Harold BATESON

11 August 1916

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - THREE BROTHERS WOUNDED

Pte. Harold Bateson, Royal Fusiliers, one of the four soldier sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bateson, Burton-in-Lonsdale, writing from the Racecourse Hospital, Cheltenham, gives a graphic account of the fight in Deival [Delville] Wood, where he was wounded. After taking a German trench, and eating the breakfast in it prepared for the captured Germans, he says:-

"Our ammunition ran short, so three of us were told to bring up supplies. It was a touchy job I can tell you, going over the open with bullets whizzing round and our backs to the enemy. However we got safely back and then I was sent with nine others to reinforce a company of machine gunners at the end of the wood. Most of us were about done up by this time and could hardly keep our eyes open. About noon the Huns started a counter attack. They sniped us from all sides and gradually got around us on three sides. Then we began losing men, and at 2 p.m. I thought someone had kicked me in the jaw. Out spurted the blood and I thought I was done for. However, I got fastened up and walked to the dressing station where I found I had had a lucky escape. My leg had been hit in three places and my arm in one. The left glass of my specs was smashed and my eye cut."

Pte. Bateson, prior to enlisting, was a bank clerk at Ulverston. His brother Richard, Manchester Regiment, has been three times in hospital -twice with wounds and once with fever - and is now engaged with his regiment in Egypt. Another brother, Charles, R.A.M.C. has just returned to France after recovering from his wounds. All are old boys of Thornton's School and former choirboys of All Saints' Church.

10 November 1916

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - Convalescent Soldiers at Home

Pte. Wilfred Firth, Kings Own, invalided from France in March last; Pte. Carr Kettlewell, Duke of Wellington's, wounded on August 11th; and Pte. Harold Bateson, Royal Fusiliers, wounded at the taking of Delville Wood, early in August, are now convalescent and were at home during last weekend. Pte. Firth has returned to Oswestry Camp, and Pte. Kettlewell to Clipstone.

09 March 1917

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - Patriotic Families

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bateson, Frounts Cottage, hold the local record of having six soldier sons, three of whom have been wounded.- Other good local records are Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Skeats, five soldier sons, Mrs. Standing, Low Street, four, and Mrs. Briscoe, Bridge End, four.

06 July 1917

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - REMARKABLE FAMILY RECORD

Arnold Eric Bateson, aged 10, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bateson, has succeeded in winning a West Riding County Minor Scholarship. His success completes a remarkable family record, no less than five brothers and a sister having achieved scholarship successes, namely:-Kenyon in 1905, Harold 1907, Charles 1907, Henry 1912, Mollie 1915 and Eric 1917. The first four mentioned are now engaged in his Majesty's Forces as well as two other brothers, Richard and Arthur, and another brother, David, is engaged at Messrs. Vickers, Barrow. Charles before joining the Army, completed his training for the scholastic profession at Chester Training College, and has recently been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in France. Richard was twice wounded in the Gallipoli campaign, and once in Egypt, and is now with his regiment in France. Harold was seriously wounded at Delville Wood and is now at Salonika where Arthur also is stationed. All the family received their early training at Thornton's Schools, of which Mr. Bateson is a trustee and manager, and his son Eric is the youngest successful candidate in the annals of the school.

30 August 1918

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - On Leave

During the week Private J. Fletcher, M.G.C. (from Italy), Corporal Jno. Clark, Queen's Own Oxford Hussars (from Ireland), Private J.T. Skeats, Border Regiment (from hospital), Private Harold Bateson, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (after an absence of twenty months in Salonika, Palestine and France), and Private Richard Bateson, Manchester's (after five months in hospital), have been on leave. Gunner J.J. Edmondson, M.G.C., is having a month's holiday in India from Mesopotamia.

25 October 1918

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - Another Sacrifice

Private Harold Bateson, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was killed instantaneously in action in France on October 4th, and a letter to his parents from his Captain states that he was buried at La Catalet. Private Bateson was one of the six soldier sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bateson, Bleaberry House, and as a boy attended Thornton's Schools. On winning a County Council scholarship he proceeded to Giggleswick Grammar School, after which he was engaged in the Bank of Liverpool, Ulverston. He was aged 32, and joined the Forces In January, 1916, being severely wounded at Delville Wood, July, 1916. On recovery he served in Salonica and Palestine and was afterwards transferred to the Western Font. He was on home leave at the end of August last.

22 November 1918

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - Memorial Service

On Sunday afternoon a service in memory of Private Harold Bateson, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was held at All Saints' Church. The bier, draped with the Union Jack and covered with wreaths, was laid in the chancel. The Vicar paid tribute to the sterling character and to the esteem in which he was held by his old school fellows, his employers at the Bank of Liverpool, Ulverston, and by his officers in France. An impressive address was made by Lieut. Mountford, Chaplain to the forces. A collection for the local war memorial fund realised £2 8s.

23 May 1919

BURTON-IN-LONSDALE - THE LATE PRIVATE HAROLD BATESON

We reproduce a photograph of Private Harold Bateson, of Burton-in-Lonsdale, who was killed in action on October 4th 1918 during the battle of Le Catelet, where he is buried. Private Bateson joined the Royal Fusiliers in January 1916 from the Bank of Liverpool, Ulverston, where he had been clerk for several years. He was wounded in the face and sustained a fractured jaw in the first battle for Delville Wood. After recovery he was transferred to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and after serving 18 months in Palestine returned to France in April 1918.

An extract from a letter from Captain McEwan says:- "In the administrative work of the company his help was invaluable. In the operations on which we have been engaged he was one of my company runners and always reliable, so I need not say how much I personally feel his great loss. In his platoon no one was more popular nor more unassuming, and I know he had the highest sense of duty in this terrible struggle and never complained, in spite of the many hardships we have passed through. Your son will not be forgotten by us."