Anne Baker

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Salmond; born 14 May 1914) is a British writer of historical biographies, fundraiser and supercentenarian.

Biography

Baker was born Anne Salmond just before the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Salmond who later became the professional head of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. She was educated at

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located on the banks of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The college is more formall ...

, and lived with her father and mother in both Egypt and India. She married Valentine Baker (1910–1979) and has five children. She lives in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

and turned 100 in May 2014. Baker received a merit award from the

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New York ...

(NSPCC) at the charity's Salisbury fundraising branch on 28 April 2017 for more than 50 years of volunteer work. In July 2019, she continued fundraising at the age of 105. Baker was awarded an

in the

2021 New Year Honours The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...

for services to the NSPCC. In May 2024, she turned 110. She was deemed the oldest person in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

Works

*''Morning Star'' (1972), The life of Florence Baker, wife of the explorer

Sir Samuel 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 ...

*'' Wings over Kabul: The First Airlift'' (1975), Account of the Kabul Airlift, co-written with Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman *''A Question of Honour'' (1996), The Fall and Rise of Colonel

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 ...

*''From Biplane to Spitfire: The Life of Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond'' (2003)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Anne 1914 births Living people British supercentenarians English women writers Members of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Wirral Grammar School for Girls Women supercentenarians English military historians 21st-century English biographers