Profile

BATES, Thomas
(Service number 61026)

Aliases
First Rank Private Last Rank Private

Birth

Date 09/11/1895 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
Religion Presbyterian
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

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
Military Awards

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

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 18 May 1965 Age 69 years
Place of Death Christchurch
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch
Memorial Reference Block 44, Plot 349
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

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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