Richard Francis Baylis – Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 28th Battalion

Private Richard Francis Baylis – Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 28^th Battalion

Birth and Family Background

Richard Francis Baylis was born in 1893 in Swansea. He was the son of Francis Thomas Baylis and Elizabeth Annie Pearse.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Baylis family were living at 30 Middleton Street, Swansea.
Francis Thomas Baylis (32), born in Worcestershire, was employed as a baker, while his wife Elizabeth Annie (32), born in Somerset, managed the household.

Their children were Catherine Annie (10), Richard Francis (8), Howard Victor (4), Christopher Isaac (3), and Frederick Leslie (1).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 188 Foxhole Road, St Thomas, Swansea.
Francis Thomas Baylis (42) continued to work as a baker, and Elizabeth Annie (42) managed the household.

The children present were Richard (18), employed as a copper worker / furnaceman; Howard (14); Christopher Jones (13); Frederick Leslie (8); William (8); and Ivy (7), most of whom were still attending school.

Also living in the household were their married daughter Catherine (20), her husband Alfred Doel (19), a copper worker / furnaceman, and their infant daughter Doreen Elizabeth Louise, aged 12 weeks.

Emigration to Canada

After 1911, Richard Francis Baylis emigrated to Canada, where he was employed as a sprinkler fitter, a skilled industrial trade reflecting his background in heavy industry.

Military Service

Attestation Papers

In October 1914, Richard enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, serving as a Private with “A” Company, 28^th Battalion, Canadian Infantry.

The 28^th Battalion, raised in Saskatchewan, became part of the 6^th Infantry Brigade, 2^nd Canadian Division, and saw continuous front-line service on the Western Front.

Death in Action

Richard Francis Baylis was killed in action on 9^th August 1918 during the Allied advance following the Battle of Amiens, one of the opening phases of the Hundred Days Offensive.

While serving as a scout during an attack, Richard was shot through the lower part of his throat, a wound that proved fatal. His death occurred during intense fighting as Canadian forces pressed forward against retreating German positions, often under heavy machine-gun fire.

Burial and Commemoration

War Graves Register

Richard Francis Baylis is buried at Rosieres Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.

His service reflects the global nature of the First World War, linking industrial Swansea, wartime Canada, and the battlefields of northern France, and commemorates a young man who left home, crossed continents, and gave his life during the final, decisive months of the war