Fusiliers, yr. _s._ of the late William Thomson Barton, of
Morriston, Elgin, by his wife, Clara (Woodstock, Camberley, Surrey),
dau. of the late Very Rev. John Ferguson, Dean of Moray, Ross and
Caithness; _b._ Morriston, Elgin, 5 Sept. 1893; educ. Stratheden
House, Blackheath; Radley College; Mr. Tinniswood’s, Holmdale,
Camberley; and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; and was gazetted
to the Royal Scots Fusiliers, 15 Aug. 1914. He went to France on 8
Sept., served on the Aisne and in Flanders, and was killed in action
near La Bassée on or about 18 Oct. 1914. At first reported missing
after the fighting that day, the news of his death was conveyed to his
mother by a German officer, who wrote on a letter from her, no doubt
found on his body, as follows: “Dear Mrs. Barton, Your son fell on the
field of honour against our regt. I admired his courage after a very
hard struggle against us. Your son will be buried near Castle Warneton,
near Lille.--(Signed) Ewald, Lieut. Feldart. Regt. No. 7.”
[Illustration: =Harold William F. Barton.=]
=BARTON, HENRY=, Leading Stoker (R.F.R., B. 10176), 298707, H.M.S.
Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BARTON, JAMES THOMAS=, Stoker, P.O. (R.F.R., A. 2315), 115754,
H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of
Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BARTON, JOHN THOMAS=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 5046, H.M.S. Hawke;
lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.
=BARTTELOT, NIGEL KENNETH WALTER=, Lieut.-Commander, R.N., H.M.S.
Liberty, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, yr. _s._ of the late Sir Walter
George Barttelot, 2nd Bt., 5th Dragoon Guards (killed in action South
Africa, 23 July, 1900), by his wife, Georgiana Mary (now wife of
Beville Molesworth St. Aubyn), only dau. of George Edmond Balfour, of
The Manor, Sidmouth; _b._ Coates Castle, Fittleworth, Sussex,
9 April, 1883; educ. at “Fonthill,” East Grinstead; “Kivernells,”
Lymington, and H.M.S. Britannia, Dartmouth. He joined the Navy, 15 Jan.
1899, becoming a Midshipman 15 May the same year, Sub-Lieut. 15 May,
1902, Lieut. 30 Sept. 1904, and Lieut.-Commander 30 Sept. 1912. He was
appointed to the command of the destroyer Liberty, 7 March, 1914, and
was killed in action off Heligoland Bight, 28 Aug. 1914. He was buried
at Stopham. In the official report of their action, Commodore R. V.
Tyrwhitt said: “H.M.S. Liberty.... The late Lieut.-Commander Nigel
K. W. Barttelot commanded the Liberty with great skill and gallantry
throughout the action. He was a most promising and able officer, and
I consider his death a great loss to the Navy.” He _m._ at St.
George’s, Hanover Square, 10 Jan. 1906, Dorothy Maud, dau. of the late
Frederick Aldcroft Kay, and had a son: James Nigel Walter, _b._ 27
June, 1911.
[Illustration: =Nigel K. W. Barttelot.=]
=BASHFORD, ALFRED=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 2682), 217071, H.M.S. Good
Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov.
1914.
=BASKERVILLE, GILBERT THOMAS=, Clerk, Royal Navy, yr. _s._
of the late Henry Spencer Baskerville, Fleet Paymaster, R.N., by his
wife, Jane (4, Marlboro’ Villas, Gillingham, Kent), dau. of Thomas
Wetherall Sproulle, M.D., and grandson of the late Commander Percival
Baskerville, R.N.; _b._ Gillingham, 6 Oct. 1893; educ. Christ’s
Hospital; entered the Navy, July, 1911, and was appointed to H.M.S.
Highflyer, flagship in the East Indies. After the manœuvres in 1913,
for which he was appointed to H.M.S. Euryalis, he joined the King
George V. and was amongst those fêted at Kiel in June, 1914. In July
the same year he was appointed to H.M.S. Cressy in order to qualify for
his Assistant Paymaster examination, and was lost in the North Sea when
that ship was torpedoed, 22 Sept. 1914; _unm._ He had the Persian
Gulf medal.
[Illustration: =Gilbert Thomas Baskerville.=]
=BASKERVILLE, HEDLEY=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 2418), 204437, H.M.S. Good
Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov.
