1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Arthur Stanley Bayton, known as Stanley was born in Coleford in 1892 and was the son of James Bayton (1856-1904), a quarryman, and Elizabeth May Bayton (formerly Nelmes) (1848-1926). The family lived at 8 Newland Street, Coleford. In the 1911 Census Stanley Bayton’s occupation was given as mason.
Stanley Bayton’s service records have not survived but his medal index card shows that he was entitled to the 1914 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal, but no mention was made of entitlement to the “5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914” clasp and roses, that he landed in France on 19 September 1914, and was taken prisoner of war on 20 October 1914. This would appear to indicate that he was most probably a Regular or Reservist at the outbreak of war. The war diary of the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment recorded that a reinforcement draft of 96 men joined the battalion in the line on 20 September 1914 near Troyon: Stanley Bayton was probably one of this draft.
The war diary further recorded that on 20 October the battalion was in billets in Poperinghe but were engaged the next day at Poelcapelle and Stanley Bayton was therefore most probably taken prisoner on 21 October 1914. He was incarcerated at Wittenberg, Germany but no record was found of the date of his repatriation to England.
Stanley Bayton was discharged from the Army on 31 March 1920 and died on 18 June 1921 at the age of 29.
A recently released Pension Record Card indicates that cause of death was valvular disease of the heart. His mother claimed a dependent’s pension which indicated that the cause of Stanley Bayton’s disability was undiagnosed, but no doubt connected to his years as a prisoner of war. He was buried in Coleford Town Cemetery, where a standard CWGC headstone marks his grave.