Edward Bailey

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Death	4 Oct 1965, aged 75
Place of Death	Perth, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	26 years, 1 month
Description	5' 9" (1.75m) tall; weight 145 lbs (65.8 kg); fresh complexion, blue eyes, fair hair
Occupation	labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	William street, Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Annie Ruth Bailey
Military Information
Reg Number	5992
Date of Enlistment	27 Mar 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 19th Reinforcement, A Company / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	9 Aug 1916 - 24 Sep 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades
Date of Return	1 Jun 1919 - 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Armadale panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Married Annie Ruth Stevens in Perth on 13 Oct 1913. On 3 Sep 1914 a daughter, (Ruth G) was born while he was working at Armadale Brick Works. On 23 Jul 1916 the second daughter (Joyce E.) was born.

In the 1916 Electoral Roll he was listed as a farm hand living in Prospect road, Armadale.

War Service

A fortnight after entering Blackboy Hill camp, Edward was allocated to the 11th Battalion's 19th reinforcement draft. He was one of seven men with ties to the local area who are aboard HMAT A28 Miltiades when it left Fremantle, the others being: Richard Beattie and William Lamplough Ullyott who were in the same draft of reinforcements to the 11th Battalion; William Francis Cohn (16th Battalion); Thomas Hesketh and John Waldegrave Packer (44th Battalion); and Macalister Adair Blain (51st Battalion).

Following 3 months in a training battalion in southern England he boarded HMT Princess Victoria on 4 Dec 1916 at Folkestone, and entered France 2 days later, where he joined the 11th Battalion on 24 Feb 1917 near Bazentin Le Petit where they were providing working parties for the front line troops.

It would appear he spent the rest of 1917 with the battalion before being hospitalised with illness (boils) on 14 Apr 1918. Following treatment he didn't rejoin the battalion until 2 Oct 1918, thus missing all of the Somme battles.

"Enlisted 27th March, 1916, and sailed with the 19th reinforcements of the 11th Battalion 9th August, 1916. Now in England"

Discharged 5th Mil District 22 Aug 1919.

Post War

In the 1920 Post Office Directory he was in Armadale and described as a labourer. 1925 to 1963 electoral rolls showed him as a labourer living in Fifth road, Armadale. With wife Annie Ruth, he celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary on Thursday 13 Oct 1938. Annie pre-deceased him, dying on 20 Jun 1963 aged 75.

In early 1941 he enlisted in the Militia and again went to Backboy Hill camp for training for WW2 Garrison Battalion duties. When discharged in 1943 he was with the 29th Garrison Battalion.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial