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7809701
Staff Sergeant
HAROLD JOHN BAZLEY
Royal Engineers
(formerly 29745 Private, The Devonshire Regiment,
and 67252 and 195585 Machine Gun Corps)  

by

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, PE, MInstRE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  

Figure 1.  67252 Private Harold John Bazley, M.G.C.
(Photograph in the author’s collection)  

1.  INTRODUCTION  

            This narrative is the result of biographical research work carried out by the author after acquiring the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal of 7809701 Staff Sergeant Harold John Bazley, Royal Engineers.  Thanks to his nieces, Margaret Ivy Osborne and Margaret Violet Adkins of Aldershot, Hampshire, I was able to obtain an extract of Staff Sergeant Bazley's military service record from the Ministry of Defence.  I am also indebted to my good friend Bill Behan of Aldershot for his efforts in contacting Staff Sergeant Bazley’s nieces, and for his willingness to assist with this research project by interviewing the two ladies and by taking photographs of the Bazley residence in Aldershot.

The narrative provides as much detail as it was possible for me to write from the outline of Staff Sergeant Bazley's service and from published books, periodicals, documents and records.  I have tried to be as accurate as possible with regard to facts, citing my sources in all cases.  Where sources are not cited it may be assumed that the information came from Bazley’s service record. 

When reconstructing someone's life or military career, some supposition is obviously required.  I have tried to keep this to a minimum.  Hopefully this work provides an accurate account of Staff Sergeant Bazley's military service.  I trust that it will bring some measure of appreciation to his family regarding his service to his Country.

2.  EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION  

Early Life  

            Harold John Bazley was born in the town of Devonport, in the County of Devonshire on 2 May 1897.[1]  His parents were Samuel George Bazley (1857-1927) and Cecilia Mary Bazley, née Mounce (1858-1942).  Harold had three brothers and a sister: Frederick George Bazley (1887-1965), Samuel Mounce Bazley (1888-1977), Cecilia Mary Bazley (1890-1984) and William Henry Bazley (1892-1973).[2]

Family Information

            In 1901 the Bazley family was living in Devonport.  The 1901 Census of England provides the following information regarding the family at that time:           

1901 Census of England

NOTES:

1. Apparently this address not longer exists in Devonport.
2. Probably H.M. Dockyard Devonport.

            In 1911 the family was still living in Devonport, although the Census of England and Wales shows that they had moved to a new address.

1911 Census of England and Wales

Figure 2.  85 Cotehele Avenue, Devonport.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)  

            As a young man, Harold John (“Jack”) Bazley worked as a Plumber’s Apprentice and apparently resided with his parents at 85 Cotehele Avenue in Devonport before he decided to enlist in the Army.

3.  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

            When he enlisted in 1916 at the age of 19 years and 2 months, Harold Bazley was an exceptionally small man.  His description on enlistment indicates that he was only 5 feet, 3-1/2 inches tall, weighed 113 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 34 inches. Bazley had blue eyes, dark brown hair and a fresh complexion.

4.  ENLISTMENT

            On 27 July 1916, almost two years after the start of the Great War of 1914 to 1918, Harold Bazley enlisted as a Private (Regimental Number 29745) in the Devonshire Regiment (Regular Army) at Exeter, Devonshire.  This action on his part was to cause a considerable amount of hard feelings in his family.  The Bazley family, coming from Plymouth as they did, had a long history of naval service.  Both his father and his brother Samuel had served in the Royal Navy.[3]  Their service will be discussed in a future section of this narrative.  Harold’s enlistment in the Army angered many of his family members and it caused a rift between Harold and other members of his family that sadly was never resolved.[4]

            By the recruitment standards of the day, Bazley just barely met the minimum requirements for service.  The minimum height for enlistment in the Infantry of the Line was 5 feet, 3-1/2 inches.  Coincidentally, this was exactly young Bazley’s height.  For a soldier of this height the minimum chest measurement was 34 inches.  Again, coincidentally, Bazley just met this requirement.  The minimum weight for all recruits was 115 pounds.[5]   As Bazley was just two pounds under this limit, and as the war had been going on for two years with Britain in need of recruits, it is not difficult to imagine that the requirement for these two extra pounds was waived in his case.  It is also not difficult to imagine that the Regimental Surgeon examining Bazley may have just given him the height and chest measurement necessary for him to pass muster. 

5.  TRAINING AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Training  

            On the day following his enlistment into the Regular Army, Private Bazley was transferred to the Army Reserve.  The reason for this transfer is not explained in his military records.  However, on 3 August 1916, Private Bazley was mobilized for war service and posted to the depot of the Devonshire Regiment located at Exeter.  On the following day he was posted to the machine gun section of the 3rd Battalion of the Regiment which was also located at Exeter.  After only three months of service with the Devonshire Regiment at Exeter, Private Bazley was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (M.G.C.) on 4 November 1916.  At this time he was issued with new identity discs and was given a new Regimental Number, 67252 and a new cap badge. 

