George Arthur Bailey
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
George Arthur Bailey was born at Earlsheaton, Yorks on 21st June 1884 to parents, George and Elizabeth Bailey. He had a brother, Frank who had been born in Nottingham and a sister, Clara, born in Wakefield. By 1901 the family were living at Christopher Road in Leeds with another child, Edith. It must have been after this date that the family resided in Worksop, and where George went to school. It was in 1910 that George, Elizabeth, George junior and Edith emigrated to Canada. Son Frank had secured a job of railway fireman at Shirebrook and Clara was working as a clerk in a large department store in Leicester. The four emigrants settled in Ontario in the Fort William area and were recorded in the 1911 Canadian census
George was attested at Fort William, Ontario on the 27th March 1915 for the 52nd Battalion of the Canadian Forces. He confirmed that his mother, Elizabeth Bailey would be his next of kin. He went to France where his bravery earned him a Military Medal and the Croix de Guerre awarded on18/9/1918. The citation for his Military Medal reads “For bravery and devotion to duty on the morning of June 28th 1917. On the attack on the enemy’s position in front of Avion, while advancing with his platoon under a creeping barrage noticed a party of four of the enemy coming out of a dugout on the left of his platoons frontage. He stopped momentarily, dealt with the enemy, turning over the prisoners to another and rejoined his platoon before they reached their objective. This NCO has always shown great courage”. The circumstances of his death occurred when fighting in action and while taking shelter in a shell hole, he was instantly killed by the explosion of an enemy shell – in the vicinity of Boiry-Notre-Dame. He is buried on the Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, France. Sergt G A Bailey Worksop Guardian 8 November 1918 Mr G H Featherstone has received a letter from a former Worksop resident, Mr George Bailey, who now resides at Fort William, Ontario, Canada, giving news of his son, G A Bailey. As a boy he was a scholar in the Wesley Sunday School and eight years ago, with his parents, emigrated to Canada. He enlisted in the 52nd Canadian Infantry Regiment and was created a sergeant on the field at Conseelette, later winning the military medal and was subsequently awarded a bar to his medal. He was killed in action near Cambrai on 28th August last. T the Wesley Sunday School on Sunday morning, the letter was read to the scholars. Many of the teachers and elder scholars recalled the farewell service held eight years ago, and much regret was expressed at the loss of the gallant soldier and sympathy with his parents in their great bereavement.
CWG additional information:- Croix de Guerre (France). Son of George H. S. and Elizabeth Bailey, of 121, Brock St. East, Fort William, Ontario. Born at Earlsheaton, Yorks, England. Research by Colin Dannatt