1914.
=BASNETT, JOHN=, Corpl., No. 2801, D Coy., 8th (Service) Battn.
Rifle Brigade, _s._ of John Basnett, of 14, Clement Street,
Taylorson Street, Salford, Manchester, Labourer, by his wife, Emily,
dau. of John Gallop; _b._ Bristol, 1 Sept. 1890; educ. Ordsall
Board School, Salford; was employed at the Westinghouse Works, Trafford
Park, but after the outbreak of war joined the Rifle Brigade, 31 Aug.
1914, and was killed in action at Hooge, 30 July, 1915; unm. His Capt.,
A. C. Sheepshanks, wrote that after the action he was found to be
missing, and must have been struck down in the charge that day, adding:
“He was turning out a most useful and reliable N.C.O.”
[Illustration: =John Basnett.=]
=BASS, HENRY=, Private, R.M.L.I. (Ports.), 6800, H.M.S. Hawke;
lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._
=BASSETT, VICTOR CHARLES=, Boy, 1st Class, J. 26732, H.M.S. Hawke,
_s._ of Isaac Bassett, of 12, Furnival Road, Sheffield; lost in
action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.
=BASTARD, REGINALD GEORGE=, Officers’ Chief Steward, 362308
(Devon.), H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the
coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BASTARD, WILLIAM=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Bedfordshire Regt.,
_s._ of William Bastard, of Coltscombe, Slapton, near Kingsbridge,
South Devon, by his wife, Helen, 2nd dau. of Joshua Edward Adkins;
_b._ Coltscombe, 20 April, 1891; educ. Plymouth (Miss Tubbs’
preparatory school), Blundells’, and Exeter College, Oxford; gazetted
2nd Lieut. 22 Jan. 1913; was in South Africa at the outbreak of war,
came home in Sept., was promoted Lieut. the 30th of that month, went
to the front on 4 Oct., and was killed in action at Gheluvelt a few
days later, 26 Oct. 1914; _unm._ He was mentioned in F.M. Sir
John French’s despatch of 14 Jan. 1915, for gallant and distinguished
service in the field. The following remarks were received by his mother
from Col. Coates--6 Nov. 1914. “From the day he joined I recognised
that your son was one of the best types of officers--very keen on his
work, thoroughly sensible, and willing to take responsibility. I always
had him in my eye as being well fitted for the Adjutancy later on.”
[Illustration: =William Bastard.=]
=BATCHELOR, BENJAMIN EDWIN=, Stoker, 1st Class, S.S. 111822,
H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BATCHELOR, GEORGE=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 5069), 177988, H.M.S.
Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BATCHELOR, HAROLD JAMES=, Flight Sub-Lieut., Royal Naval Air
Service, 3rd _s._ of Capt. (--) Batchelor; was in the merchant
service; obtained his commission Nov. 1914; was killed in the
Dardanelles 11 May, 1915; _unm._
=BATE, THOMAS HENRY=, P.O., 2nd Class (R.F.R., A. 1815), 134972,
H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BATEMAN, CLAUDE JOHN=, Private, No. 391, 7th Light Horse,
Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of F. Bateman, of Wainfleet,
Lincolnshire; killed in action at the Dardanelles, 2 June, 1915.
=BATEMAN, FRANK=, A.B., R.F.R. (B. 2845, S.S. 184), H.M.S. Good
Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov.
1914.
=BATEMAN, WILLIAM THOMAS=, Private, No. 748, 16th Battn.
Australian Imperial Force; _d._ 15 May, 1915, of wounds received
in action at the Dardanelles.
=BATES, FRANK=, Private, No. 2020, 4th Battn. Royal Sussex Regt.
(T.F.); _d._ at Cuckfield 31 Jan. 1915, of heart failure, while
training.
=BATES, GEORGE=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 9776), 210136, H.M.S.
Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BATES, JAMES CHRISTOPHER=, Private, No. 11259, 1st Battn.
Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Joseph Bates, of 113, Woodland Street,
Smethwick, co. Stafford; served with Expeditionary Force in France and
Flanders; reported missing 22 Dec. 1914, and now assumed to have been
killed in action on that date.