Figure 3.  Cap Badge of the Machine Gun Corps
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)  

            It is probably safe to assume that Bazley volunteered for service in the Machine Gun Corps.  Because of his small size and the physical strength required of a member of a machine gun crew, it is unlikely that Bazley would have been selected for service in the M.G.C.  However, since the Machine Gun Corps was ominously nicknamed the “Suicide Club”[6] and volunteers were hard to find, any man, whatever his size was welcomed with open arms.

            Private Bazley proceeded to the principal training base of the Machine Gun Corps located on the estate of Lord Brownlow[7] at Harrowby Camp, Grantham, Lincolnshire.  At Harrowby Camp he learned the crew drill with the Vickers machine gun. 

            The standard drill for going into action with the gun was complicated, and long and hard practice was needed to get a three-man machine gun team into really good shape.  This is where Private Bazley’s small size might have been a hindrance to his gun crew team mates.  The drill for a machine gun team started with the blow of a whistle.  Number One man on the team dashed five yards with the tripod, released the ratchet-held front legs so that they swung forward, both pointing outwards, and secured them rigidly by tightening the ratchet handles.  Sitting down, he removed two metal pins from the head of the tripod, whereupon the Number Two man placed the gun in position on the tripod.  Number One whipped in the pins and the gun was then ready for loading.  Number Three dashed forward with an ammunition box containing a canvas belt, pocketed to hold 250 rounds of ammunition.  Number Two inserted the brass tag-end of the belt into the feed-block on the right side of the gun.  Number One grabbed the tag-end poking through the left side, jerked it through, at the same time pulling back on the crank handle twice, which completed the loading operation.  For sighting, the flick of a finger sprang the stem of the rear sight into a vertical position.  A rapid selection of ranges was provided by a spring-loaded wheel, turned up or down as necessary. 

            The weight of the Vickers machine gun itself varied based on the gear attached, but was generally 25 to 30 pounds (11 to 14 kg) with a 40-to-50-pound (18 to 23 kg) tripod.  This considerable weight may have been a problem for Private Bazley and his small stature; however, being Number Three man and carrying the ammunition may not have caused him any problem.  Then too, his physical strength may have been greater than what can be inferred from his size.

            Stripping the gun to change a barrel or replace broken parts, and re-assembling at speed, was also of great importance in Private Bazley’s training.  He spent several hours in doing some of the jobs when blindfolded, in order to achieve the utmost familiarity with the different parts of the gun.  The different types of stoppages or malfunctions of the gun were indicated by the position of the crank handle when firing ceased, and all gunners were trained to remove the cause of a stoppage in a matter of seconds.[8] 

Figure 4.  Number One and Number Two Man on the Vickers Machine Gun.
(Photograph courtesy of Ian Moir)

Service in the Great War of 1914-1918

            Following a period of grueling training with the machine gun, Private Bazley was posted to the 172nd Company, M.G.C. on 14 February 1917.  The 172nd Company was assigned to the 172nd Brigade of the 57th (2nd/West Lancashire) Division.  On 5 January 1917 the War Office had informed General Headquarters in France that the 57th Division would begin embarkation for France on 6 February.  Thus, when Private Bazley reported in to his unit, his division was already on its way to the theatre of war in France and Belgium.  The 57th Division crossed the Channel to France between 7 and 22 February.  The 172nd Company, M.G.C. embarked at Southampton on the very day that Private Bazley reported in, and disembarked at Le Havre on the following day.

            The 57th Division completed its concentration in the Merris area and joined II Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) in the British Second Army on 23 February 1917.  The division went into line in the right sector of II ANZAC Corps, north of Le Tilleloy, on 25 February 1917.

            The 57th Division was subsequently transferred from II ANZAC Corps to the British XIV Corps.  On 26 October 1917 the division took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele where it remained engaged until about 1400 hours on 29 October.  During this period Private Bazley learned why the Machine Gun Corps was nick-named the “Suicide Club.”  Machine gunners had a unique function in active operations during the Great War.  They were always at the centre of things.  Because they had tremendous fire power and posed such a threat to the German infantry, they were the targets of every enemy weapon within range once they opened fire with their machine guns.[9]

            Following the action at Passchendaele, the 57th Division was transferred to the XIX Corps in the British Fifth Army.[10]  On 5 November 1917 Private Bazley was admitted to the Casualty Reception Station with injuries or wounds to his legs.  His military service record is not specific with regard to the nature of his injuries, however, since his evacuation took place during the Second Battle of Passchendaele, it might be safe to assume that he became a casualty during the battle, which ended on 7 November.  On 6 November Bazley was transferred to the 2/2nd Wessex Field Ambulance for further treatment and still further evacuation to the rear area.  He was transferred to the 13th Casualty Clearing Station on 10 November and then on to the 55th General Hospital at Boulogne on 15 November.  Within three days he was on his way to the 25th General Hospital at Haulot.

