233660 2nd Lt. William Henry Baynes British Army 1st Btn. Queens Royal West Surrey Rgt. from:8 Black Griffin Lane, Canterbury (d.12th October 1918) William Henry Baynes is my great uncle. He lost his mother when he was only 11 years old and was one of six children. His father Henry went on to look after the children who had not left home, one of whom was my grandad. I found William while reserching my family history. Although my mother knew of him and told me the family did not want him to sign up, he did and was in France by October 1914.
William is mentioned twice in the WW1 war diaries of the Queen's Royal (West Surrey) Regiment. He was a bomber trying to take enemy trenches at Lump Lane (Somme). These trenches were in places nearly knee deep in mud and water from the heavy rain of the previous evening and the going was very heavy. This was not a successful attack and William and four men became isolated in a shell hole having run out of bombs or grenades, but luckily they were covered by a small party sent to help and made a withdrawal.
He was later wounded at Menin and sent to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Southampton where he died on the 12th October 1918.
He received the 1914 star and British War Medal and Victory Medal. William is named on the Great War Memorial outside Canterbury Cathedral.
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