=BATES, STANES GEOFFREY=, Capt., 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, and
Adjutant, North Somersetshire Yeomanry, only _s._ of Gilbert
Thompson Bates, tenant of Mells Park, Frome, Somerset, J.P. [2nd
_s._ of Sir Edward Bates, 1st Bt., M.P.], by his wife, Charlotte
Thaxter, dau. of George Warren, of Woolton; _b._ London, 2 June,
1884; educ. Farnborough, Winchester, and Sandhurst. He joined the
7th Queen’s Own Hussars, 22 April, 1903, and was promoted Lieut. 27
April, 1907, and Capt. 11 May, 1912. He spent two and a-half years in
South Africa, and returned with his regt. in Dec. 1906, when they were
quartered at Norwich and afterwards at Aldershot. In Oct. 1911 the
regt. went to Bangalore, where he remained until July, 1913, when he
returned to England on leave, shortly afterwards (1 Nov.) receiving the
Adjutancy of the North Somersetshire Yeomanry. He went to the front
with this regt. and was wounded at Vlamertinghe during the 1st battle
of Ypres, 16 Nov. 1914, but was able to return to the front from the
Base Hospital in a few days. At the 2nd battle of Ypres he was killed
instantaneously in the trenches at Hooge by a shell explosion, 13 May,
1915; _unm._ He was buried there the same day, amid a few trees
behind the line held by the North Somersets. For their conduct on this
occasion the North Somersets were specially mentioned in Despatches.
He was much beloved by his men in both regts., and his loss deeply
regretted by his Colonel and brother officers in the 7th Hussars. A
good all-round sportsman and well-known with the Blackmore Vale Hounds.
[Illustration: =Stanes Geoffrey Bates.=]
=BATES, STANLEY KNIGHT=, Lieut., 5th Battn. The King’s Own (Royal
Lancaster Regt.), yr. _s._ of Lieut.-Col. John Henry Bates, late
2nd in command of the same regt., formerly of Fir Bank, Penrith,
Manager of the Penrith branch of the Liverpool Bank, by his wife,
Sarah Eleanor, dau. of the late William Knight, of Milnthorpe, co.
Westmorland; _b._ Morcambe, co. Lancaster, 19 June, 1897; educ.
Lancaster Royal Grammar School in which he was House Prefect, and
an Ashton House Exhibitioner. On the outbreak of war he obtained a
commission in his father’s regt., 10 Aug. 1914, was promoted Lieut.,
28 Dec. 1914, and went along with his father to France with his regt.,
11 Feb. 1915. He was killed during the second Battle of Ypres in an
advanced trench off the Zonnebeke River in front of Potijze at noon on
Sunday, 9 May, 1915, while bringing food for the few men he had left
with him. He was buried in front of the White Château, Potijze, near
Ypres, where an iron cross was erected to his memory. Lieut. Bates
took a great interest in the work of the O.T.C. from its commencement,
obtained his colours in the Rugby team, and was also in the School
Cricket team. A keen athlete, he was intended for the Army and was
proud of the distinction of being the youngest full Lieut. in the Army;
_unm._
[Illustration: =Stanley Knight Bates.=]
=BATES, WILLIAM GEORGE HENRY=, Capt., 1st Battn. (Prince of
Wales’s) Leinster Regt., 2nd _s._ of the Rev. William Wheatley
Bates, M.A., of Toronto, by his wife, Emily, dau. of Manasseh (and
Emma) Leeson, extensive landowner of Canada; _b._ Thornhill,
Toronto, 12 Oct. 1878; educ. privately, and Trinity College, Toronto.
He enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1901, hoping to see active
service in South Africa, but the regt. was ordered to Crete and kept
there until the conclusion of the campaign. After serving over two
years in the ranks, he was given a commission, 7 Nov. 1903, in the
Leinster Regt., and promoted Lieut. 15 Dec. 1906, and Capt. 21 Sept.
