Christopher Bailey was killed on 14 October 1944 at Overloon. He was aged 30 and a Lance Corporal in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Service No. 4038613). He was initially buried near the Maria Regina Nunnery in Stevensbeek and transferred to the current Overloon War Graves Commission Cemetery on 22 May 1947 and is buried in Plot Number III. D. I. The inscription on his grave is as follows “In ever loving memory of our dear son, who died for others as a true soldier.”
 
No photo of Christopher has yet been found. Should anyone reading this have a photo of him or further information regarding him – or if they are aware of any errors in his biography below can they please contact the Foundation?

Military Career

Christopher Bailey enlisted in the Army at Church Stretton on 20 June 1940. He gave his address as 37 St. James Gardens, Notting Hill, London W1. He stated that he was born on 27 August 1914 in Bethnal Green, London. He had married Agnes Mary Fee on 25 January 1937 in Marlow Road Registry Office in Kensington, London. He named her as his next of kin and gave the same address. Prior to enlisting he had managed a Public House. He was described as 5ft 4 ½ in tall and weighed 128 lbs, He had blue eyes and fair hair and was medically A1 fit.

On enlistment he was initially posted as a Private to the 50th (Holding) Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and then posted to the 7th Battalion. The 7th Battalion had been raised as a Hostilities Only Battalion in 1940. It converted to the 99th Anti-Tank Regiment on 1 November 1942 and Christopher converted with it. However, this Regiment was disbanded in December 1943. On 1 December 1943, Christopher was transferred to the Warwickshire Regiment and joined No. 22 Infantry Training Company. He was briefly posted to 101 Reinforcement Group on 7 March 1944 before being posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshires on 14 March 1944.

By this time, the 2nd Bn of the Warwickshires was part of the 185th Infantry Brigade which was part of the 3rd Infantry Division. They landed at D-Day on 6 June 1944. Christopher himself only embarked for North West Europe on 12 June 1944. He would have joined his Battalion as a reinforcement just after they had received many casualties in an unsuccessful battle for Liebsey Wood near Caen. In early July they fought in Operation Charnwood and after this, on 18 July, Christopher was promoted to the rank of Paid Lance Corporal. The Battalion continued to fight in Normandy through to mid August. Towards the end of August they had a period of rest and training at Tinchebray in Normandy.

On 3rd September they crossed the Seine and reached a base between Rouen and Paris where they remained until 18 September. While there, Christopher was severely reprimanded for some unknown aspect of his conduct on 7 September 1944. Perhaps the men were letting off steam after the tough few months they had just gone through.

On 18 September the Battalion moved on, entering Belgium that day and on into the Netherlands at Asten, which is to the east of Eindhoven, on 23 September.

Following the failure to take the bridge at Arnhem in Operation Market Garden in late September 1944, the Allied Forces were left in a very precarious narrow salient through the Netherlands.

On 1 October, in drenching rain, they moved north east from Asten to Malden which is between Nijmegen and the River Meuse. It was the aim of Operation Aintree to widen the salient by heading south from Nijmegen to take Overloon and then Venray before finally eliminating a German bridgehead on the River Meuse near Venlo. Initially, the US 7thArmoured Division was to undertake this task while British forces, including the 3rd Division, would move eastward, across the German frontier, and capture the forest area known as the Reichswald, from which the Germans had been launching counter attacks.
 
However, by 9 October, the plan changed. An attempt by the US 7th Armoured Division to take Overloon and Venray had lost many men and tanks without making much headway. Field Marshal Montgomery decided that he must postpone the Reichswald attack. He needed to clear the Scheldt estuary to open the badly needed port facilities of Antwerp and the lesser, but also essential, task of eliminating the German forces west of the Meuse. The latter objective was entrusted to 8 Corps, including the 3rd Division. The 3rd Division was to attack south east to Venray, in the hope of drawing off enemy forces while three other divisions prepared to advance eastward to Venlo.
 
The Battalion was therefore diverted southwards and by 12 October they had moved to near Wanroy, a village south of the Meuse and just north of Overloon. They took over from 8 Infantry Brigade which succeeded in capturing Overloon that day but were unable to make progress through the woods south of it.
 
