The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Melbourne, 10 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 7 December 1915.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Reported missing, 19-20 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 23 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in action, 20 July 1916'.

Handwritten note on Form B103: 'Buried in vicinity of Fleurbaix Sh 36'.

Statement on file, 380 Pte F.J. BUCKLAND, A Company, 29th Bn, 15 January 1917: 'I saw him in the German front line on July 19, at Fleurbaix with a wound in the shoulder. He was working his way up the trench at the time, trying to get back to our lines. I knew he was missing afterwards, but know nothing further of him.'

Statement, Red Cross File No 280101, 380 Pte J. BUCKLAND, 29th Bn (patient, No 2 General Hospital, Calais), 5 December 1916: 'At Fromelles on 19th July ... I saw Batey wounded slightly in the shoulder. I wanted to bind him up but he said he was all right. This was the last time I saw him. We had taken the third German trench; it was in the first trench that Batey was wounded. We eventually had to evacuate the trenches.'

Second statement, 413 Corporal W. BRADEN, A Company, 29th Bn (patient, No 11 Stationary Hospital, Rouen), 6 December 1916: 'The last seen of him was in the Fromelles attack of July 19th when he was left in No Man's Land with his shoulder shattered. Offered help, he replied: "Never mind, I'll be all right, go on." He was not seen again.'

Third statement, 2092 Pte G. MOORE, A Company, 29th Bn (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England), 14 December 1916: 'On July 20th. 1916 at Fromelles Batey was badly wounded in the shoulder and legs. He was left near the second line of trenches before they returned to the original line.'

Fourth statement, 356 Corporal F. WEBSTER, A Company, 29th Bn, undated statement: 'All the above men [166 L.R. BATEY, 1470 M.L. BRUNN, 80 S. FARLOW, 2033 R. GILL, 2050 J.I. HIGGINS, 320 F. PARRY, 361 H.J. WESTMORLAND, 1314 E.J. WILKIN, 1314, 1262 F.S. WOODCOCK] were in No. 3 Platoon along with himself and his brother ... The nine above named men were killed on the afternoon of July 19th. or in the morning of July 20th, 1916, when the Bn went into action at Fleur Baix (sic). All the above were killed either by Shellfire (sic) or Machine Gun, and were buried at the left hand of the sap which runs in to the back of Water Farm (POZIERES). This was a very large grave and contained about twenty or thirty bodies, and is marked by one big cross. They were all buried by a fatigue party from D. Company and some of the bandsmen. Informant was at the burial on the 22nd. July and saw the remains of the nine men named above, properly buried. Informant and his brother were the only two men left alive out of the Platoon, his brother was in charge at the time.'

Note on file: 'No trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills 10-10-19.'