            Private Bazley was treated at Haulot for about three weeks.  On 12 December 1917 he was discharged from the 25th General Hospital and posted to the Machine Gun Corps Base Depot at Camiers near Etaples.[11]  After a little more than two weeks at the depot he was posted back to the front on 31 December 1917.  His new assignment was with the 48th Company, M.G.C., in the 16th Division.

            Only eight days after reporting in to his new unit, Private Bazley became ill with pyrexia (a high fever) and was admitted to the 113th Field Ambulance for treatment.  It is quite possible that his wounds or injuries from Passchendaele had not completely healed by this time and that they became infected, perhaps due to premature discharge from hospital back to the dreadfully unsanitary conditions at the front.  These conditions are described by 66518 Private W.C. Topham, M.G.C. who also fought at Passchendaele during the winter of 1917:

[The trenches at the front were] “holes in the ground surrounded by evil smelling muddy water which filled up the huge shell craters . . .  At night time, we tried to dig emplacements for our machine-guns, but after two feet the sides slid into the mud and water.  As we dug, quite often Jack-Johnson’s [German shells] were dropping all round us, leaving us exposed in the open ground.”[12]

            It may have been conditions like those described by Private Topham that brought on Bazley’s high fever.  In any case, he was to start the long evacuation process to the rear all over again.  On 9 January 1918 he was transferred to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station and then on 11 January he was sent to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen.  On 21 January 1918 he was invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship “St. Andrew.”

            Private Bazley arrived in England on 22 January 1918 and on the next day he was posted to the Machine Gun Corps Depot at Harrowby Camp.  After recuperating sufficiently from his illness, he was set upon by the instructors at Harrowby who were mostly fire-eating types from the Guards who had not seen any actual fighting at the front.  In a matter of hours the memory of the soft time in hospital was purged from Bazley and stiff training was started at once, with spit and polish, guard duties, and fatigues thrown in for good measure.

            Although he had been at the front already, the Guards instructors told Private Bazley and the other ex-wounded soldiers to forget any experience they had acquired in France, as it counted for nothing at Harrowby.  Obviously this did not sit well with men who had been in combat and were being forced to take instructions from men who had never been there.  Abuse was heaped upon the men by the Guards instructors and fitness was literally lashed into them.  The ranks of the Machine Gun Corps veterans seethed with rage and some (privately) even threatened to kill the instructors if they ever met up with them in France.

            There was some compensation, however, to being at Harrowby Camp.  The nearby town of Grantham offered pints on Friday nights, fish and chips, and feeds in churches with nice local girls to serve the men.[13] 

            After his training at Harrowby Camp was completed, Private Bazley was sent to Belton Park in Grantham to await orders to return to France.  Belton Park was a dreary hutted camp which, with snow and frost, gave the appearance of an Arctic outpost.  It was an uncomfortable place to perform guard duty and fatigues while he waited for his name to be called.[14]

            Every week names were called for overseas drafts.  Private Bazley’s name was called on 4 March 1918.  On that date he was posted to the 5th Battalion, M.G.C.  This battalion was assigned to the 5th Division, which at this time was serving along the River Piave in Italy with the British XI Corps.  Coincidentally, the 5th Division was scheduled to leave Italy for France and Flanders at about this time.  Because of these plans to move the 5th Division, it appears that Bazley’s orders were changed and he never joined the 5th Battalion, M.G.C.  Instead, he remained at the depot and on 7 May 1918 he embarked at Folkestone for France.  He disembarked at Boulogne and was posted once again to the Machine Gun Corps Base Depot at Camiers.  During this period he was allocated his new Army Number and became 7809701 Private H.J. Bazley, M.G.C.   

            On 9 May 1918 Private Bazley was posted to the 19th Battalion, M.G.C. with the 19th Division.  At the time of his assignment to the 19th Battalion, the unit was near Kemmel.  Private Bazley took part in the Battle of the Aisne which commenced on 27 May 1918 and lasted until 6 June.  On 29 June he was appointed Acting Lance Corporal and serving in this rank he took part in the Battle of Cambrai on 8 and 9 October and the Battle of Selle which began on 17 October.  On 21 October Bazley reverted to the rank of Private and on the 24th he was posted back to the Machine Gun Corps Base Depot at Camiers.  He remained at Camiers right through to the Armistice on 11 November 1918.  

