Lieutenant Gabriel Thomas Lane Bayliff

 

 

Gabriel Thomas Lane Bayliff was born on 8 March 1898 at Alexis Creek, Chilcotin, British Columbia, son of rancher Hugh Peel Lane Bayliff and his wife Gertrude Louise (née Tindall). Educated at Charterhouse, he enlisted as an officer cadet on 10 October 1916, training at Netheravon. He was commissioned on 17 February 1917 and posted to the 6th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry.

On 29 April 1917 he reported for duty with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron, part of the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, at Boeschepe in France. In September 1917 the regiment was dismounted and absorbed into the 9th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. Bayliff joined the battalion at Ruyaulcourt in France on 20 October, but on 16 November left for England, where he transferred to the Tank Corps at Bovington.

On 19 December 1917 he embarked for France with J Battalion of the Tank Corps – soon after renamed the 10th Battalion.

The battalion saw much action during the German Spring Offensive on 25, 26 and 27 March, and 5 April 1918.

From 8 to 10 August the 10th Battalion was heavily involved in the Battle of Amiens, Bayliff serving in C Company alongside fellow former 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment officers Larter and Garnham.

On 8 August the twelve tanks of C Company were to support the 58th Division's attack to secure Chipplily Spur. Bayliff, commanding tank J38, later reported:

Left Jumping Off Point J24c7.5. at 3.35 a.m. with crew of four, two men having fainted from Fumes and Heat. Heavy Mist made it impossible to help direction, or see the attacking Infantry. Drove on in search of Front line and attacking Infantry, till at 4.30 a.m. the Tank received a direct hit under the Engine setting it on Fire. The crew escaped being slightly scratched and shaken; but it was impossible to save any Guns or Equipment. I then joined J.42. 2/Lt Cronshaw M.C. with three of my crew.

Later in the day close to Hallard Wood J42 sustained a hit, forcing it to return to rallying point.

On 21 August 1918 on the opening day of the Battle of Albert, sixteen tanks of the 10th Battalion went into action at Bucquoy. Eleven would receive direct hits from the enemy, with sixteen officers and 53 other ranks as casualties. Bayliff (in Tank J37), Larter and Garnham commanded tanks in the right section.

Bayliff's tank was knocked out, the company commander reporting that: "No authentic news has been received of either the Officer or the crew." He had in fact been captured, later describing events of the day as follows:

While advancing onto the final objective on the morning of 21st August, the heavy fog which had made observation difficult lifted, and my tank received a direct hit, while climbing out of a sunken road, putting it out of action and causing it to slip back into the road. When I was able to see what had happened I found to [sic] of the crew dead the remainder having left the tank believing it to be on fire. On leaving the tank I found two of the crew unwounded but badly shaken and the other two in a shell hole in rear of the tank both wounded. I sent a runner back with a message to the supporting troops giving information and asking for help with the wounded.

Observing that we were surrounded by large numbers of the enemy who were massing for counter attack I got into the shell hole and dressed wounded; hoping to avoid detection untill our infantry should come up or I should be able to get back to the guns, but was caught by counter attack wave.

Bayliff was repatriated in December 1918 and attached to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. He had become a lieutenant on 15 August 1918.

He relinquished his commission on 12 November 1920 and returned to Canada, where he farmed cattle on Chilancoh Ranch, Chilcotin in British Columbia. He died on 4 November 1977.

 

This page last updated 24 September 2023.