THE FAMILY AT WAR 1914 - 1918 : Part Eight

By the later summer of 1918 Bert Bayliss's health began to deteriorate. He became bedridden - his bed was set up by the window in the front basement of the house in Windermere Road. It became obvious to the family that he did not have long to live. Although she had herself remarried in 1917, Daisy, Esther's younger sister helped with the nursing chores as Esther was heavily pregnant. The birth of her son, Stanley, in October 1918 must have been greeted with mixed emotions. Joy, certainly, that Bert had  lived long enough to see his new son and probably some trepidation - she already had six children to support but another mouth to feed must have been cause for concern.  Sister Daisy, with three children to support, after her husband Wally's death, had remarried to William Mathew Chamberlain. 

Daisy Abbotts whose first husband, Walter Huggins had been killed
of the Western Front in 1916. She married William Mathew Chamberlan
in 1917.

One touching story survives from this sad time. Everyday Bert used to send one of his children to a little newsagent in Hargrave Road to buy five Woodbine cigarettes and a copy of The Sporting Life. With his lungs in such bad condition Bert could not smoke but each day the new packet of Woodbines was placed on his bedside table and the one from the previous day was removed by Esther.

Bert passed away on the morning of 2nd November 1918.  Although at the time of his death Bert was not a serving member of the Army, Esther applied for him to have a military funeral. She was refused. On the advice of a neighbour, Mrs.Channing, Esther contacted The Royal Field Artillery where she got a very different answer. Thanks to the regiment Bert would get a military funeral and his coffin would be carried to the cemetery on a gun carraige.