The Roll of Honour, Volume 1 : A biographical record of all members of His…

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.]