thiepvalmemorial

Geoffrey George Horn Batty was Commissioned as a Temporary Second Lieutenant for general employment in the Infantry on 14th September 1914 being a Cadet or ex-Cadet of an Officer Training Corps. [London Gazette of 18th September 1914]. 6th (Service) Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment was formed at Northampton in September 1914 as part of the K2 volunteers and attached as Army Troops to 18th (Eastern) Division. The battalion went to Shorncliffe and then Colchester for basic training and in November 1914 was placed in 54th Brigade of 18th Division. 6th Battalion Northamptons went to Codford on Salisbury Plain for battle camp in May 1915, before embarking at Southampton on 25th July and landing in France on 26 July 1915. The Battalion served exclusively in trenches on the Somme sector at Mametz, Fricourt and Carnoy. On 1st July 1916, 6th Northamptons attacked the Pommiers Redoubt at Montauban supporting 11th Royal Fusiliers and 7th Bedfords. On 14th July 6th Northamptons and 12th Middlesex captured Trones Wood an action in which a 6th Northamptons Sergeant, William Boulter, won a Victoria Cross. On 26th September 1916, 6th Northamptons were in support for an attack on Thiepval by 11th Royal Fusiliers and 12th Middlesex Regiment. 6th Northamptons' Commanding Officer, Lt Col George Eustace Ripley was badly wounded and later had arm amputated. (Lt Col Ripley died of tetanus on 16th October 1916). It is likely that Captain Batty was OC of 'B' Company in this attack - all of 'B' Company's officers being killed or wounded, the Acting CSM, Sergeant John William Partridge, was awarded a DCM for his leadership after subsequently taking over command during the action.

National Probate Calendar gives his usual place of residence as Christ's College, Cambridge. Probate granted to Herbert Batty, retired Indian judge. Captain Batty was born 17th Oct 1894 in India. Baptised 6th Dec 1894 at Poona, son of Herbert Batty and Minnie Horn.

I found in a charity shop in London UK a silver plated cup inscribed to the memory of Captain Batty. Very sad that this might be amongst the few things left of this fine soldier. The cup says GGHB Dec 6th 1894. Geoffrey Batty died for his country Sept. 27th 1916.

Captain, 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment Geoffrey Batty was born on October 17th 1894, in Poona, India to Herbert Batty, a retired Judge and Barrister in the Indian Service and his wife, Minnie. By 1911, the family had returned to England and Geoffrey is a boarder at Marlborough School, while his parents have settled at ‘Lyoth’ on Dartford Road, Sevenoaks. After finishing his schooling at marlborough, where he had also been a member of the Officer Training Corps, he continued to Christ's College Cambridge. He applied for a temporary commission while still an undergraduate and served as a Lieutenant with the 6th Battalion and was later briefly attached to the 3rd Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment.he reported sick on 30th April 1915 and was diagnosed with pneumonia in the lower lobe of the left lung. His medical notes suggest that he was sick until the end of May when he appeared before a medical Baord at Woolwich on 26th May and was granted one month’s leave of absence until and given a 25th June when he was required to report to another board for re examination.This subsequent board found him to be recovered but only fit for light duties and fit for only general service at home.A further board convened on 26th july found him now fit for general service and his service file contains a request to be allowed to join the Expeditionary Force as soon as possible. He subsequently received instructions in September 1915 to join the 8th Northamptonshire Regiment at Colchester. His parents were notified 30th September 1916 that he had been wounded a few days earlier between 26th and 27th September and that further information would be forwarded when it was received. His father, herbert sent a brief but moving telegram in reply: “Thanks for telegram stating Captain Batty, Northamptonshire Regiment wounded. Further report anxiously awaited. Please inform if we should go to him”. A further telegram brought the sad news that Captain Batty had in fact died of his wounds on 27th September but it does appear from his records that there had been some confusion , prompting his parents to request further enquiry and task “which institutions there are in France to which a wounded officer would be sent on losing his memory form shock or injury”. However, the facts of the matter were clarified in letters received by his parents from their son’s second in command and his Commanding Officer. Dear Mrs Batty I feel it my duty to write and let you know all the exact facts of the death of your son. He was hit by a snipe, one bullet passing thru his side, and one thro his shoulder, while leading the Company in a charge against Theipval which we subsequently captured, he was not killed instantly and I am glad to say he suffered practically no pain. Our stretcher bearers were sent to him but by the time he got to the place some other stretcher bearer had found him and taken hims way. We made enquiries at all the Dressing Stations but can find no trace of him, so I am afraid he must have died on his way down to the dressing station and the bearers left him to get another man who was alive.I cannot tell you how sorry we all are and how much he is missed, All the C.O.s and men have kept on coming to me asking for news of him which i think shows ho popular he was and what a lot the men thought of him. I was your son’s second in command and I can assure you that no one could wish for a nicer, better or more capable Company Commander. I hope it will be some consolation to you to know that he died at the head of his men, leading them on to victory. A parcel of eatables and one of magazines which I believe were from you, were distributed among his men, A box of cigars also arrived from his sister in Indiaand acting on the adjutant’s advice~I have give them to the Officer’s Mess. I hope I have done as both you and he would have wished I am the only officer left in the company now. it is terrible and i suppose my time will come one day. I am sure all the NCOs and men of the Company join with me in ?? sympathy at your great loss, His Commanding Officer wrote to his parents that “…I saw him myself shortly after he had been hit and he was practically unconscious, so i trust he passed away without any pain. he was one of the best officers we had left in the battalion, very hard working and conscientious and most popular with his brother officer sand men.I am told that where there was some slight hesitancy among his men to advance, owing to the extremely heavy fire, he calmly walked out in front of them and lit a cigarette to show that he was not afraid. I am afraid his loss will be very much felt in the Battalion. It may be some slight consolation to know that your son died in assisting to capture the strongest fortified position on the Western Front and which was supposed to be absolutely impregnable. May I offer you my deepest sympathy in your sad loss”. However, his parents still clung to a belief that he may have survived and his father wrote on 28th November 1918: “My son, Captain Geoffrey G H Batty, the 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, was reported wounded on 26th September 1916 and apparently repotted to have died of his wounds on 27th September 1916. But from further information received it appears that his death was only inferred from the fact that the stretcher-bearers - sent by the Regiment to carry him to a Clearing Station, were unable to find him - and we have been unable to obtain any information either as to his burial or as to his having been seen again. In these circumstances, we cling to a hope that he may have survived and though not been posted as taken prisoner, yet may reappear among those taken. I trust therefore you will take a note of this case, and (as we have changed our address since 1916) also take note of our present address as given above, and let me know should any information reach you about my son”.

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Uk Soldiers Died in the Great War has this: Name:George William Scott Birth Place:Hornsey, Middlesex Residence:Holloway, Middlesex Death Date:16 Sep 1916 Death Location:France & Flanders Enlistment Location:Highgate, Middlesex Rank:Sergeant Regiment:Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) Battalion:1/7th Battalion Number:T.F.200020 Type of Casualty:Killed in action

I've just found that my Great Uncle, Sidney Mackenzie Stevens, also in the 1/7 Btn, Middlesex Regiment, was wounded and reported missing at Leuze wood on 15th September 1916. He was presumed dead on 17/8/17 and then, rather mysteriously re-buried at Combles Cemetery in '22. Would anyone have any information about him? - I would love to have a photo! Andrew Stevens

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Surname: BINNS
Firstname: George William
Service Number: 22114
Date Death: 17/07/1916
Place of birth: Rawdon Yorks
Other: 6th Bn.
SNWM roll: THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS
Rank: Pte
Theatre of death: F.& F.

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/