Post War Service with the Machine Gun Corps (1918 - 1921)   

            Bazley was admitted to the 20th General Hospital at Camiers on 7 December 1918 for reasons not explained in his military service record.  He was discharged from hospital and apparently remained at Camiers until he returned to England where he arrived on 21 January 1919.

            Private Bazley was transferred to the Army Reserve on 19 February 1919 and was discharged on 13 October 1919.  For his service in the Great War of 1914 to 1918 he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.[15]

            On the day following his discharge from the Army Reserve, Bazley re-enlisted in the Machine Gun Corps (Regular Army) at Plymouth.  Strangely, he was given yet another Regimental  Number and was now 195585 Private H.J. Bazley, M.G.C.  Upon his re-enlistment he was posted to the 1st Depot Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps at Shorncliffe Camp near Dover.  Obviously Harold John Bazley had taken well to Army life and was eager to continue his service.  Given the animosity displayed by Royal Navy family members at his joining the Army, this re-enlistment surely must have caused additional dissent.  

            Harold Bazley appears to have been an intelligent man who recognized the value of education.[16]  He pursued his studies while in the Army and on 27 November 1919 he earned a 3rd Class Certificate of Education.  He went on to earn his 2nd Class Certificate of Education on 16 December 1920.

Service in the Royal Engineers (1921 - 1938)

School of Military Engineering, Chatham (1921-1925)

            Bazley probably recognized that he had the skills and intelligence to serve in the Army in a more technical capacity than simply carrying and firing a machine gun.  His apprenticeship prior to entering the Army probably also steered him to a technical branch of the service.  On 12 March 1921 he transferred from the Machine Gun Corps to the Corps of Royal Engineers and was posted to the Royal Engineer Depot at Chatham, Kent.  In keeping with his prior training as an Apprentice Plumber, he was classified by the Royal Engineers as a Pioneer Plumber (Gas Fitter) E III.  He was now given a new Army Number, 7809701, upon his transfer to the Royal Engineers.

            On 13 March 1921 Bazley began his courses of instruction with the Training Battalion Royal Engineers at Brompton Barracks.  It was there that he learned the basics of military engineering along with advanced technical skills to make him a proficient Gas Fitter.  This training lasted until 21 October 1922 when he was posted to “M” Company, Royal Engineer Depot Battalion at Chatham.

38^th Field Company, Aldershot (1925-1926)

            Bazley extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours on 15 September 1925.  Fifteen days later he was posted to the 38th Field Company, R.E. at Aldershot in Hampshire.  The 38th Field Company formed part of the Divisional troops of the 2nd Division which, along with the 5th and 11th Field Companies, were under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas T. Grove, C.M.G., D.S.O., R.E.[17]  At the same time he was remustered as a Surveyor Class A III.  Since only intelligent and highly skilled men were selected for survey work, his selection to become a surveyor seems to be another indication of Bazley’s capacity for technical work.

Figure 5.  Lieutenant Colonel Thomas T. Grove, C.M.G., D.S.O., R.E.
(Photograph courtesy of the Imperial War Museum)

24^th (Fortress) Company, Malta (1926-1930)

            On 12 November 1926 Bazley was posted to the 24th (Fortress) Company on Malta.[18]  The 24th (Fortress) Company, at this time, was commanded by Major F.P. Heath, R.E.[19]

            While serving on Malta Bazley continued to improve his education.  He earned his 1st Class Certificate of Education on 12 October 1927.  As part of his military training he passed the 100-yard swimming test at Malta on 4 October 1928.  The swim test took place in conjunction with the company’s annual aquatic sports held at the Haymarket by permission of the Commander Royal Engineers in Malta, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Oliver Clogstoun, R.E.[20]

            On 23 October 1928 a shocking disaster, involving the loss of six lives and severe injuries to 26 other men, occurred on the collapse of the Portainer Brewery at Hamrun on the outskirts of Valletta.  The brewery building was under construction at the time, with parties working day and night.  An effort to hoist a boiler weighing 20 tons using a faulty pillar on which to attach the tackle was the cause of the disaster.  The pillar gave way and the boiler crashed on the ground floor and went through to the cellar beneath, in which the unfortunate victims were working.  The civilian authorities immediately telephoned for assistance to the 24th Fortress Company and within a short space of time a large party of volunteers from the company were on the spot helping to clear away the debris and rescue the unfortunate workmen.  Shortly afterwards parties of infantry soldiers and men of the Royal Navy also arrived and placed themselves under the direction of the Royal Engineers at the scene.  Colonel J.W.S. Sewell, the Chief Engineer on Malta, took over complete control and directed the rescue operations.  At about 8.30 p.m. in the evening the men of the 24th Fortress Company were withdrawn and parties of workmen who were originally employed on the building took over the rescue work.

