BATES, Thomas
(Service number 61026)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 9 November 1895 | Place of Birth | (Orari), South Canterbury |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Mr J. Priddle, Belfield, Orari | ||
| Occupation | Labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | J. BATES (brother), Orari, South Canterbury | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | |||
| Date | 16 November 1917 | ||
| Transport | Tahiti | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Canterbury Infantry | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 18 May 1965 | Age | 69 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Christchurch | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Thomas Bates was born on 9 November 1895 in South Canterbury, probably at Orari, the fifth son of Samuel and Martha (née Mawhinney) Bates. Samuel and Martha had married in 1878 in Londonderry, North Ireland and come to New Zealand later that year. They soon settled at Orari, South Canterbury. His mother died in 1898 and his father in 1916 at Orari. Thomas was educated at South Orari School where he received class prizes in 1905 and 1907 and an attendance prize for 1906. On occasion his siblings featured among the prize-winners.
Thomas Bates nominated his brother John as next-of-kin. Private T. Bates and three comrades were welcomed home at Orari by the Patriotic Society in February 1919. Thomas married Vera Elizabeth Dunn in 1936. His oldest brother William Bates, was killed in action in 1918 in France. Another brother, Robert Bates also served in World War I. Samuel Bates appealed. His appeal was allowed as he had been passed by the Medical Board as fit only for home service.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [09 September 2020]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery burial record (Christchurch City Council) [09 September 2020]; Temuka Leader, 27 January 1906, 2 March 1907, 17 March 1917, 13 February 1919 (Papers Past) [08 & 09 September 2020]
External Links
Related Documents
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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