Joseph William Bayle of the Inniskilling Fusiliers

Our uncle, Sergeant Joseph William Bayle was born in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, Ireland. He was one of the seven children of Thomas and Elizabeth Bayle. The family moved from Co Wicklow to the Sandymount area of Dublin in the early 1900s, and according to the 1911 census Joseph was a bread van driver. A newspaper piece around the time of his death described him as having been a drill instructor with the Loyal Dublin Volunteers, before enlisting in the RIF. Joseph (service number 13492) volunteered for the 9th Battalion of the Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers, which was formed in September 1914. He was promoted to Lieutenant Corporal on 9th October that year. Following training first in Ireland and then England, the Battalion disembarked in Boulogne, France on 5 October 1915. The Battalion did not see front line service up to the end of 1915, and February 1916 was the first time they were "in the line" near Beaumont Hamel. On 17th March 1916 (St Patrick's Day), everyone wore the shamrock which had been sent out. Two days later Joseph Bayle was wounded by shellfire while posting sentries in a thicket. He died of his wounds aged 27, near Doullens, on 21 March 1916. He is buried at Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery, in Grave A9. His name is listed with others on a commemorative plaque in St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland. The plaque was moved here from a sister church, St mark's, when it was "decommissioned."