Joseph Bailey - 1895-1916 (continued)
The remainder of what we know about Joe relates to his army service in World War 1. We knew that Joe was in the 1/7th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, and was involved in the Gallipoli landings in 1915, so we visited the Lancashire Fusiliers museum in Bury. The Curator there was able to tell us that Joe had been a member of the Territorial Army before the outbreak of the 1914-1918 war. Membership of the TA was open to men between the ages of 16 and 55, but only those between 18 and 45 could serve abroad. The TA was mobilised on 5 August 1914. The ‘1’ in the battalion title indicated that the battalion was among the first-line troops.
The regimental Annual records that the battalion, which was formed in Salford, was in Salford between 4 and 19 August 1914. From there they went to Turton, Lancashire between 20 August and 9 September, leaving for Southampton by train on 9 and 10 September.
From Southampton they sailed in s.s Saturnia to Alexandria in Egypt, arriving on 25 September. From then until 14 December they were at the Main Barracks at Abbassia, and from 15 December 1914 until 1 May 1915, they were at Kasr-el-Nil Barracks, Cairo.
On 1 May 1915 they sailed in s.s Nile to Gallipoli, arriving on 5 May, at W Beach, or Lancashire Landing, and on 6 and 7 May they were in the line which went into attack at Gully Ravine on 7 May. From then until January 1916, the battalion were involved in the fighting on the Gallipoli peninsula, in the fighting line, in support of the fighting line, in reserve, and off-duty.
We don’t know at which point Joe was transferred from Gallipoli to the hospital in Malta, or why. We have a postcard date-stamped 22 December 1915, addressed to him at A2 Ward, St Patrick’s Hospital, Malta, and his notebook with the date 2 February 1916 inside the front cover. We have a photograph of him in his hospital bed, and it looks as if his left arm may have been injured. He seems to have recovered from his injuries, as his notebook contains instructions about giving bed- baths, and guidance on general patient care. The Curator at the regimental museum told us that the general practice was for the recovering patients to help with the routine care of other patients.
Joe died on 25 March 1916 at Tigné Hospital, Malta. The cause of his death is recorded as appendicitis. He is buried at Pieta Cemetery, Malta. Click here to see his memorial on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, and follow this link to the website of the Fusiliers Museum.
We will be adding more information about Joe’s part in the landings as we go through the papers we have...
