F. E. Baily's Revolver

[Richard2]

I found this Webley Mk VI revolver in a pawn shop about 30 years ago.  I thought that it was interesting that a name was engraved on the backstrap, and I was hoping there would be only one officer named "F.E. Baily" in the WWI British Army.  Then I would know who owned the revolver.  At first I could find nothing about F.E. Baily, then in 2019 I found that some records that had previously been unavailable were now posted on the internet.  Fortunately, there was only one F. E. Baily listed in the records, and he was an author who wrote a book with an account of his experience in the war.

 

According to his book, Twenty-nine Years Hard Labour, he entered the army as an enlisted man in 1916.  In about late 1916 or early 1917 he went to officer's candidate school and was commissioned.  He served with the Motor Transportation Corps in East Africa.  He mentions his revolver once in the book.  Another officer, who apparently had a low regard for the Indian soldiers with whom they were serving, advised Lt. Baily to be ready to use his revolver to shoot deserters.

 

It seem strange that this Webley is dated 1915, and the serial number (154882) indicates that it was manufactured early in the production of MkVI revolvers.  If he bought the revolver in late 1916 or early 1917, it would have already been over a year old when he bought it.  I would have thought that revolvers would have sold much more quickly during WWI.  Is it reasonable to think that he may have purchased the revolver before he went to officer's school, or even before he joined the army?

 

John Taylor also carried a .455 Webley in East Africa postwar, but I believe he was too young to have served in WWI.  He recommended that a revolver be carried in Africa for defense against  lions when a rifle is not in hand, and used his Webley to kill a couple of lions, a leopard, and a hyena.  I would guess that officers serving in East Africa during the war also used their revolvers for defense against animals as well as the enemy.

 

F. E. Baily's revolver has been altered to take .45 ACP/.45 auto-rim, and it shoots well with reloads that are loaded down to the pressure of the original .455 Webley.

[Waggoner]

What a great story! Did you find the pistol in the USA? If so, I wonder if he moved there after the war? What have you been able to find out about the MTC in East Africa?

 

All the best,

 

Gary

[Richard2]

Yes, I found it in Florida, USA.  Mr. Baily was still living in England when he wrote Twenty-nine Years Hard Labour, in about the mid 1930s, but he had visited America.  I have read about the East Africa campaign here on the Great War Forum and a few other places on the internet.  One thing I found interesting is that motorized transportation was very important in Africa.  In other theaters of war horses could be used.  Horses were not practical in Africa because the horses were very susceptible to African diseases.

[Waggoner]

Thanks!