Sgt. George W A Davis later gave a vivid description of the conditions which were to come: “The last good, long, sleep we had was about the 10th or 11th of October. Our clothes were filthy, we were near exhaustion, due to lack of food and sleep. It was very cold and rain and sleet all the time, so we were all wet. There were shells, mortar bombs, machine gunning, Moaning Minnies, rockets and German snipers all over the place.”
 
The following day the Battalion moved to a position just 500 yds north west of Overloon with the aim, along with the 2ndBattalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, of clearing these woods and then allowing the 1 Norfolk Battalion to pass through and advance on Venray. The Battalion achieved its objective, but they had come under heavy fire from enemy mortars, artillery and small arms fire as well as two tanks when they reached the open ground south of the wood and it had taken longer than expected to clear the woods. By the time the objective was reached it was so late that it was decided not to put the 1 Norfolk Battalion through until the next day. The Warwickshires dug in on the southern edge of the woods.
 
On 14 October, the day on which Christopher was killed, the 1 Norfolks continued the advance at first light, moving through the Warwickshire battalion astride the main road, while 9 Infantry Brigade attacked the woods to the west. They met very heavy opposition during the day and had to cope with swampy ground but by 1800 hours the 1 Norfolks had secured the high ground north of the Molenbeek and 9 Infantry were established in the north part of the woods. The 2Warwickshires were then ordered to advance and secure the ground between the 1 Norfolks and 9 Brigade. B and D Companies performed this task and by dark were dug in to the right of the Norfolks overlooking the Molenbeek while A and C companies and battalion headquarters remained in their original positions. On this day five Other Ranks of the 2ndBattalion Warwickshires were killed (including Christopher) while Major GFJ Jerram and fourteen Other Ranks were wounded.

From D-Day until the end of the war, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment lost 286 officers and men killed in action, with nearly another 1,000 all ranks wounded, missing or suffering from exhaustion.

Family Background

Christopher Bailey was the son of Matthew and Marion Bailey. Matthew Bailey had married Marion Douglas in 1909 in the Shoreditch district of London.

Matthew had been born on 4 March 1888 and Marion on 24 August 1886 – both in Bethnal Green in the East End of London. They had three children as follows: Matthew William on 7 September 1910, Frederick Douglas on 22 February 1912 and Christopher on 27 August 1914. Matthew and Frederick were born in Dalston, near Hackney in London, while Christopher was born in Bethnal Green. 

In 1911 Matthew, Marion and Matthew (Jnr) were living at 97 Albert Road, Dalston, St John at Hackney, London. Matthew (Snr) was working as a Drapery Assistant. By 1921 they were living at 70 Barnet Grove, Bethnal Green and all three children were present. Matthew (Snr) was working as a Boot & Clothing Dealer for Sarah Bailey at 70 Wellington Row, Bethnal Green.

By 1939, all three boys had married. Matthew (Jnr) married Winifred C Holloway in the Kensington district in 1933; Christopher married Agnes Mary Fee on 25 January 1937 in Marlow Road Registry Office in Kensington and Frederick married Hilda May Johnson in Islington, London a few months later.

Christopher’s wife was the daughter of William Fee and Agnes Carroll who had married in 1910 in the Kensington district. William Fee had been born in Belturbet, County Cavan in Ireland around1881 and Agnes Carroll in Ardlee, County Louth, Ireland around 1879. They had three children in the Notting Hill area: Eileen Josephine on 17 July 1911, James Edward on 10 May 1913 and Agnes Mary on 8 August 1914. Eileen and James were baptised in the Romas Catholic faith in the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Notting Hill. In 1911 William and Agnes were living at 56 Vauxhall Bridge Road, Westminster. William was a General Labourer for a Building Company. At the time of James’ christening in 1913 they were living at 95 Portland Road and by 1921 they were living with all three of their children at 115, Portland Road, Kensington. William was still a labourer but working in Telegraph Construction.

In September 1939 Matthew and Marion were living at the Portland Arms, Portland Road, Notting Hill, Kensington in London. Matthew was the Publican. Living with them was Edward C Oliver, born 11 March 1902, who was working as a Barman.

Their son, Matthew, was living with his wife at 2 Gateforth Street, Marylebone, London. He was working as a Licensed Victualler. By this time they had one child, Marion Winifred, born in Hammersmith district in 1934 and they later had another girl, Barbara D, in Marylebone in 1940.

