Private Frank Mawson Bailey, 2nd/5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Service number 203252.
Private Frank Mawson Bailey.
Frank was born on November 15 1889, registered in Keighley in the last quarter of the year. Parents William and Margaret Ann Bailey. He was baptised on December 15 at St Michael and All Angel's Church, Haworth. Father William was a grease extractor. In
1891 census Frank was one year old and living at 18, Dean Street, Haworth, with parents and four older brothers.
By 1901 he was 11 and living at 21, Dean street, Haworth with father and three older brothers, one younger brother (no mother present - father not described as widower.) William's occupation is now Grocer - on his own account. In 1911 Frank was twenty-one and living at 21, Dean Street with father, step-mother (of nine years) and two brothers. Father is still a grocer on his own account. Frank's occupation is a warping overlooker at a worsted mill.
Frank enlisted in Haworth. His service number 203252 is a six-figure number, so he probably enlisted after the Army's renumbering of late 1916 and early 1917. He was initially with the 15th Battalion (Territorials) but was transferred to the 2nd/5th Battalion (Territorials). He would have joined them quite a while after the 2/5th battalion had been deployed to France on May 21, 1916. On October 5, 1917, Frank died of wounds at Casualty Clearing Station number 8, which was based at Agnez-les -Duisans between Mar 5, 1917 and April 15, 1918 and as a result he is buried in grave 56 of row B, in plot V at Duisans British Cemetery at Etrun about 9 kilometres west of Arras. The Cemetery lies in Etrun but takes its name from the nearer village of Duisans.
War diary extract for 2nd/5th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment in September/October 1917:
28th September. NORTHUMBERLAND LANE. In support.
29th September. CHEMICAL WORKS. Battalion relieved the 2/6th R. War. R. Right Sub section at CHEMICAL WORKS.
30th September. CHEMICAL WORKS. Right Sub section. Strength of battalion: 27 Officers 685 other ranks.
Casualties: 7 officers, 255 other ranks. Reinforcements: 1 other rank.
1st to 5th of October. Battalion in front line. Right sub section until relived on 5th September by 2/6th R. War. R., completed at 10.40 p.m.
Frank was either wounded during one of their attacks on Hill 35, or later on whilst they were holding the front line.
He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and Victory medal for his war service.
Frank's name is remembered locally on the Main Haworth war memorial at Bridgehouse Lane and on the war memorial board at St Michael and All Angels Church.
He is also pictured on the Haworth Cycling Club war memorial which has a hand drawn sketch of his portrait (see above), done from his photograph which also appears in the Keighley News of October 20, 1917.
He is also named on the Haworth Oddfellows Great War Memorial, which is in the care of Wyedean Weaving in Haworth.
Source information:
Birth, marriage and death records.
1891, 1901 and 1911 census.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Keighley News archives, Keighley Library.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War.
Soldier's Effects records.
National Archives war diary for 2nd/5th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
