Pte 35865 Thomas Bailey

• Age: 25
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 4th August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Thomas Bailey was born on 09th September 1892 in Manchester,  the son of James Henry Bailey and his wife Emma (nee Johnson). He was baptised on 24th September 1892 at St George's Church, Hulme, Manchester, the family address shown as 15 Pooley Buildings.  His parents married at St Georges's Church, Hulme on 17th November 1878. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 2 Kew St, Hulme. His father, James Henry, is aged 44, occupation  cloth packer in Emery works and was born in Manchester. His wife Emma is aged 46, born in City of London. They have six children in the household; Joseph aged, 20 a law writer, Ellen aged 17 a toy box maker, Henry aged 15 an errand boy, Lilian aged 13, Amy aged 11, and Thomas aged 8, are all at school. All the children were born in Manchester. A nephew James Carlier aged 28, a cloth stamper, is also living there.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at of 9 Malt Street, Hulme, Manchester.  Thomas' father, James Henry, is aged 54, born in 1857, his occupation listed as a labourer/packer in Emery works, whilst his wife, Emma, is aged 55, born 1856. They have been married for 33 years and have had nine children of which three have died. Those children listed on the Census are: Ellen aged 24, born 1887 also works in the Emery works, Henry aged 25, born 1886 is a lithographic printer, Lilian aged 23, born 1888 also employed in the Emery works, Amy aged 21, born 1890 is a blouse maker and Thomas aged 18, is a labourer in a cotton warehouse. All the children were born in Manchester.

Thomas enlisted in Manchester and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 35865 when he was killed in action on the 04th August, 1917 aged 25 during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele. 

The 17th Battalion Diary groups the action of the opening day of the offensive up to the relief of the Battalion on 04th August as follows: 

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17th Battalion on the left, and the 20th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21st and 90th Brigades were still pinned down and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.

During the action and their time in the line the 17th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds, and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3rd -4th August.

Thomas was one of those casualties referred to. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Emma, 9 Malt St, Chester Rd, Hulme

Thomas is also commerated on his parents grave at Southern Cemetery, Chorlton cum Hardy.

His father died on 22nd October 1926 aged 70 whilst his mother died on 22nd May 1930 aged 75.

We currently have no further information on Thomas Bailey, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.