Herbert Lewis Battams

Herbert Lewis Battams

Battams in 3rd row just below and to right of hat.
Personal Information
Date of Birth	1890
Place of Birth	Luton, England
Death	16 Jul 1980
Place of Death	Victoria Park, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	25 years, 1 month
Description	5'2¼" (1.58m) tall ; 126 lbs 57.153 kg ; fair complexion ; grey eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Castle Hotel York, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs E Battams
Military Information
Reg Number	2834
Date of Enlistment	16 July 1915
Rank	Sergeant
Unit/Formation	12th Battalion, 9th reinforcement / 3rd brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	4 Oct 1915 ‒ 27 Oct 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A20 Hororata
Date of Return	9 Dec 1919 ‒ 19 Jan 1920
Ship Returned On	HMAT A30 Borda
Fate	Wounded in Action 11 Aug 1916 Mouquet Farm Wounded in Action 13 May 1918 Somme Wounded in Action 23 Aug 1918 Chuignes Returned to Australia
Monument	Jarrahdale War Memorial Jarrahdale Honour Roll ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Herbert enlisted on 16 Jul 1915 Joined the 12th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt on 7 Jan 1916, and traveled with them onboard HMT Corsican from Alexandria to Marseilles in France, arriving on 5 Apr 1916 where they entrained for St Omer in northern France. Here they caught another train to Strazele.

On 28 Jul 1916, Herbert was admitted to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital suffering with shell shock received during the furious German shelling of Pozières. He was embarked on HMHS St Denis on 12 Aug 1916, and was admitted to the 5th Southern General Hospital in Portsmouth the same day. During his recuperation he took a couple of days leave without permission and was awarded 2 days punishment along with pay forfeiture. On 28 Oct 1916 he was sent to hospital again to have hemorrhoids dealt with.

Returned to France on 24 Jan 1917 from Folkestone aboard HMT Princesse Clementine he rejoined the battalion on 12 Apr 1917. Herbert was appointed as a Lance Corporal on 10 May 1917, and then on 21 Jun 1917 he was temporarily promoted to Corporal. This rank was confirmed on 8 Jul 1917.

On 21 Jul 1917 he was detached to the 3rd Training Battalion at Perham Downs in England, before returning to his battalion in France in early October 1917. On 1 Feb 1918 he was made a temporary Sergeant, and confirmed in the rank on 18 Apr 1918.

Seen by the 3rd Field Ambulance and the 15th Casualty Clearing Station, Herbert was admitted to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital a second time on 15 May 1918 following a gas attack on 13 May. Recovered, he was released from hospital on 31 May 1918. Three weeks later he needed another stint in hospital, this time the 53rd General Hospital in Boulogne for influenza via the 3rd Field Ambulance and the 11th Casualty Clearing Station before being released back to the battalion on 17 Aug 1918.

On 23 Aug 1918 he was wounded in action for a third time, this time with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Seen first by the 1st Field Ambulance, he was admitted next day to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen. This necessitated an evacuation on 26 Aug 1918 to the UK on the HMHS Essequibo for treatment and it wasn't until 12 Dec 1918 that he was able to return to duty, albeit with the AIF HQ in London.

On 21 Sep 1919 he was detached to the 12th Battalion again, and placed on indefinite leave awaiting a ship for married couples.

Casualty List 216 reported his being wounded; Casualty List 409 his brush with a gas attack; and his third WIA, was reported on Casualty List 437. These casualty lists appeared in all the papers of the day.

Herbert was discharged by the 5th Military District on 27 Mar 1920.

Post War

Married Frances Hannah Trigg on 23 Nov 1918 in Islington, London. (Possible daughter Dorothy Frances Battams b. 15 Jan 1925 in Subiaco served in the Militia with Reg No Wf94984. Possible son Ronald Henry born c 1928, died 13 Aug 2004). Herbert returned to Australia accompanied by his wife aboard HMAT A30 Borda. Hannah died in Victoria Park on 24 Nov 1980, aged 88 four months after Herbert died.

Electoral Roll entries - 1922 - 1925 Herbert, a fettler, and Frances were in Perenjori. By 1931 they have moved to 51 Collier street, Manjimup.  In 1936-1937 Frances is not with Herbert who is described as a railway employee; 1943 - 1963 they are both at 51 Forrest avenue, Bunbury, a fitter; 1968 retired at 18 Hayward street, Meltham; 1977 at 61 Kitchener avenue, Victoria Park; 1980 Herbert by himself on the roll.

Returning from Pemberton on the evening of December 8, Mr. Walter Palmer, manager of Manjimup butter factory, was driving a motor truck, with Messrs. Harry James and. H. L. Battam as companions. At an awkward corner near Jardee the truck struck a stump, and Mr. James, who is engineer in charge of the electric lighting plant at Manjimup, received a severe cut on the chin from the broken windscreen. Messrs. Palmer, and Battams escaped with a shaking.

 

Notes

The hand written list of Jarrahdale men who went to WW1, and their Memorial Board Both list a W Battams.

Three men named Battams with initial W enlisted, all South Australians. The only WA enlistment was H.L. Battams, whose connection to Jarrahdale is unclear.

The Jarrahdale Monumental stone records W Battams as KIA, however the only Australian soldiers named Battams killed during WW1 are Joseph Wesley a 21 years old from SA, and Frederick Stanley a 22 year old from Broken Hill. Neither are likely to be the person on the Jarrahdale Monument.

In the absence of further information, Herbert Lewis has been included in the wiki.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial