Name
Edwin Bayliss
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
40971
Bedfordshire Regiment
9th Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
Edwin Bayliss was born in the spring of 1877 at Deddington, Oxfordshire, the son of John and Sarah Bayliss. John worked as an Agricultural Labourer. On 2nd April 1910 Edwin married Ethel Sampson and in the 1911 Census, he was recorded living at “The Butler’s Lodge”, Eydon Hall, Byfield, five miles to the south west of Daventry in Northamptonshire, where he was employed as a Butler.
Edwin attested on 29th November 1915 and was posted to the Army Reserve the next day. At this point he was employed as a Butler at Langley House in Abbots Langley. He was mobilised on 27th June 1916 and joined the 9th Bedfordshire’s. It was another two months, in August 1916 before he was recorded for the first time in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour. The 9th Bedfordshire Battalion remained in England throughout the War, and was designated a Reserve Battalion and prepared drafts for the Front Line units of the Bedfordshire Regiment. After a short period with the 3rd Bedford’s, also in England, Edwin was posted to the 4th Bedfordshire’s on 24th November 1916, and four days later on 28th November he arrived in France, with the rank of Lance Corporal. The 4th Bedford’s had attacked Beaumont Hamel on 13th November 1916 during the Battle of The Ancre on the Somme battlefield, and had suffered nearly 200 killed, wounded and missing..
Edwin remained with the 4th Bedford’s on the Somme through the bitter winter of 1916-17. The 4th Bedford’s attacked Miramont on the Somme on 16th February 1917 incurring another 200 casualties. On 23rd April the battalion attacked the village of Gavrelle during the Second Battle of the Scarpe, near Arras, and took many casualties. Throughout May it remained in the same area and was involved in many lesser skirmishes. The battalion was then relieved and spent most June in the reserve areas around Arras. On 8th June the 4th Bedfordshire’s won five firsts and one second place out of seven events at the 190th Brigade Horse Show.
When the battalion returned to the Front Lines, Edwin had been posted sick back to the Battalion Depot and returned to England on 12th July 1917. He didn’t recover and was Discharged Disabled suffering from Chronic Nephritis – a chronic kidney complaint.
Edwin was discharged on 5th December 1917 with “his capacity lessened by 60% attributable to service in the present war, due to exposure in the trenches”. He was described of “good character, very sober, and absolutely reliable”, and was awarded a Pension of 27 shillings and 6 pence (about £1-40) for four weeks, followed by 16 shillings and 6 pence (about 85p) for the next forty-eight weeks.
Frederick Buck was employed as the Chauffeur at Langley House by the Kindersley family, as was William Cloude, the Motor Mechanic. Both survived the War.
Edwin Bayliss survived the War.
Additional Information
Formerly 3rd & 4th Battalions Bedfordshire Regiment.
Discharged
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
