Thomas Bailey, Age 34
Private, 18532, 7th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry.
K.S.L.I Regiment Cap Badge.
Thomas had been born at Old Park and was living in Dawley at the time of his
enlistment; He had a brother W.T Bailey who was living at 21 Unicorn Fold, Dawley
Bank.
During the month of March 1918, the battalion was holding trenches in the
Hindenburg line west of Heninel. The Germans launched their last major offensive of
the War on March 21st with the intention of splitting the British and French forces. On
the 27th March the Germans had violently shelled the British trenches, which were in
a shocking state having very little cover and no barbed wire in front of them. The
Germans then launched infantry assaults on the 28th the first at 5:15 am being beaten
off but a second at 7:15am managed to enter the British line where B & C companies
were holding the line. After fierce fighting C company fell back with 25 survivors
having run out of grenades, but B company managed to form a block and held out for
an hour and a half before being surrounded, only 15 men with some men from the 13th
Liverpool's who had been on their left got back to the reserve line.
It was during this bitter fighting that Thomas who was serving with B Company met
his death on March 28th 1918, his body was never found and he is commemorated on
the Arras memorial panel 7.
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| Victory Medal | British War Medal |