            The following letter was received by the Malta Command in appreciation of the work done by Bazley and the other men of the 24th Fortress Company:[21]

The Palace, Valletta

“Sir - I am directed by the Officer Administering the Government to inform you that the Ministers have requested his Excellency to convey to you an expression of their grateful thanks for the valuable and prompt assistance rendered by the Military Authorities on the 23rd October, on the occasion of the collapse of part of a brewery in course of construction at Hamrun.

I have the honour to be, Sir

Your obedient servant,

(signed) EDW. R. MIFSUD

(Private Secretary to the Governor)  

The Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General

in Charge of Administration

Malta Command

            This incident demonstrates very well the assistance rendered to civil affairs in areas where Royal Engineers were stationed around the world.  It also points out very well the value of the engineers in performing peacetime duties as well as their service during war time.

            In November of 1928 the 24th Fortress Company began its annual training course at Pembroke.  The training for the company consisted of building a timber trestle bridge out of locally available materials.  The bridge was designed to carry divisional loads and was constructed under the direction of Captain W.G.R. Nutt, M.C., R.E.  The company also constructed a road at Bahar-ic-Caighk.  The work parties on this project reported that the ground at the site of the road construction was decidedly difficult to excavate since the general strata consisted of a rather colourful combination of “upper corraline limestone, green sand, blue clay, and globigerina limestone and lower corraline limestone.”  The men of the company found the work both tiring and tedious.[22]

            In April of 1929 the company was very busy moving machinery about the island of Malta.  The major portion of this work involved digging out and moving electric lighting equipment and generators from the Sliema Point Battery (now a restaurant and night club) and San Rocco and reinstalling the equipment at English Curtain and Leonardo.[23]  In June and July the company proceeded to the ranges at Ghain Tuffieha, as it did most years, for musketry training.[24]  While at Ghain Tuffieha the men of the company lived under canvas, as no permanent barrack facilities were available at the musketry ranges.  Rifle practice was undertaken in the mornings, with sports the order of the day for the afternoons.[25]  In the middle of the period of musketry training, one of the men of the company, a Sapper A. Haggertay, was struck with acute appendicitis.  He subsequently died at Imtarfa Hospital on 30 June and was buried with full military honours at Pieta Cemetery.  Sapper Bazley and the full strength of the 24th Fortress Company paraded for Sapper Haggertay’s funeral.[26]

            The Chief Engineer on Malta (Colonel J.W.S. Sewell, C.B., C.M.G.) carried out an inspection of the 24th Fortress Company at Ghain Tuffieha on 6 July 1929.  The company put on a good show for Colonel Sewell and he was very pleased with their turn out.[27] 

            In September of 1929 Sapper Bazley and his company were at work at Bahar-in- Claghak constructing a new road.  The company returned to its St. Francais Barracks headquarters in November upon completion of the road project.[28]  The Chief Engineer and the Commander Royal Engineers on Malta both departed in early October of 1929 and were replaced by Colonel S.F. Newcombe, D.S.O. and Lieutenant Colonel R.N. Bocquet, R.E., respectively.[29]

Sapper Bazley passed the trade test as a Draughtsman A II on 27 March 1930.  This classification as a draughtsman was to be the third trade he was qualified to practice as a result of his technical skills and training.  One of his first assignments while serving in his new trade was work at Pembroke on an experimental project involving the construction of cement bound roads.[30]  The project was undertaken by the company in July of 1930.  In August the company was involved with numerous projects on the island, including:[31]

·         Steel construction for a new bakery,

·         Construction of special roads,

·         Construction of concrete walls,

·         Running electric plants at various locations,

·         Supplying hot and cold water to new buildings, and

·         Joinery, moulding and fitting work in the Royal Engineer Workshop

Figure 6.  Map of the Fortification of Valletta.
(Map courtesy of Wikipedia: Fortifications of Valletta)

These projects continued well into September until the annual Musketry Course at Ghain Tuffieha again had to be attended by the men of the company.[32]

Establishment for Engineer Services (1930-1938) 

            These were the last activities of the 24th Fortress Company in which Sapper Bazley participated.  To make the best use of his skills, the Royal Engineers assigned him to the Establishment for Engineer Services (E.E.S.) on 26 September 1930.  On this date he was also promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal (Engineer Draughtsman).  Congratulations on his appointment were printed in The Sapper magazine of December 1930.[33]  

Command Depot, Didcot (1930-1933)

            Lance Corporal Bazley completed his tour of duty on Malta on 28 November 1930.  He embarked for home aboard H.T. “Dorsetshire” and arrived in England on 6 December 1930.  On the following day he was posted to the Command Depot at Didcot, south of Oxford.

