Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER Published: 16 November 2007
Some friends of Mr Bayliss: Edgar Rogers, Patrick McCann, Mary Bowman and David Craig
Fond farewell to war hero and councillor
THEY read his favourite poem, If, by Rudyard Kipling and sang Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye.
It was all entirely fitting to celebrate the life of the President of the Islington Royal British legion Bill Bayliss last week.
More than 100 people including Islington Mayor Lib Dem Cllr Barbara Smith turned up to say farewell to former Labour councillor turned Social Democrat Bill, who died early this month, aged 90.
The funeral service took place at St Mary’s Church Upper Street.
A former war hero, he served in Italy, Africa and Greece.
He was captured as a prisoner of war but escaped from the Germans by jumping from a moving train.
Bill was due to co-ordinate last week’s Remembrance Day events in the borough when he would have led the procession through the borough and organised the sale of poppies.