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Captian Robert Edward Hartwell BAILY MBE
H Company, 1/1st Herefordshire Regiment attached to the Sudan Political Service Date of birth: 6th June 1885 Date of death: 19th September 1973 Died aged 88 Unknown
Robert "Robin" Edward Hartwell Baily was born at "Thornbury", Whyteleafe in Surrey on the 6th of June 1885 the eldest son of Edward Peter Baily, Headmaster of Hazelwood School, and Ruth (nee Bourne) Baily of Hazelwood School. He was educated Hazelwood School until July 1895 where he was a member of the Cricket XI in 1895. He went on to Fonthill School and then to Elstree School where he was Head of School and Captain of both the Cricket and Football XIs. He moved to Harrow School where he was in Mr Davidson's House from April 1899 until July 1904. He was a member of the Cricket XI from 1901 to 1904, scoring 45 at Lords on his debut there in his first season. He was Captain of Cricket in 1903 and 1904 and was appointed as a School Monitor in 1903. He was a member of the Football XI in 1903 and 1904. Later in 1904 he went on to Pembroke College Cambridge where he rowed for his college in the 2nd Boat in 1905 and played cricket for the Cambridge University XI from 1905 to 1908, being Captain in 1907 and obtaining his “Blue” in 1908. He achieved a First Class BA degree in Arabic on the 29th of October 1908. He played county cricket for Surrey County Cricket Club as wicketkeeper and scored 825 first class runs at an average of 16.83 as well as taking 37 catches and 12 stumpings during his career. On leaving university he joined the Sudanese Political Service at Khartoum in October 1909, becoming Inspector of the Shendi District based at Kassala, but returned home in 1910 with heart trouble. He returned to the Sudan later that year, and from 1911 to 1915 he served at Shendi as 2nd Political Inspector in Berber Province. On the 9th of February 1913 he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in H Company of the 1st Herefordshire Regiment based at Hereford. They were mobilised on the 5th of August 1914 having volunteered for overseas service and on the same day, Robert Baily was seconded for duty with the Sudan Civil Service. He served as 2nd Political Inspector for Shendi in Sennar Province from 1915 to 1920. He was promoted to Captain on the 14th of May 1917 with precedence as from the 1st of June 1916. He was awarded the MBE (Civil Division) on the 5th of December 1919 for his part in quelling the unrest in Sudan led by Mohammed al Sayid Hamid in May of that year. On the 16th of August 1920 he was married to Mrs Brenda Lea (nee Wadworth), the widow of Captain Gerald Ernest Lea 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment who had been killed in action on the 16th of September 1914; the ceremony was taken at St Peter’s Church, Hereford by the Reverend Canon Bannister. From 1920 to 1921 he served as 1st Political Inspector for Singa in Sennar Province. He was awarded the Order of the Nile Fourth Class on the 22nd of May 1922. From 1921 to 1925 he served as Deputy Governor of Khartoum and received the OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list of the 3rd of June 1925. In 1926 he was appointed as Acting Governor of Kassala Province, becoming Governor in 1927, leaving the post when he retired from the Sudan Political Service in 1933. He was awarded the Order of the Nile 3rd Class on the 20th of August 1931 and was awarded the CBE in the New Years Honours List of the 1st of January 1932. A correspondent, Sir Gawain Bell, described him:- "Baily was tall, thin and elegant, with great charm; his qualities and mannerisms were those of a public school prefect.....he had played cricket for Harrow and Cambridge , and retained a youthful delight in all games and forms of exercise. Baily was a man of idiosyncrasies. He would, for instance, entertain his guests after dinner by inviting them to sing hymns. His Sudanese butler would distribute the hymn books with the coffee, as we sat on his lawn under the stars, Baily would select the number, give the note and lead in a rich baritone. He was a warm hearted sympathetic man and I was fortunate to find myself in his Province for my first year in the Sudan." He was Secretary of the Royal Empire Society from 1935 to 1938 and was Scouts County Commissioner for Herefordshire from 1939 to 1960. He lived at the Castle Pool Hotel, Hereford and died in Hereford.

Went on to Harrow School