            While serving at Didcot he re-engaged to complete 21 years of service with the Colours on 25 February 1931.  On 12 December 1931 he was promoted to the rank of Corporal (Engineer Clerk and Draughtsman).  His military records also show that on 26 August 1932 he left the Church of England and converted to Roman Catholicism.

Singapore (1933-1937)

            Corporal Bazley continued his service with the E.E.S. at Didcot until the 22 September 1933 when he embarked on H.T. “Neuralia” bound for Singapore.  On 17 October, while aboard ship, he was temporarily appointed to the rank of Acting Lance Sergeant.  Bazley disembarked at Singapore on 21 October 1933 and on 12 December 1933 he was promoted to the substantive rank of Lance Sergeant (Engineer Draughtman).  Engineer units in Singapore at the time of his arrival included the 41st Fortress Company and sections of the Establishment for Engineer Services.  The January 1934 issue of The Sapper magazine contains a welcome to Bazley on his arrival in Singapore.[34]   

            While serving in Singapore in July 1934, Bazley completed 18 years of service with the Colours and was awarded the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.[35]  On 24 November 1934 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant (Engineer Draughtsman).

            Sergeant Bazley departed Singapore aboard S.S. “Rampura” on 21 May 1937 and disembarked in England on 18 June 1937.  He was immediately posted to the Royal Engineer Depot at Aldershot.  On 24 November 1937 he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant (Engineer Draughtsman).  

Discharge

            Staff Sergeant Bazley served out the remainder of his time in service at Aldershot and was discharged at his own request on 1 September 1938 after completing about 22 years and 1 month of service.  His military conduct upon discharge was rated as “Exemplary” and his commanding officer provided the following testimonial for Staff Sergeant Bazley when he left the service:

“An extremely capable, willing and efficient Draughtsman.  He is most intelligent and helpful in his work.  Reliable, conscientious and trustworthy.  Most suited for any post where honesty and trustworthiness are essentials.”

6.  RELEASE FROM SERVICE

            Staff Sergeant Bazley’s service with the Colours (not including time in the Army Reserve) covered the following periods:

 ________________________________________________________________________

            The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Staff Sergeant Bazley’s promotions, appointments, military training and qualifications and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army.  They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career.  The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage, personal information and post-service life.

__________________________________________________________________________

7.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

            Harold John Bazley received the following promotions during his time in service:

 8.      MILITARY TRAINING, EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS  

Military Training: Bazley received the following military training during his time in service:

 Education:  Bazley obtained the following Certificates of Education during his time in service:

Qualifications:  Bazley earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

 9.      MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

            Staff Sergeant Harold John Bazley received the following medals during his time in service. 

NOTE: Staff Sergeant Bazley’s service record indicates that he is entitled to the above medals.  Only the original Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is in the author’s collection.  The whereabouts of the British War Medal and Victory Medal are unknown.  These medals would have been named to him as a Private in the Machine Gun Corps.

Figure 7.  The British War Medal and Victory Medal.
(NOTE: These medals are from the author’s collection but they are not Bazley’s)

Figure 8.  The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
of 7809701 SJT. H.J. BAZLEY R.E.
(Photograph from the author’s collection)

Figure 9.  The Medal Index Card of 67252 Private Harold John Bazley, M.G.C.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

10.  MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

Parents

            The Bazley family had lived for many generations in the Devonport area.  Harold’s father, Samuel George Bazley was born there on 24 June 1857, according to the Royal Navy Register of Seaman’s Service.  Samuel enlisted in the Royal Navy (Number 43950) on 24 June 1885.  He served at sea on numerous vessel including: HMS Impregnable, Adelaide, Vivid, Tamar, Vivid I, Bellerophon, and Hyacinth.  He rose to the rank of Petty Officer and 2^nd Quartermaster and was assigned to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 30 August 1902.  He was discharged on 24 June 1907 having reached the maximum age for service.

            Samuel had married Cecilia Mary Mounce in Stoke Damerel, Devonshire in October 1886.  Cecilia was born in Plymouth about 1858.  Samuel already was in the navy when they were married and on 8 December 1886 he was off to sea aboard HMS Impregnable until 2 December 1889.  Cecilia appears to have remained in Devonport while her husband was at sea.  Although he served on numerous ships he obviously was home frequently enough for the Bazleys to have five children.

            Samuel George Bazley died in Devonport in March of 1927.  Cecilia died in St. Germans, Cornwall in April of 1949.

Spouse

            Harold John Bazley married Miss Daisy O’Connell at Aldershot on 27 July 1926 and the couple resided at 16, Park Road in Aldershot soon after their marriage.  At the time of their marriage Bazley was only a Sapper, so it is very interesting that he was able to afford a wife and apparently a private residence in Aldershot.  Not much is known about Daisy.  Her place and date of birth are not known.  She probably was Irish and may have been a Catholic, as Harold converted to Catholicism in 1932, perhaps at the urging of his wife.

