Brian Edmund Baker
A World War I flying ace who later shaped the Royal Air Force's strategic command through the crucible of a second global war.
1896–1979 (age 83)·Royal Air Force Air Marshal·Birthday: August 31·The Lost Generation
Biography
Brian Edmund Baker's life was bookended by the two great conflicts of the 20th century, and he left his mark on both. As a young officer in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, he proved to be a skilled and aggressive pilot, achieving ace status while flying two-seater aircraft like the Bristol F.2 Fighter, where his success was a shared endeavor with his gunners. The interwar years saw him rise steadily through the ranks of the newly formed RAF, a period of institutional shaping. When the Second World War erupted, his experience was invaluable. He held critical home commands, responsible for the air defense of key regions like Fighter Command's No. 12 Group and later the entire RAF in India. Baker's career arc—from tactical ace to strategic air marshal—mirrored the evolution of air power itself, from a novel weapon to a decisive force of modern warfare.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Brian was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Died at 83
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
Key Achievements
- Credited with 12 aerial victories as a pilot in World War I, earning the status of flying ace.
- Served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command's No. 12 Group during the early years of World War II.
- Held the senior post of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, RAF India, from 1943 to 1945.
- Was knighted in 1944 for his distinguished service in high command roles.
Did You Know?
Most of his World War I victories were achieved while flying the Bristol F.2 Fighter, a two-seater aircraft.
He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions as a pilot in 1918.
He lived to the age of 82, witnessing the dawn of the jet age he helped usher in.
“The two-seater pilot must be both the eyes and the fists of the squadron.”
