| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Reginald Blencowe Bayliss was born on 9 Jun 1894 at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, the son of the Reverend Archibald Bayliss, a Wesleyan Minister, and Mary James (nee Shrimpton). In 1901 the family was living in The Manse, Lyminge, Kent. By 1911 they were in Withernsea, and Reginald was a boarder at Kingswood School, Lansdown Road, Bath. After leaving school Reginald worked for the London Joint Stock Bank, Hull. The family were living at 12 St Giles Croft, Beverley.
On 10 Jun 1915, the day after his 21st birthday, Reginald enlisted in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps. Second Lieutenant R B Bayliss was posted to the 27th (Local Reserve) Battalion and embarked for France on 15 Jul 1916. The 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment (14th Brigade, in the 32nd Division) was in billets at St Pierre, when he joined his unit on 22 Jul. The 2nd Manchesters were engaged in the defence of the Cambrin-La Bassee Canal area in Aug 1916 before returning to the Somme to take part in the Battle of the Ancre in November. In the fierce fighting which ensued in the trenches around Beaumont Hamel on 18 Nov 1916, 2nd Lieutenand Reginald Blencowe Bayliss died his body was never recovered, he was 22 years old.
2nd Lieutenant Reginald Blencowe Bayliss's name is inscribed on the Memorial to the Missing, Thiepval, Somme, France. He is also remembered in the Soldiers' Chapel in Beverley Minster and in the Methodist Church, Cottingham. Kingswood School built a Memorial Chapel in the school grounds in honour of their Old Boys and Masters who lost their lives in the Great War.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |