© Copyright Karl Peet
and licensed for reuse under this Creative
Commons Licence
George declared his father to be
Raemer Baird a seaman from Tayport in Fife. In 1869 Raemer had been stroke rower in the
“Rocke” which came second in the Champion four-oared race held by the Newport
Amateur Rowing Club. George was born on 2 September 1876 in Dundee
with the only distinguishing feature being a mole on the back of his neck. At 14 years of age he was living in Ferry
Port on Craig and working in the
local jute mill with his elder brother.
At the age of 19 George enlisted
with the Royal Marines in Dundee and became Private
7720. His first eight months were spent
training in Walmer, Kent
before being transferred to the Plymouth Division. In March 1897 George joined HMS Imperieuse at
Esquimalt in British Columbia
just in time for the ship’s short cruise south to Acapulco. Later in the year HMS Imperieuse, which was
flagship of the North Pacific squadron, left Esquimalt for a longer journey
reported later to have been “full of
incident and adventure as any naval man can expect to enjoy during piping times
of peace”. The destination? The Cocos
Island. Much secrecy surrounded the trip but it was
eventually revealed that the intention was to search for buried treasure. One of the guests on board was Mr Harford who,
having previously visited the island, claimed he knew the whereabouts of a cache of buried treasure – he certainly had a chart. On
arrival no time was lost in sending parties of men ashore. The newspapers reported:
“Digging for thirty millions is fascinating employment and although it
was raining hard the watch responded with alacrity when Lieutenant Lee informed
them that all were to go ashore and “dig diamonds”.
The digging was commenced at a spot indicated on the chart and
designated by Harford. At a depth of
five or six feet he said a large flat stone or slab would be discovered out of
which he had previously chiselled the distinguishing number that it had
originally borne. The slab was found at
the depth stated and there was no lack of energy in compliance when Harford
next gave the order to dig ten or twelve feet deeper where the tunnel would be
struck leading to the cavern of gold and jewels.
The continuous rain made the work extremely difficult but it was
nevertheless continued until a depth of ten feet was reached with no
disclosures. At this point the water had
so filled the pit that a large overhanging rock was seen to sway from the
under-mining and Lt. Lee retired his men just in time to avert a serious
fatality. The rock completely filled the
excavation made and more than neutralized the work accomplished. Instead of blasting out the rock and
continuing operations according to the original plan Admiral Palliser ordered a
blast in the hillside itself and this being done without result the Imperieuse
turned her prow and steamed homeward despite the pleadings from Harford”
A story fit for Indiana Jones !
Most of 1898 was spent in Esquimalt
with just a short cruise to Acapulco
in May. On 1 April 1899 HMS
Imperieuse sailed from Esquimalt for England
with final calls at Acapulco, Panama,
Guayaquil, Callao,
Iquique and Coquimbo arriving in England
on 12 August 1899. George’s next posting was to HMS Vivid and a
few weeks later the Admiralty announced that 40 volunteers were required for
the Hong Kong Police. George slapped in
his application.
The volunteers embarked on the
Glen Line Steamer “Glenfarg” at London
on 2 February 1900 and
arrived in Hong Kong on 27 March. The following day at 3.30pm the Governor inspected the whole of the Police
Force in the compound at Central Police Station. The new recruits lined up at the rear of the
European contingent and it was reported that they had signed on for a period of
5 years on pay of $75 per month.
These new recruits were needed in
order to expand the Hong Kong Police following the leasing of the New
Territories to Britain
in 1898. As a temporary measure
matsheds had been constructed for use as police stations and by 1900 new
stations had been built at Ping Shan, Tai Po and Au Tau.
Health became a real issue for anyone posted to these rural stations. Near to Au Tau Police Station could be found a swampy island which was home to a Leper colony. Plague was prevalent on Cheung Chau Island and malaria was rife throughout the New Territories. The Medical Officer recommended that the paddy fields adjoining the Sha Tau Kok Police Station be resumed and reclaimed as the constant stagnant water on them provided a breeding place for the Anopheles mosquito. A further recommendation was that Eucalyptus trees be planted on the damp areas at the base of hills as this would help drain the swampy grounds.
George proved himself to be a
conscientious and hard working officer whilst his good nature gained him
numerous friends. Sadly George lasted
less than 18 months in Hong Kong. He died of Typhoid fever at 11.30pm on Sunday 15 September 1901. He was buried in Section 2 of the Hong
Kong Colonial Cemetery
– Grave 6450 – during the afternoon of 16 September. The funeral was well attended and the many
floral offerings showed how well George was regarded.
