CHARLES ROY BAILEY
Born December 29th, 1892
at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
In August of 1914 when 'The Empire at War' was just last weeks news, Charley, at 21 years old, left his home and job in Winnipeg to join the 1st Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. He was attached to the Canadian Army Medical Corps and spent the entire length of the war in active service overseas. He was demobbed in March of 1919.
Charley was trained in pharmacy and had worked as a druggist after graduating from Brandon College in Manitoba. At wartime hospitals in France and England, Charley worked primarily as a medical dispenser/pharmacist and as operating room assistant. He acted as Sanitary Police for a time and was attached to the Forestry Corps in France at the end of the war.
After spending those formative years overseas, Charley must have had difficulty adjusting to post war life back in Canada. In just a few short years he returned to England, ran several successful business and finally settled in Scotland where he died. He married twice and died too young, he was 49 years old.
He was tremendously loved by his family. His mother; Jennie Lloyd (nee Howie), his stepfather; Marmaduke Thomas Lorenzo Lloyd and his only sibling; his half sister Vida Valerie Lloyd. His first wife was Mable Hyde of Buxton, a war bride who returned to Manitoba with Charley in April of 1919. The marriage did not work out.
His second wife was Elizabeth Shawcross Baxter (nee Nicholl), a Scottish lass who loved him dearly and was at Charley's side when he died in Lanarkshire Scotland on February 9th 1942. He and Betty are buried in an (as yet) unmarked grave at Old Monksland Cemetery.
VISIT Charley's WW1 Blog at www.charleybailey.blogspot.com
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CharlesRoyBailey/
An Excerpt from the first of Charley's many letters home from overseas. Salisbury Plain, England. Oct 23rd, 1914
Dear Mother
Arrived here after 21 days aboard ship. We had fine weather all the way over and a great voyage. The trip did not make me sick, funny it did not effect, as there was so many that were seasick. This place is sure pretty. We landed in Devonport and marched to Plymouth, where we got the train to Salisbury. As you see by my address, I have transferred to a Hospital corps, from Hamilton Ontario. By the time you get this I will have seen London as we get a few days off. Gee it is a funny country, hedges, roads and little villages. The Canadian soldiers are getting a great welcome here. When we were waiting for our trains at Plymouth, there were thousands there cheering us. One old lady came over and talked to me. When I left she threw her arms around me, kissed me and said " God Bless you my little man."
They were so glad to see us that they were giving us fruit, cigarettes and everything. The girls come up to you and beg for a button or a badge for a souvenir, some of the boys landed in camp with all the buttons off their coat. But of course I am too bashful so naturally I had all my buttons on.
From Veterans Affairs Canada "For a nation of eight million people Canada's war effort was remarkable. A total of 619,636 men and women served in the Canadian forces in the First World War, and of these 66,655 gave their lives and another 172,950 were wounded. Nearly one of every ten Canadians who fought in the war did not return."
Sgt Charles Roy Bailey
Canadian Army Medical Corps
Regimental # 34260
Awarded the 1914 Star on April 25th 1918
Demobilzation April 24th 1919
As an aside, it would be just great to hear from someone saying they had found CR Bailey's 1914 Star (or Mons Medal as it is called now) in an old shoebox or a kitchen drawer perhaps . . . maybe somewhere in Scotland or England. Perhaps he gave it to his wartime sweetheart and first wife; Mable B Hyde - perhaps some descendant of hers has it tucked in a keepsake box? Just in case my email address And thank you for visiting Charley Bailey's Memorial. Sincerely, Nicola Perrin Finch
Remember me
Charles Roy Bailey
1892 - 1942
A Canadian Veteran of WW1 Remembered
