peter 1921 births 1966 deaths British Army personnel of World War II British World War II prisoners of war British fraudsters British memoirists British politicians convicted of fraud Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Intelligence Corps officers Recipients of the Military Cross UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 Royal Artillery officers People from Willesden People educated at Eastbourne College Expelled members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 20th-century memoirists World War II prisoners of war held by Germany People from Staplehurst Military personnel from Middlesex Royal Artillery soldiers War Office personnel in World War II