            Daisy accompanied her husband on his postings to Malta and Singapore and between 1887 and 1897 they had five children.  She apparently suffered from severe mental problems in later years and she died in about 1986, as will be discussed in more detail in Section 11 below.

Figure 10.  16 Park Road, Aldershot, Hampshire.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

Siblings

Frederick George Bazley

            Frederick George Bazley, the oldest brother of Harold John Bazley, was born on 16 August 1887 at Devonport.[36]  At the start of the Great War in August of 1914 he would have been 27 years old and certainly eligible for service.  There is a record of a Frederick George Bazley serving in the Royal Navy from 1912 to 1927; however, the date of birth given on the Royal Navy Register for this man is 1893 and not 1887.  Another record, a Medal Index Card, indicates that one Frederick G. Bazley served as 36150 Corporal in the Leicestershire Regiment.  It is not definitively known if Frederick George Bazley served in the forces during the war.  Frederick married and had both a son and a daughter.  He died in Plymouth in 1965.

Samuel Mounce Bazley

            Samuel Mounce Bazley was born in Devonport on 19 August 1888.  He was a Boilermaker by trade.  Following in his father’s footsteps, he enlisted in the Royal Navy (Number M.6185) on 1 July 1913 for a period of 12 years.  He served on numerous ships of the fleet including HMS Vivid II, Exmouth, Indus, King Alfred, Victory, Seander, Tyne, Sandhurst, Woolwich, Concord, Impregnable, Columbine and a number of others that appear in his Royal Navy service papers that are too difficult to decipher due to the handwritten entries on the form.  Although he had enlisted for a period of 12 years, it appears that he served until about June of 1927 before being discharged.

            Samuel married and had both a son and a daughter.  He died in Plymouth in December of 1977.

Cecilia Mary Bazley

            Harold Bazley’s sister was born in Devonport on 25 March 1890.  She married one Percy Harold Johns (1886-1963) in Devonport in July of 1913 and had one son.  She lived most of her life in Devonport and died in Plymouth in January of 1984.

William Henry Bazley

            William was born in Devonport on 4 June 1892.  He would have been 22 years old when the Great War began and certainly of an eligible age for service.  Medal Index Cards can be found for four William Bazleys, but no William Henry or William H. Bazleys; therefore, it was not possible to determine if William served in the forces during the war.

11.  POST SERVICE LIFE

Civilian Government Service (1938 - 1962)

            Following his discharge, Harold John Bazley was employed as a civilian draughtsman in the drawing office at Army Headquarters in Steele’s Road, Aldershot.  In 1938 he and Mrs. Bazley moved into a newly constructed semi-detached home at 100 Lower Farnham Road in Aldershot (see Figure 11 below).                 

            During the period from 1939 to 1945, despite his many military skills, Harold Bazley was not recalled for service in the Second World War.  In his position as a draughtsman working for Army Headquarters at Aldershot, it was probably considered that he was performing in the best capacity to serve the war effort.  He retired fully from government service in 1962 at the age of 65.  He continued to work part time on various projects in the Aldershot Garrison even after his retirement.[37]  He presumably also found time to enjoy his opera music.  Neighbors on Lower Farnham Road who knew the Bazleys said that they were quiet people who pretty much kept to themselves.[38]

Final Years (1962 - 1978)     

            Harold John Bazley prepared his Last Will and Testament on 13 March 1974.  The executors of his will were Messrs. Tanner and Taylor of 17, The Borough, Farnham, Surrey.  Bazley’s primary heir was his wife Daisy.  He also appointed as secondary heirs, should his wife predecease him, his nieces (to whom he was known as “Uncle Jack”); Agnes Violet Montpetit, Margaret Ivy Osborne and Margaret Violet Adkins.[39]      

            After 16 years of retirement, Harold John Bazley died at 100 Lower Farnham Road, Aldershot, Hampshire on 14 September 1978.  His niece, Margaret Violet Adkins was listed as the informant of his death.  The causes of his death were listed as myocardial infarction and ischaemic heart disease.[40]  Bazley’s death was registered on 15 September 1978 in the District of North East Hampshire, Sub-District of North East Hampshire, County of Hampshire, by M.R. Lawrence, Deputy Registrar.

Figure 11.  The Bazley Residence at 100 Lower Farnham Road, Aldershot.
(Photograph courtesy of Mr. William P. Behan)

            Bazley’s will was probated at Winchester on 7 December 1978.[41]  His effects were valued at £22,340 (approximately $177,500 US in 2021 currency).

