BAILEY, Herbert


No.23536, Private, Herbert BAILEY
Aged 39


2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Thursday, 20th July 1916


Herbert Bailey was born in Cowlinge in 1877 (Risbridge Q1-1877 4A:519), born illegitimate. Possibly the son of Elizabeth or of Mary BAILEY, elder daughters of Thomas and Harriett BAILEY

1881 census...Aged 4, he was at Becks End, Cowlinge with his grandfather Thomas [52] unable to work and labelled "evil"; his grandmother Harriett [47] born Great Thurlow; uncles William [17] farm labourer and James [8] and aunt Harriet [13]. All except his grandmother were born in Cowlinge.

1891 census...Aged 14, farm labourer, he was at Lambfair Green with his widowed grandmother and uncle James (farm labourer). His grandfather had died late in 1881

1901 census...Aged 23, a labourer at floor cloth works, he was at 45 Lawrence Road, Edmonton with his uncle William (building labourer) and aunt Kate [36] born Great Bradley.

1911 census...Aged 34, farm labourer, he was living alone at Pound Green, Cowlinge. Later in Q4-1911 he married Jane E.STARLING from Cowlinge, who was at Town Green, Cowlinge according to the pension card in 1917, and went on to marry George CLAYDEN in 1918 and live in Steeple Bumpstead.


He enlisted in Bury St. Edmunds in 1915 and served less than one year.
On the 20th July, during the Battle of the Somme, the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment were assembled and deployed in Pont Street, taking part in the renewed attacks on Longueval and Delville Wood. The artillery barrage lifted while it was still dark and the advance began. Again, from Lt Col Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment" :-
The two Suffolk companies in the forward line moved in double lines of platoons with a front of 140 yards each. Much bitter fighting followed, which, though indecisive locally, enabled a footing to be gained in High Wood by a division containing another Suffolk battalion - the 4th, and the British line to be linked up thence with Longueval. The casualties in the 2nd battalion were heavy...."
In fact 113 were killed and 88 of these have no known grave. The 4th battalion lost 31.



Herbert Bailey is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, pier and face 1C/2A

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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