Return to menu Return to 33rd Battalion page
Married: 1923. Manilla, New South Wales, Australia. Marriage Cert:17133/1923.
Wife: Mary Bailey. nee: Kramer.
Died: 1952. Manilla, New South Wales, Australia. Death Cert:25261/1952.
Mother: Hilda May Bailey. nee: Harkley.
Percy Maurice Bailey enlisted with the 5th Reinforcements, 33rd Battalion AIF on the 10th
of May 1916 and left Sydney on board S.S "Port Napier" on the 17th of November and disembarked at Devonport,
England on the 29th of January and was marched to the 9th Training Battalion at the Durrington
Army Camp at Larks Hill. Percy proceeded overseas for France via Folkstone on the 5th of April
1917 and was Taken on in Strength with the 33rd Battalion in the field on the 28th of April. Percy
was marched to Signallers School of Instruction and was attatched to Headquarter Company.
Percy was granted leave to England from the 3rd of February until the 17th of February 1918 when
he rejoined his unit and was Wounded in Action on the 18th of April
when he was injured by Mustard Gas Poisoning.
25th April 1918.
Informant. Private: 2521 Percy Maurice BAILEY.
I was beside Private: 173 Thomas John SCHAEFER he was my Platoon
Quarter-Master, when he was hit by a gass shell and killed instantaneously during the attack
at Messines on the morning of June 7th. We were only 20 yards from our old Front Line when he
fell. I am sure he was buried at Ploegstreet, but I have not seen his grave. Our objective was
taken and held.
Pickard-Cambridge, England.
18th June 1918.
"I was with Regimental Sergeant Major: 2111 Francis
McGRAW (33rd HeadQuarter, from D Company) on April 18th at Villers-Bretonnuex when we were
both gassed. It was breakfast time when a shell came right through the wall. He was hit in the
leg by a brick, or a piece of shell when the wall fell in, but he was only bruised, and not really
wounded. I saw him afterwards, as we did not feel the bad effects of the gas until later in the
day. I have heard since that R.S.M McGRAW was taken to the American Hospital at Le Treport,
where he died".
3rd Southern General Hospital. The Terrace, New College Gardens, Oxford.
Note: 33rd Battalion Colour Patch on Corporal in foreground. (Eggs-a-Cook)
After being evacuated to the to the Casualty Clearing Station, Percy was evacuated to England on
board the Hospital Ship "Guilford Castle" on the 22nd of April where he remained until he was
returned to Australia on board the "Delta" on the 24th of January 1919 and discharged as
Medically Unfit on the 23rd of May 1919.
Percy was a single 20 year old Labourer from Court Street, Manilla, N.S.W. upon enlistment.
Alfred and Hilda Bailey were married in 1892 at Manilla, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:4892/1892 and
had 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. Ethel May Bailey born 1893 at Bingara, N.S.W. Birth Cert:
7110/1893. Percy Maurice Bailey born 1895 at Bingara, N.S.W. and married Hilda May Harkley
in 1923 at Manilla, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:17133/1923 and died in 1952 at Manilla, N.S.W. Death Cert:
25261/1952. Allison May Bailey born 1898 at Manilla, N.S.W. Birth Cert:4674/1898 and died
in 1898 at Manilla, N.S.W. Death Cert:14582/1898. Frank G Bailey born 1900 at Manilla, N.S.W.
Birth Cert:32886/1900. Reginald John Bailey died in 1976 N.S.W. Death Cert:100190/1976.
(Australian National Archives)
Percy Maurice Bailey enlisted with the
Under Construction 20/07/2008
Web Counter