Name
Robert James Bates
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/12/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (HEATH LANE) CEMETERY
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
St Mary & St Joseph Roman Catholic Church Memorial, Boxmoor,
Not on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Robert James Bates was born in 1894 in Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of Frederick and Emily Bates, and one of nine children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at St John’s Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead. His father was working as a builder's labourer. They remained at the same address on the 1911 Census and his father was working as a Wood Sawyer in the Saw Mills, whilst Robert was an Errand Boy.
On enlistment he was working as a Mill Hand at the Saw Mill (in Kingsland Road, Boxmoor) where his father also worked as a sawyer.
Wartime Service
He enlisted for service at Hertford on the 7 June 1915 and served with the Hertfordshire Regiment. After a period of training he was posted to France on 13 March 1916 and joined the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment near Merville, north of Bethune on 27 March.
Whilst serving in the trenches at Givenchy in horrible conditions, Robert fell ill and on 19 May 1916 was admitted to No. 132 Field Ambulance and diagnosed with pleurisy. He was transferred to No. 9 General Hospital in Rouen for further treatment, then repatriated to England by 30 May 1916.
Eventually, as his health
deteriorated further, he was discharged from the Army on the 26 September 1916 suffering
from tuberculous peritonitis which was "aggravated by exposure to active service", although medical reports suggested that his condition was not permanent and he could recover with proper treatment.
He died in the West Herts Infirmary, Hemel Hempstead on 5 December 1916 from pulmonary tuberculosis, aged 22, and was buried in Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead on 9 December 1916.
Additional Information
His mother received a pension of 3 shillings a week.
Brother to George Bates who served with the Welsh Regiment and died on 3 August 1917 and who is named on the Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial.
At present Robert's name does not appear in the CWGC records as he was discharged a few months before his death, and died from illness, however the CWGC have now agreed that in due course a headstone will be erected to honour his sacrifice in the Great War.
Robert is named on a memorial plaque which has recently been erected at the Roman Catholic Church of St Mary and St Joseph, Boxmoor.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
parish.rcdow.org.uk/St-Mary-and-St-Joseph-WW1, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com
