{"product_id":"rifle-brigade-kia-1916-ww1-british-medal-trio-bates-from-horncastle-lincolnshire","title":"Rifle Brigade KIA 1916 WW1 British Medal Trio Bates from Horncastle Lincolnshire","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFirst World War Medal Trio – Private Thomas Bates, 2\u003csup\u003end\u003c\/sup\u003e Bn. Rifle Brigade \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e1914-15 Star – \u003cb\u003eS-10405 PTE T. BATES. RIF: BRIG:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eBritish War Medal – \u003cb\u003eS-10405 PTE T. BATES. RIF. BRIG.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eVictory Medal – \u003cb\u003eS-10405 PTE T. BATES. RIF. BRIG.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThomas Bates\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was born in \u003cb\u003eHorncastle, Lincolnshire\u003c\/b\u003e, and enlisted locally at Horncastle into the \u003cb\u003eRifle Brigade\u003c\/b\u003e, joining the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion\u003c\/b\u003e under service number \u003cb\u003eS\/10405\u003c\/b\u003e. Prior to enlistment he was employed as a \u003cb\u003eprinter\u003c\/b\u003e, serving his time with \u003cb\u003eMr Hugh Willson\u003c\/b\u003e, a detail confirmed in contemporary local press reports.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe proceeded overseas to \u003cb\u003eFrance on 27 July 1915\u003c\/b\u003e, joining the battalion on the Western Front during a period of sustained trench warfare following the battles of Neuve Chapelle and Aubers Ridge. Throughout late 1915 and into 1916 the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade served in the \u003cb\u003eBéthune sector\u003c\/b\u003e, rotating through front-line trenches, reserve positions, and carrying out night patrols and trench raids under constant artillery fire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eRifleman Bates was \u003cb\u003eseriously wounded in France\u003c\/b\u003e, with newspaper reports noting that he had written home to his parents shortly beforehand describing recent bombing raids, heavy shellfire, and his battalion’s role in supporting the Allied offensive. Despite initial survival, he \u003cb\u003edied of his wounds on 21 July 1916\u003c\/b\u003e, aged in his early twenties.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe was the \u003cb\u003eson of W. Harry Bates\u003c\/b\u003e, of \u003cb\u003e35A Queen’s Street, Horncastle\u003c\/b\u003e, and is \u003cb\u003eburied at Bethune Town Cemetery\u003c\/b\u003e, France, \u003cb\u003ePlot V.G.14\u003c\/b\u003e, where many soldiers who died of wounds in nearby casualty clearing stations are interred.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eA deeply personal group, enhanced by the inclusion of an original \u003cb\u003ewartime newspaper photograph and casualty reports\u003c\/b\u003e, representing a Rifle Brigade soldier who experienced the realities of trench warfare and the Somme campaign before making the ultimate sacrifice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHorncastle News - Saturday 22 July 1916\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePte. T. Bates Wounded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eWe regret to learn that Rifleman Tom Bates, of the Rifle Brigade, has been seriously wounded in France, though full particulars are not yet available. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bates, Queen-street, Horncastle, and was, by trade, a printer, serving his time with Mr. Hugh Willson.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eOnly last Friday he wrote as follows to his parents:—“Since writing to you I have been through many exciting experiences, for no doubt you have seen in the papers about the Allied offensive, and I suppose you have been rather anxious about me. Well, our Battalion played its part and you will be pleased to hear that I came through it without a scratch. Before the great offensive started, about 50 of us out of my Battalion made a bombing raid at night time on the German trenches, and after bombing their dug-outs we returned to our own trenches, bringing back one prisoner. The great offensive started a few days afterwards, so that we raiders had a double dose of it. This time our Battalion was in reserve in the assembly trenches, just behind our first line, while the Lincolns and Berks made the first attack. Although we did not go over the top (as we call it) we had a very hot time of it, for you see, when a Battalion is in reserve they always catch the shells which the Germans send over in reply to our own bombardment. However, I was fortunate in escaping injury, and we were relieved in the early morning of the next day. We gave the Germans a terrible bombardment for about seven days before, and at night time the flashes of the guns made a grand sight. We are at present well behind the line for a rest, and it seems grand to be out of the way of whizz-bangs and Jack Johnsons. I am quite well and in the best of spirits.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAJMS Medals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003e\u003cbr clear=\"all\" style=\"mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AJMS Medals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53149225976154,"sku":null,"price":170.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/9850\/1466\/files\/20251219_122727.png?v=1766158115","url":"https:\/\/ajms-medals.com\/products\/rifle-brigade-kia-1916-ww1-british-medal-trio-bates-from-horncastle-lincolnshire","provider":"AJMS Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}