No.14316, Private, Arthur BAILEY
Aged 25
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Arthur George Bailey was born in Soham (Newmarket Q2-1891 3B:573), son of Robert and Eliza BAILEY (née SCOTT ? )
1901 census...Aged 9, he was at The Crofts, Soham, with his father, Robert BAILEY [43]farm labourer; his mother Eliza [43] born Burwell; brother Joe [12] (landkeeper ?); sisters Agnes [6] and Dorothy [4]; widowed grandmother Mary BAILEY [68] and uncle Richard BAILEY [29], a boot maker. All except his mother were born in Soham 1911 census...Aged 20, farm labourer, he was at 1 Berry Croft, Soham with his parents, sister Agnes and uncle Richard BAILEY. On his mother's 11 children, 5 had died. The pension card has his family at the same address and records his death was due to "spinal meningitis", |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. The 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was often referred to as "The Cambridgeshires" despite there being an actual Cambridgeshire Regiment. This was due to the fact that the recruiting facilities at Gibraltar barracks in Bury St.Edmunds were overwhelmed by the number of eager volunteers, and a temporary camp was set up in Cambridge to share the load. This unit, taking it's men mainly from the Fens and having no official title, was quickly nicknamed "The Cambridgeshires".It soon became officially the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. The 11th was one of 2 Suffolk battalions involved in the action on the 1st day of the battle of the Somme, the 8th Battalion was the other, albeit in a support role. The 11th suffered the heaviest casualties in the 34th Division. Moving out from Becourt Wood at 5 am towards their jumping off point, the giant mine at Lochnagar was exploded at 7:28 (80,000 lbs of ammonal) and two minutes later the attack began. Their line of advance was through the centre of Bailiff Wood. The enemy in La Boiselle were stronger than had been thought and the Suffolks were quickly cut down by machine gun fire. It was effectively all over for them by 8 am. All day wounded lay out looking for a chance to crawl back. Some valiant souls still tried to advance, a pitiful few reaching the German wire. They were relieved on the 4th July, having suffered in all nearly 700 casualties, one of them being Arthur Bailey. Local press report:- The death of Pte. Arthur Bailey youngest son of Mr And Mrs Robert Bailey of The Crofts, occurred on Saturday morning, having been admitted into hospital at Cambridge the previous day. The distressing news was received with surprise and regret, as an earlier recovery from the wounds received in the ‘great push’ on July 1st was fully anticipated. His condition had been such that he has been enabled to visit friends. The late Pte. In the advance on July 1st he was wounded and subsequently was sent to hospital in Glasgow, arriving home about a fortnight ago. He has one brother now serving with the Colours. The funeral took place at Soham on Tuesday with military honours.
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