1912. He saw much foreign service, serving in Crete, Malta, Gibraltar,
South Africa, Mauritius and India. In South Africa he was Instructor
in the School of Musketry, and invented an automatic elevating and
traversing machine gun gear, which is now (1916) being tested in the
Hythe School of Musketry. On the outbreak of war Capt. Bates was in
India, and arrived with his regt. in Flanders 21 Dec. 1914, holding
the double command of Company and Brigade Machine Gun Officer. He went
through all the heavy fighting for Ypres, and served continuously
until he was killed in action, shot through the head near Ypres, 26
April, 1915. His commanding officer wrote: “Your husband was one of the
bravest and most gallant men I know, and his death leaves a gap which
cannot be filled. I can only add that he died like the gallant man he
was.” A brother officer also wrote: “The regt. can say of him that he
never asked a man to do a thing he would not do himself. He simply did
not know fear, and would always tell us that dying was part of the
game. It isn’t only we officers who admired him, but every man who
knew him would have followed him anywhere--everywhere he he led.” He
_m._ at St. Margaret’s Church, Warnham, co. Essex, 10 Aug. 1912,
Mabel (Dent, Warnham, Sussex), yst. dau. of Hastings Castor Draper, and
left a son and a dau.: Lionel William Leeson, _b._ 25 May, 1913,
and Pamela Dorcas, _b._ 2 June, 1914.
[Illustration: =William George H. Bates.=]
=BATEY, EDWARD HENRY=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 7358), S.S.
102501, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BATEY, ROBERT=, Private., No. 1852, 1/7th (Leith Territorial)
Battn. Royal Scots, yr. _s._ of Edward Batey, of 22, Ryehill
Gardens, Leith, Linotype Operator, by his wife, Christina Allen, dau.
of Thomas Morrison; _b._ Walworth, S.E., 7 Jan. 1897; educ. at
Parson’s Green School, Edinburgh, and Broughton Higher Grade School,
Edinburgh; enlisted on the outbreak of war, 31 Aug. 1914, and was
killed in the railway accident near Gretna on 22 May, 1915; _unm._
He was buried in Rosebank Cemetery, Edinburgh.
[Illustration: =Robert Batey.=]
=BATSON, ALFRED WILLIAM=, Lieut. 2nd Battn. Duke of Cornwall’s
L.I., only _s._ of William Lascelles Batson, of Dorking, Surrey,
by his wife, Barbara Edwina, dau. of Edward Hugh Blakeney, M.D.;
_b._ Dorking 25 Feb. 1887; educ. Fonthill, East Grinstead,
Wellington College, and Sandhurst; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the
Duke of Cornwall’s L.I., 9 Oct. 1907, and Lieut. 17 March, 1910. He
served in Bermuda, South Africa (where he was attached to the Mounted
Infantry), and Hong Kong. Soon after the outbreak of war his regt.
was ordered home, and on the 19 Dec. 1914, was sent to France. Lieut.
Batson was in charge of the machine-gun section, and on 24 Feb. 1915,
he was commended by the Major-Gen. Commanding the 27th Division
for distinguished service in the field. He was killed in action on
the mount at St. Eloi, near Ypres, 14 March, 1915; _unm._ At
Wellington College Lieut. Batson was in the Cricket Eleven and won
Prince Christian’s prize for the best bowling average for that year,
and also in Rugby football Fifteen won both prizes for the best kick of
the season. While in South Africa he was a very keen Polo player.
[Illustration: =Alfred William Batson.=]
=BATT, JOHN ALBERT=, _alias_ =FRANK=, Private, No.
477, 10th Battn. Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of John Albert
Batt, Lighterman; _b._ London, 10 July, 1874; enlisted in S.
Australia under the name of “Frank” Batt, 14 Aug. 1914; killed at the
Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915. He _m._ at Bermondsey, London, 25
Dec. 1896, Jessie Mary (9, Woolfe Street, Dockhead, Bermondsey), dau.
of William Brockwell, and had five children: John Albert (Private,
3596, 22nd Queen’s), _b._ 10 Oct. 1897; William, _b._ 28
July, 1900; Henry, _b._ 9 Feb. 1903; Christopher, _b._ 26
July, 1905; and Arthur, _b._ 14 Sept. 1907.
=BATT, NORMAN HAROLD=, Private, No. 10140, 2nd Battn. Sussex
Regt., _s._ of William Batt, of 33, Alma Villas, St. Leonards;
served with the Expeditionary Force; killed in action at Richebourg
L’Avoué, 9 May, 1915.
