FRANK BAILEY
12 September 1890 - 6 September 1917
At School 1900 - 1904
Lieut 8th Lancashire Fusiliers
Frank was born in Manchester and in 1901 was living at 51 Parkfield Street, Moss Side, with father William, an organ pipe manufacturer, mother Ada, younger sister Gwendoline and one servant. In 1904 he left School to complete his education at Monmouth School, where he was a member of the Cadet Corps. In 1911 the family was living at Birch Grove, Rusholme and Frank was training to become a Chartered Accountant, serving his articles with Messrs E Lawton & Son in Manchester. Frank qualified as a Chartered Accountant and shortly after the outbreak of war joined the Manchester University O T C. On 4th March 1915, he obtained a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. The Hulmeian Magazine states "in September 1915 he went to Gallipoli, and subsequently served in Egypt and France".
The 8th Battalion was evacuated from Gallipoli on 28th December 1915 and proceeded to Egypt
via the Greek island of Mudros. Frank received a promotion to Lieutenant with effect from 1st
June 1916. On 27 February 1917, the Battalion landed at Marseilles and proceeded to the
Western Front, to the Amiens area. As part of the 125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire)
Division, the Battalion moved to the front line in the Epehey/ Ytres area in May 1917.
Fortunately this sector was comparatively quiet and the Battalion suffered relatively few
casualties. On 8th July 1917 they were relieved and went into reserve at Courcelles. Training
was undertaken with special attention being paid to attacks on fortified posts and strongpoints.
After 6 weeks of training and recuperation the Battalion entrained for Ypres, on 22nd August
1917.
On 6th September 1917. The 125th Brigade was ordered to attack positions known as Iberian, Borry and Beck House Farms, which were effectively concrete bunkers protected by elaborate trench systems. The 5th and 6th Lancashire Fusiliers, with 7th and 8th Battalions in support, advanced under a heavy supporting barrage. The going had been made very heavy by rain the previous day and the advance was immediately subjected to

devastating machine gun fire from the German block houses and pill-boxes which had been largely unaffected by the barrage.Within a few minutes many officers and men had been killed or wounded and the Iberian and Borry Farm positions were never reached. Beck House Farm was initially captured but lost following a strong German counter-attack. The attack was abandoned and the Brigade withdrew having lost nearly 800 men killed, wounded or missing.
Frank was one of the Officers killed in action that day and his body was never found or identified. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to The Missing which bears the names of nearly 35,000 Officers and Men who have no known grave and died in the Ypres area, including a further 7 Old Hulmeians.
On 26th March 1918, probate was granted to William Bailey, organ builder. Effects £215 14s 9d.