Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookntry), 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._ =BATTENBERG, HIS HIGHNESS PRINCE MAURICE VICTOR DONALD OF, K.C.V.O.=, Lieut. 1st Battn. King's Royal Rifle Corps; yst. _s._ of H.R.H. Prince Henry of Battenberg, K.G., P.C. (who died on active service at sea, 20 Jan. 1896, of fever contracted during the Ashanti War), and of H.R.H. the Princess Beatrice (Princess Henry of Battenberg), yst. dau. of Her late Majesty, Queen Victoria; _b._ at Balmoral Castle, 3 Oct. 1891, and was educ. at Wellington, where he was a Lance-Corpl. in the O.T.C., and became one of the best marksmen at the College. He went to the National Rifle Association meeting at Bisley with the Wellington Shooting Eight which competed for the Ashburton Shield and other events. After leaving Wellington he went to Sandhurst, from which he was gazetted to a second lieutenancy in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, 4 March, 1911. He was attached to the 1st Battn., then stationed at Gosport, as part of Brig.-Gen. H. H. Burney's 9th Infantry Brigade. Prince Maurice came under the tuition of Lieut.-Col. R. S. Oxley and Capt. R. H. Seymour, and in due course was posted for duty to the 1st Battn. He served with this unit at Aldershot on transfer there into Gen. Davies' 6th Infantry Brigade, and served under Lieut-Col. E. Northey in Salamanca Barracks, at the town end of the camp, and was senior 2nd Lieut. while there. He had been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, 19 June, 1911, and wa |