Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Henry (known as Harry) was born at Mount Grey Downs, Sefton, on 1 June 1895, the only son of Thomas Henry and Mary Elizabeth (nee Bennett) Batchelor. He was educated at Mt Grey Downs, Leithfield and Waimate schools. At the time of enlisting into the Canterbury Infantry Battalion, at Christchurch, on 20 October 1914, Harry was working as a farm labourer for his, father Thomas, at Burnham. This was the address he gave for his next of kin. He was described as being Anglican, single, 5 foot 9 inches tall, weighing 161 lbs, chest measuring 35 inches, of dark complexion, brown eyes, light brown hair, and having false upper plate teeth. His regimental number on enlistment was 6/1236 but was later changed to 6/1450 as this number had also been given to a Lance Corporal Gibson of the same regiment. He had also put his birth date on his papers as being 1894, thus making him a year older that he actually was, a common thing for those who were too young for overseas service. Harry left from Wellington with the 1st Company, Canterbury Infantry Battalion on 14 December 1914 aboard either the Verdala, Willochra, or Knight of the Garter, and arrived in Alexandria on 18 January 1915. Harry was landed on the beaches of Gallipoli on 28 April 1915 and on 9 May he received wounds serious enough for him to be put aboard a hospital ship the same day and evacuated to Intarfa Hospital, Malta on 18 May. On 14 June he was sent back to Alexandria, attached to Base Depot Mustapha, and then on 19 June, he rejoined his unit at the Dardanelles. On 7 August he received further dangerous wounds and was admitted to the field ANZAC Hospital, but from there on he just disappeared. No further trace of him could be found of him, either at Gallipoli or in England. A Court of Enquiry on 20 March 1916 found he was wounded, missing, and believed dead on or about 8 August 1915. The Timaru Herald 30 March 1916 reported: “Private Harry Thomas Batchelor, of C Company, Infantry, 2nd New Zealand Battalion, who left New Zealand with the Main Body, has been reported killed at Gallipoli, between August 7 and 12. He was a cousin of Trooper C.H. Batchelor now in Egypt. Much sympathy is felt for Mr Batchelor, he only having now two sons. Private Harry Thomas Batchelor was a fine soldier. His younger brother at home states that he would also like to go but is not of age yet. His father, who is farming at St Andrews, lately came from North Canterbury”. A search of NZBDM Historical Records lists Harry as having only 4 sisters, but his father, after his first wife died in 1906, remarried in 1907, Amelia Ethel Ashworth, and had a further son and three daughters. After the war his father, Thomas, received Harry’s medals: the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal plus a scroll and plaque. His name is recorded on the Chunuk Bair Memorial to the Missing.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (July 2015); Archives NZ (Personnel File); Soldiers of Selwyn" on Selwyn Kete, http://keteselwyn.peoplesnetworknz.info/soldiers_of_selwyn/topics/show/190-batchelor-harry-thomas%20photo%20and%20obit; Timaru Herald, 30 March 1916 via http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/; NZ War Graves Project at www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/harry-thomas-batchelor; New Zealand Roll of Honour at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sooty/nzefrohBa.html; New Zealanders on Chunuk Bair Memorial to the Missing (850 names) at http://www.anzac.govt.nz/gallipoliguide/names/chunuk-bair.html; Every Man Remembered at http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/679743/;Kiwi ANZACs on Chunuk Bair Memorial to the Missing - ABBOTT to BUTLER at http://www.familytreecircles.com/kiwis-on-chunuk-bair-memorial-to-the-missing-page-1-abbott-to-butler-17153.html; ancestry.com.au; NZSG Index V5; NZBDM Historical Records;

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG & Timaru Herald; Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.