Frederick was living with his wife at 87 Vernon Drive, Stanmore, Harrow, Middlesex. He was working as a Local Government Officer Clerk in the Town Clerk’s Department. They had no children by this time, but probably had a child called Brian D Bailey in 1941 in Hendon, Middlesex.

Christopher and Agnes were living at 37 Saint James Gardens, Notting Hill. Christopher was working as a Barman. This was very near Portland Road so he may have been working for his father. Their first child, Geraldine Carroll Bailey, born 17 June 1938 in Kensington, was with them – but sadly she died, aged just 2 on 7 February 1941 in Lambeth. Christopher and Agnes also had a son, Christopher J Bailey, in 1941 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, suggesting they may have moved out of London by then.
 
Agnes’ parents could not be found in the September 1939 register, but it is known that her father was still living in Portland Road in November 1936 as the West London Observer 06 November 1936 reported that he had to be taken to Hammersmith Hospital when he fell down the steps of a house in Netherwood Rd, Shepherds Bush. In September 1939, her brother and sister were living together at 40 Saint James Gardens, Notting Hill. James was working as a Stationery Store Keeper and Eileen as a Hospital Orderly. It is thought that William Fee died in 1940 in Stepney, London.

It has been seen that Christopher enlisted on 20 June 1940 but sadly he died at Overloon on 14 October 1944. Given their ages, it is also likely that his brothers and brother in law also served in WW2.

The Aftermath

Christopher had served for 4 years and 117 days of which 125 days were in North West Europe. He was awarded the following medals: 1939/45 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939/45. His wife was awarded a pension of £1/12/6 from 22 January 1945 together with an allowance of 11s for their child.

On 8 December 1944 the Army sent her his personal effects which consisted of 10 photos, a driving permit, a New Testament and nail scissors. However, when she acknowledged receipt of these on 18 January 1945 she also wrote: “There are quite a number of articles not returned, such as Key Ring, Cash, letters, Darts etc., Pay Book and various other items. Also will you please let me know his position of credit.” It is not known if these were ever sent to her.

Agnes’ brother, James Edward Fee, also died while on active service in India as a Sergeant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on 19 April 1946 (Service No. 14931824) and is buried at the Imphal War Cemetery. She therefore lost her daughter, her husband and her brother between 1941 and 1946 having enjoyed a happy life before the war.

Only four years after Christopher’s death, his mother Marion died on 14 November 1948. She was living at the time at 34 Hindman’s Road, East Dulwich, in South London but died at St Olave’s Hospital, Bermondsey. Her husband Matthew administered her estate and was described as a Tobacconist and Confectioner. Matthew himself died on 9 April 1960 . He had been living at 89 Blenheim Crescent, Kensington but died at St Luke’s Hospital, Paddington.

Christopher’s wife, Agnes Mary Bailey, remarried in 1952 in the Kensington District. Her husband was William T Osborne. In September 1939 William had been living with his first wife and family next to Christopher and Agnes Bailey at 37 Saint James Gardens, Notting Hill. William was working as a Garage Mechanic. The property contained five families in all. William T Osborne had married Elizabeth McCarthy in the Kensington district in 1932. William was born on 5 August 1909 and Elizabeth on 11 October 1907. Two of their children were with them in 1939 and it is thought that they had four children as follows: William P 1932 Hammersmith, Joyce 1939 Marylebone, Patricia A 1941 Kensington and Valerie A 1947 Hackney.  It is possible that Elizabeth died in 1949 in Holborn, London, enabling William to marry Agnes in 1952.

It seems that William and Agnes went on to have two more children, both in the Kensington: Doreen in 1952 and Rita in 1954.

Mary Osborne died in 2002 in Lambeth district and William T Osborne in Sheffield in 2010, aged 100.
 

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records
Traces of War Website for Royal Warwickshire Regiment War Diaries
History of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1919-1955 by Marcus Cunliffe
Account of Sgt George W A Davis of the Royal Warwickshires                                  
Wikipedia for information on the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and KSLI
Service Record for Christopher Bailey from National Archives ref WO 423/1494116
West London Observer of 06 November 1936
Assistance from Agnes and William Osborne’s daughter Doreen

Research Elaine Gathercole