            Mrs. Bazley, who was much younger than her husband, lived on at 100 Lower Farnham Road.  Unfortunately her mental condition deteriorated over time and eventually she was admitted to Brookwood Hospital.  She never left the hospital after she was admitted and died there six or seven years after her husband[42]

ADDENDUM

            This Addendum presents the information found on Bazley’s Royal Engineers Tracer Cards, which were located on the FindMyPast internet web site in 2022.  In most cases the information presented here coincides with that presently presented in the narrative; however, in some cases minor differences were encountered.  The cards also contain some information that is not in the narrative.  The reader should compare the information in the Addendum with the material previously presented for a more accurate assessment of Bazley’s military service.

R.E. Tracer Card, page 1

Enlistment Date:  14 October 1919

Transfer from the Machine Gun Corps:  12 March 1921

Period of Engagement:  6 years with the Colours and 6 year in the Army Reserve

Corps Trade:  Plumber & Gas Fitter, Group E, Class III

Registration District:  Plymouth, Devonport

Discharge:  1 September 1938.

R.E. Tracer Card, page 2

Promotions

Sapper:  13 March 1921

Engineer Clerk & Draughtsman Lance Corporal:  26 September 1930

Engineer Clerk & Draughtsman Corporal: 12 December 1931

Engineer Draughtsman Corporal: 3 October 1932

Engineer Draughtsman Lance Sergeant:  12 December 1933

Engineer Draughtsman Sergeant:  24 November 1934

Engineer Draughtsman Staff Sergeant: 24 November 1937

Units

“F” Company, Royal Engineers Training Battalion: 13 March 1921

“B” Company, Royal Engineers Training Battalion:  17 August 1921

“D” Company, Royal Engineers Training Battalion: 19 November 1921.

“M” Company, Royal Engineers Depot Battalion, 11 October 1922

38^th Field Company: 30 May 1923

24^th Fortress Company: 12 November 1926

“G” Company, Royal Engineers Depot Battalion: 26 September 1930

Office of the Deputy Commander Royal Engineers Didcot: 7 January 1931

Office of the Commander Royal Engineers, South Midland Area, Didcot: 10 August 1931

Office of the Commander Royal Engineers, Singapore:  22 September 1933

Office of the Commander Royal Engineers, North Aldershot:  18 June 1937

Discharged: 1 September 1938

REFERENCES  

 Books  

1. BECKE, A.F.  History of the Great War.  Order of Battle of Divisions.  Part 2B.  Ray Westlake Military Books, Newport, Gwent, 1988.

2. COPPARD, G.  With a Machine Gun to Cambrai.  Imperial War Museum, HMSO, London, 1976.

3. CRUTCHLEY, C.E.  Machine Gunner, 1914-1918.  Bailey Brothers and Swinfen, Ltd., Folkestone, 1975.

4. GRIERSON, J.M.  Scarlet into Khaki.  The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War.  Greenhill Books, London, 1988.

5. SLADEN, D. (editor).  WHO’S WHO, 1899.  An Annual Biographical Dictionary.  Adam & Charles Black, London, 1899.

Census  

1.      1901 Census of England (RG 13/2110).

2.      Census of England and Wales, 1911.

3.      1939 England and Wales Register, Aldershot, Hampshire.

Documents

1.  Ministry of Defence Letter to M.V. Atkins, dated 14 September 1998, subject: Service Record of 7809701 Staff Sergeant Harold John Bazley, Royal Engineers.

2. The Last Will of Harold John Bazley of 100 Lower Farnham Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, 13 March 1974.
3. Probate Register, 1978, page 523.

4. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death, Harold John Bazley.  General Register Office, London, QDX179159, 26 March 1998.

5. Royal Navy Register of Seaman’s Service: Samuel George Bazley.

6. Royal Navy Register of Seaman’s Service: Samuel Mounce Bazley.
   
7. Royal Engineers Tracer Cards.

Family Trees  

1. Harold John Bazley (montyzoomer100).
2. Samuel George Bazley (montyzoomer100).

Internet Web Sites

Fortifications of Valletta
By Xwejnusgozo - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43305334  

Medal Rolls

1. Machine Gun Corps Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal.
2. Medal Index Card: 67252 Private Harold John Bazley, M.G.C.

Periodicals  

1. The Sapper magazine.  The Regimental Journal of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent. 

October 1928

January 1929

February 1929

March 1929

May 1929

July 1929

August 1929

September 1929

November 1929

December 1929

August 1930

September 1930

October 1930

December 1930

April 1931

January 1932

February 1932

January 1934

March 1935

December 1978  

2. Monthly Army Lists, HMSO, London.

December 1920, p. 1561

June 1926, p. 20  

Personal Communications  

            BEHAN, W.P.  Research Report.  A Report on the Personal Recollections of Margaret Violet Adkins and Margaret Ivy Osborne Relating to the Life of Their Uncle, Staff Sergeant Harold John Bazley.  Aldershot, Hampshire, May 1998.