William Clifford (Cliff) BAYLISS

BAYLISS, William Clifford

Service Number: NX59485
Enlisted: 16 July 1940, Paddington, New South Wales
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion
Born: Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia, 30 October 1907
Home Town: Waverton, North Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: School Teacher Erskiineville opportunity schoo
Died: Cholera (POW of Japan), Thailand, 3 June 1943, aged 35 years
Cemetery: Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, (Burma)
Plot A6, Row B, Grave 16
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Glen Innes World War 2 Memorial, Parramatta NSW Department of Education Teachers and Trainees WW2 Honour Roll
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World War 2 Service

16 Jul 1940: Enlisted Private, NX59485, Paddington, New South Wales
16 Jul 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX59485, 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion
3 Jun 1943: Involvement Private, NX59485, 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion, Prisoners of War

Co author of "Gallaghan's Greyhounds"

Cliff was one of three men of the 2/30th Battalion who researched and interviewed Battalion members at Changi Prisoner of War camp and compiled the story of the Battalion.

Along with Kenneth Crispin and Alan Penfold, Cliff was a dedicated man in his efforts to record the story. And to protect it from discovery by the Japanese.

Even up to the day of his admission to hospital (taken from the introduction of the book (and I am Ken Crispin's daughter in law)) he was still working on his notes.

He died of cholera at Shimo Sonkurai camp on the Burma Railway on 3rd June 1943.

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Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen

William Clifford BAYLISS was born in Glen Innes, NSW on 30th October, 1907

His parents were William Joseph BAYLISS & Laura Jane O'HARA who married in Glen Innes in 1904

He married Florence May BARLOW in Sydney in 1940

William (Cliff) died of Cholera whilst a Prisoner of War on 3rd June 1943

His name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial and the Roll of Honour in Glen Innes

 

                                            IN MEMORY

Biography contributed by Paul Gray

I attended a 2/30th Battalion Memorial some years ago and presented some flowers at the memorial.

Then after the event , the late Major General Gordon Maitland

(AO, OBE, RFD, ED)  Patron for 2/30th Battalion at that time.

approached me and asked if I was the one who presented the flowers for Cliff and I said, Yes.

He said, "would you believe that Cliff Bayliss was my school teacher and with great expression said that Cliff was a most amazing man!"

 

 

 

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