Pte
Albert Henry Bailey
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 06/06/1895 |
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Place of birth: Portfield, Chichester, Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Carpenter |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: G/17779 |
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Enlistment date: 21/09/1914 |
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Enlistment place: Petworth, Chichester, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Sussex Regiment, 12th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Tower Hamlets, Geluveld, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 22 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: 44 Row: G Grave: 37 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Albert Henry Bailey was born on June 6, 1895, in Portfield, Chichester, Sussex, and remained the only son of Henry Bailey and Charlotte Cheetam. Before enlisting in the British Army, he was a carpenter. On September 21, 1914, Albert enlisted and was assigned to the 1/4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. On July 12, 1916, he was transferred to the 12th (Service) Battalion (2nd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment and began his service in both France and Belgium.
On September 23, 1917, the 12th (Service) Battalion received orders to move to the front line at Tower Hamlets. There, they relieved two companies of the 13th (Service) Battalion (3rd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment and the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. On September 25, B Company was sent to Dumbarton Lakes to reinforce the 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. On September 26, the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele, broke out. In the sector of the 39th Division, south of the Menin Road and west of Geluveld, the 1/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment, the 4/5th Battalion, Black Watch, the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, and the 13th (Service) Battalion (3rd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment launched the attack. All objectives were captured by the battalions, except for one large German bunker, which held them at bay. The next day, the 12th (Service) Battalion was relieved by the 13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
The 11th and 12th (Service) Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment remained in the line to support the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment and the 13rd (Service) Battalion (3rd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment. During this period, they endured heavy artillery fire. Forty-eight soldiers were killed, 117 were wounded, and 26 were reported missing.
Albert Henry Bailey was killed in action at the age of 22 while holding the line in support of the attacking troops. His body was reburied after the war in Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot XLIV, row G, grave 37.
On September 23, 1917, the 12th (Service) Battalion received orders to move to the front line at Tower Hamlets. There, they relieved two companies of the 13th (Service) Battalion (3rd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment and the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. On September 25, B Company was sent to Dumbarton Lakes to reinforce the 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. On September 26, the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele, broke out. In the sector of the 39th Division, south of the Menin Road and west of Geluveld, the 1/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment, the 4/5th Battalion, Black Watch, the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, and the 13th (Service) Battalion (3rd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment launched the attack. All objectives were captured by the battalions, except for one large German bunker, which held them at bay. The next day, the 12th (Service) Battalion was relieved by the 13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
The 11th and 12th (Service) Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment remained in the line to support the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment and the 13rd (Service) Battalion (3rd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment. During this period, they endured heavy artillery fire. Forty-eight soldiers were killed, 117 were wounded, and 26 were reported missing.
Albert Henry Bailey was killed in action at the age of 22 while holding the line in support of the attacking troops. His body was reburied after the war in Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot XLIV, row G, grave 37.
Sources 5
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12 Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2582/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG13). http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 91 - 92. Sources used |
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UK, De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, 1914-1919 https://www.ancestry.com/ Sources used |
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UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919, His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), 1921. http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461790 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=0287f43e-62d8-4f7e-8058-8fcec095a50c |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/124940 |