=BATTARBEE, HERBERT=, Signaller, No. 1578, 4th Battn. East
Yorkshire Regt. (T.F.), 3rd _s._ of Frederick Battarbee, of 60,
Tadman Street, Hull, by his wife, Clara, dau. of John Wrigglesworth;
_b._ Hull, 11 Feb. 1895; educ. St. Luke’s Street Church School
there; joined the 4th East Yorks in March, 1912, and was killed in
action in France, 24 April, 1915; _unm._
=BATTEN, ARTHUR=, Private, No. 8162, 4th Battn. Middlesex Regt.;
served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action
12 Oct. 1914; _m._
=BATTEN, JOHN HENRY STRODE=, Capt., 1st Battn. The King’s
Liverpool Regt., elder _s._ of the late Col. John Mount Batten,
of Upcerne, co. Dorset, and Mornington Lodge, West Kensington, C.B.,
J.P., Lord-Lieutenant co. Dorset (_d._ 1916), by his 1st wife,
Margaret Annie (_d._ 1893), dau. of the Rev. John Brooks, Rector
of Walton-le-Dale, co. Lancaster; _b._ Aldon, near Yeovil, co.
Somerset, 23 Dec. 1875; educ. at Rossall and Trinity Hall, Cambridge,
and after taking his B.A. degree, was gazetted to his father’s old
corps, the King’s Liverpool Regt., 20 May, 1899, and promoted Lieut.
21 March, 1900, and Capt. 1 Dec. 1909. He served through the South
African War, 1899–1902, being employed with the Mounted Infantry,
and later was Supply Officer; took part in operations in Natal,
1899, including actions at Reitfontein and Lombard’s Kop; defence
of Ladysmith, including action of 6 Jan. 1900; operations in Natal,
March to June, 1900; operations in the Transvaal, Dec. 1900, to Oct.
1901; and in those of the Orange Free State, Oct. 1901, to 31 May,
1902, and received the Queen’s medal with two clasps and the King’s
medal with two clasps. After the outbreak of the European War in
Aug. 1914, he went to France with the first Expeditionary Force, and
consistently did good work, his name being mentioned in F.M. Sir John
(now Lord) French’s Despatch of 8 Oct. [London Gazette, 19 Oct.]
1914. “On a particular occasion,” 20 Sept., during the Battle of the
Aisne, his Brigadier said, “quite regardless of himself, he encouraged
and steadied the men on the right of his battn., and of the brigade
when very heavily attacked, and when the situation at that point was
critical. It was owing to his very gallant conduct on that occasion
that the portion of the line held its own.” He was killed in action,
25 Oct. 1914, being shot through the heart while on his way from the
trench to confer with his Commanding Officer. Gen. R. H. Davies wrote:
“I should like you to know that he was looked upon by all who knew him
as one of the very bravest of the brave, and that by his exceedingly
gallant and cool conduct at the Battle of the Aisne he did a great
deal to stop a rush and prevent what might easily have proved to be a
disaster to our part of the line.” And Col. Stevenson: “He saved the
whole line on 20 Sept. just by his grit. Nothing would move him from
the line he had to take up in that awful wood fight when Kyrke Smith
and others were wounded.... He was killed outright crossing a small
gap in a hedge by some men hidden in a house about 500 yards away....
We buried him that night beside the Colonel in an orchard close to a
farm outside the village where he was shot.” “I owe him a debt I can
never repay,” wrote Lieut. P. C. Snatt, “if it had not been for his
gallant work on 20 Sept. I should now be a prisoner, I was wounded and
unable to get away, and it was Strode who saved the line retiring.”
Capt. Batten _m._ Alberta, yr. dau. of P. Kavanagh, of 56, Queen’s
Gardens, Lancaster Gate, M.D.; _s.p._
=BATTEN, JOSEPH=, Private, No. 8323, 1st Battn. East Surrey Regt.,
_s._ of Richard Batten, of 120, Nelson Road, Hornsey, served with
the Expeditionary Force in France, etc; killed in action 24 May, 1915.
=BATTEN, WILLIAM HENRY=, L.-Corpl., No. G. 321. 11th (Service)
Battn., Middlesex Regt.; _b._ Hillingdon Heath, co. Middlesex,
22 Jan. 1888; volunteered and enlisted 11 Aug. 1914; served with the
Expeditionary Force in France, etc., from May; _d._ 15 June, 1915,
of wounds received in action; _m._