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Stephen Thomas Bailey

Male 1907 - 1936  (29 years)


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  • Name Stephen Thomas Bailey 
    Born 1907  Berkley, Somerset, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Military Service Royal Air Force 
    Died 15 Feb 1936  Sicily Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Frome Hero in Flying Boat Accident

      Sorrow has been brought to several West Country homes by the Sicilian disaster to the RAF flying boat, which crashed on a mountain with the loss of nine lives on February 15th. One of the victims is Corporal Stephen Thomas Bailey, who belonged to Frome, and has relatives in Bath.

      He was 29. Twelve years ago he plunged into the swollen river Frome and saved a child from drowning, afterwards restoring it to consciousness by the use of artificial respiration. His pluck was recognised by the Royal Humane Society and by the people of Frome, who presented him with a monetary testimonial.

      Bailey, who was then a Territorial learned his life saving under Mr C. Ivor Young now chairman of the local urban council. He had been looking forward to the experience of being a member of the flying boat crew.

      Corp. Stephen Thomas Bailey, one of the victims was the 29 year old son of the late Frank Bailey, and of Mrs Short, of 11 Willow Vale Frome.

      He was one of a family of nine, and was the fourth son.

      Very well known in the town of his birth, he was a local hero for 12 years ago he plunged into the flooded river Frome at Willow Vale and rescued a child named Dennis from drowning. For his gallant act he was awarded the Life-Saving Certificate of the Royal Humane Society, and the townspeople presented him with a suitably inscribed gold watch.

      One of his sisters is Mrs H J Rogers, wife of the licencee of Fuller's Wine Vaults, Quiet St, Bath. A representative of this paper saw Mr Rogers' daughter at Quiet Street on Saturday. My uncle came to Bath a fortnight before he left England on Jan 15th she said. We heard the tragic news over the wireless at 9.30 on Friday and at once got in touch with the Frome Police. We knew that he was in the flying boat concerned. 'My uncle was engaged to marry a London girl'

      Mr Bailey had resided in Frome all his life. He went to the Wesleyan Boys School and on leaving worked for Mr Ivor Young, who is now the Chairman of the Frome Urban Council before joining the RAF. Last year he was among the members of the RAF who accompanied Sir Philip Sassoon to Alexandria in Egypt. He came home on leave and spent Christmas with his family in Frome.

      A 19 year old brother who works for Mr John Lewis the Frome butcher lives with his mother at Willow Vale. When he was living in Frome Corporal Bailey was a great swimmer and was a member of the Frome Swimming Club.
    Person ID I24381  Lasbury Family
    Last Modified 10 Jan 2024 

    Father Frank Bailey
              b. 1864, Frome, Somerset, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location
              d. 1912, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 48 years) 
    Mother Fanny Parfitt
              b. 1869, Chapmanslade, Wiltshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location
              d. 1952  (Age 83 years) 
    Married 1890  Frome, Somerset, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F8926  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 1907 - Berkley, Somerset, England, UK Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 15 Feb 1936 - Sicily Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth