Colonel

BASIL CONDON BATTYE, D.S.O., A.M.

Royal Engineers

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, P.E., MInstRE

(September 2023)

Figure 1. Colonel Basil Condon Battye, D.S.O., A.M.

(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum)

1. INTRODUCTION

When this research project was started it was thought that it would be the story of the life and military service of Basil Condon Battye. It soon became apparent that it would be the story of a family, a military family known as “The Fighting Battyes.” While most of the narrative will deal with Basil Condon Battye, it will at least touch on the military service of 17 of his relatives, ten of whom served in the Indian Army and seven who served in the British Army.

From the Indian Army I came across men who had served in the Corps of Guides, the 19^th , 33^rd and 65^th Bengal Native Infantry, the 2^nd and the 5^th Gurkha Rifles, the 6^th Bengal Cavalry and the Indian Medical Service.[1] Those who had served in the British Army served in the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers, the Royal Corps of Signals, the 10^th Lincolnshire, 30^th East Lancashire and 35^th Royal Sussex Regiments, and the 85^th King’s Light Infantry. A listing of the men who made up “The Fighting Battye’s” can be found in Appendix A of this report.

2. FAMILY INFORMATION AND EARLY LIFE

Family Information

Basil Condon Battye was born in Abbottabad in the North West Frontier of India on 24 September 1882. He was the son of Major Leigh Richmond Battye (1845-1888), 5^th Gurkha Rifles, and Margaret Fanny Jane Battye, née Moffat (1847-1917). In addition to Basil, the Battyes had six sons and two daughters.[2]

Early Life

Basil was only five years old when his father, serving with the 5^th Gurkha Rifles, was killed during the third Black Mountain Expedition on 18 June 1888. He had originally served with the 35^th Royal Sussex Regiment before being posted to the 5^th Gurkhas and served with them throughout the Jowaki Expedition.[3]

Young Basil attended St. Lawrence School at Ramsgate where he played 1^st XI cricket and gained the nickname “Bane.” In 1899 he graduated from St. Lawrence School and passed into the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich.

3. COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING

Commissioning

Second Lieutenant Battye passed out first at the Royal Military Academy in early August 1900, and on 18 August, before reaching the age of 18, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.

Training

Following his commissioning Battye immediately proceeded to the School of Military Engineering (S.M.E.) at Chatham where he continued his military training with courses in field fortifications, construction, surveying, telegraphy, electric lighting, submarine mining, photography, chemistry, military law and tactics. After completing his training at the S.M.E. he remained at Chatham in various posts for about two years.[4]

Battye was promoted to Lieutenant on 18 August 1903 and on 24 September 1903 he married Edith Lilian Cole (1882-1963) in Bristol, Gloucestershire before being posted to Somaliland in November.

4. POSTINGS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Somaliland (1903-1904)

In November 1903 Lieutenant Battye was posted to Somaliland to join the 3^rd and 4^thExpeditions to deal with the Mad Mullah, Sayid Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan. Hassan was a Somali religious, military and political leader who headed the Somali Dervish movement in a two-decade long struggle against British, Italian, and Ethiopian influence in the region. Although there were two companies of Indian Sappers and Miners with the expeditions, it appears that young Battye was posted to the command for general engineer duties. He left Somaliland in May 1904 and returned to Chatham for duty and perhaps a period of leave before proceeding to India.

Ferozepore, India (1904-1907)

In late 1904 Lieutenant Battye and his wife proceeded to Ferozepore, India. Their first child, Basil Wigram Battye (1905-1908) was born there on 17 February 1905.[5]

Battye was posted to the Military Works Service (M.W.S.) in Ferozepore.[6] His duties with the M.W.S. involved the supervision of construction and maintenance of buildings and facilities within the military installations at Ferozepore and surrounding areas.

On 20 January 1906 Basil’s brother, Hedley Morton Battye was promoted to Captain in the 1^st Battalion, 5^th Gurkha Rifles,[7] and on 30 January his wife gave birth to their second son, Arthur Richmond (“Bob”) Battye (1906-2004) in Dalhousie, India.[8]

While he was stationed in Ferozepore there was a very exciting incident at the camp. One of the camp’s ammunition magazines caught fire and as a result of heroic actions taken by Battye and two other officers, a major catastrophe was avoided. He distinguished himself by assisting in putting out a very serious fire in the Arsenal. Some cordite started to ignite spontaneously and the Ordnance authorities, amid a series of tremendous explosions, set to work to clear the adjoining cells of explosives. Battye posted himself on the roof of one of these cells where some three million rounds of small arms ammunition were stored. Although these rounds were already beginning to explode, Battye, through holes made in the roof, directed the fire hose on to the boxes below and succeeded in saving the bulk of the ammunition. These operations were carried out within 100 feet of a magazine where 120 tons of gunpowder were stored. Battye’s heroic deed was recognized by the grant of the Albert Medal at a much later date.[9]

Home (1907-1908)

In 1907 Lieutenant Battye was selected to attend the Electrical and Mechanical Course at the School of Military Engineering. This was a course normally given to Non-Commissioned Officers, but Battye was the first commissioned officer to attend the course.[10] His wife apparently accompanied him back to England at this time as she gave birth to a daughter, Winifred Joyce Anderson Battye (1908-1975) in Kingston, Surrey on 4 July 1908.[11]

Simla, India (1908-1914)[12]

Upon completion of his course at Chatham, Battye returned to India where he was posted as the Director General of Military Works at Simla, a rather high position for a Lieutenant with only eight years of service. Simla had an attractive location because it was only four days march from Ludhiana, a British army depot which had great strategic value during military operations. Simla also proved to be a very agreeable refuge from the burning plains of Hindustan. Sir John Lawrence, Viceroy of India from 1864 to 1869, decided to relocate the country's administration from Calcutta during the Indian summer even though Simla was over 1,000 miles away. Simla also became the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and many Departments of the Government, as well as being the summer capital of the regional Government of the Punjab. They were joined during the hot weather by many of the British wives and daughters of the men who remained in the plains. Living costs in Simla were very expensive, having an ideal climate and thus being desirable, as well as having limited accommodation. British soldiers, merchants, and civil servants moved here each year to escape from the heat during summer in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Battye and his family were able to enjoy the temperate weather at Simla during the summer months in India.

In 1909 Battye was elected an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers[13] and on 18 August 1910 he was promoted to the rank of Captain. Given his position as Director General of Works at Simla and the fact that Simla had become the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and the summer capital of the Government of Punjab, even the rank of Captain seems to be less than appropriate for his position.

On 26 September 1911 Battye was awarded the Albert Medal, Second Class, for his heroic action at Ferozepore during the arsenal fire.[14] It took five years from the event to the announcement of the award and then almost another two years before the award was approved. Finally, in the London Gazette of 26 August 1913 the following presentation was made:

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 26 AUGUST 1913, p. 6081

Whitehall, August 25, 1913. The KING has been pleased to approve of Albert Medals being conferred upon the under-mentioned -officers and non-commissioned officer in recognition of their gallantry in saving life on the occasion of a fire caused by explosions of cordite at Ferozepore in the year 1906.

Albert Medal of the First Class

Captain (then Lieutenant) Eglintoune Frederick Ross.

Albert Medal of the Second Class.

Major (then Captain) David Coley Young,

Captain (then Lieutenant) Basil Condon Battye, R. E.,

and Staff-Serjeant (then Corporal) Patrick John Fitzpatrick.

A full description of the explosion and of the gallantry of various officers and others to whom Albert Medals were awarded in 1911 will be found in the London Gazette of September 26th, 1911.

Captain Ross discovered the fire, and with a detachment of his regiment entered the magazine compound with a small hand engine fed from tanks in the magazine, and attempted to put out the fire. He also worked at getting the steam engine into position.

Major Young, General Anderson's Brigade-Major, was constantly with the General in positions of great danger. In particular he joined General Anderson at a critical moment by the door of No. 8 cell, from which the gun-powder was being removed, and remained with the General throughout the rest of the period of danger.

Captain Battye assisted in the removal of the gunpowder from No. 8 cell. He also, with Staff Serjeant Fitzpatrick, directed the operations for piercing two holes through the masonry of the roof of Cell No. 9, where the small arms ammunition was burning, and succeeded in getting the hose through these holes so as to play on the burning ammunition. By this means a check on the fire in No. 9 was affected. Both men were conspicuous through-out the day in the magazine enclosure.

France (1914-1919)

Captain Battye was on leave in England when the Great War of 1914-1918 started. On 7 November 1914 he was posted to France where he took command of the 21^st Company, 3^rd Sappers and Miners. His assignment as Officer Commanding the company was the result of almost all the company’s officers becoming casualties during the Battle of Neuve Chappelle from 26 to 29 October 1914. When Battye assumed command of the company the following officers were with the unit:

Captain Ernest Ker Squires, R.E.[15]

Lieutenant L. Manton, R.E.[16]

Lieutenant Frederick Hermann Kisch, R.E.[17]

Lieutenant Francis Greville Drew, R.E.[18]

Lieutenant F.E. Buller, R.E.[19]

In late 1914 and early 1915 Captain Battye designed and put in to production through the Bethune Ironworks his 'Battye' or 'Bethune' bomb. The Battye Bomb consisted of a cast iron mug shaped container diced for fragmentation filled with 40 grammes of high explosive. The top of the container was sealed with a wood stopper and wax with a Bickford fuze. A Nobel safety device was used to light the fuze but, as a safety measure, this was only inserted at the time of use.

During the winter of 1914/1915, Battye had the men in his company working hard to manufacture trench mortars, bombs and hand grenades. Then he worked just as hard to improve the original products that they made, all to improve the ability of British forces to engage in trench warfare. His inspiring energy set a pace with the 21^st Company that made it difficult for other companies to emulate.

Figure 2. The Battye Grenade.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Battye grenade was used by the British and Commonwealth armies from late 1914. Major Battye designed the grenade, and due to his design enabling mass production, it was the utilized extensively in trench warfare in France. The design was uncomplicated: a metal cylinder filled with ammonal explosive and sealed with a wooden plug, initially fitted with a wick fuse and later a more reliable percussion fuse. By the end of 1915 the Battye grenade was completely removed from service due to the number of injuries acquired using the grenades. The more reliable and sophisticatedly designed Mills bomb replaced it.

On 18 November 1914 he set up a small factory behind the Givenchy-Festubert sector. With his knowledge of electric power generation and circuitry he set up electric searchlights in trenches and to the delight of officers in his sector he set up lights and radiators in every officer’s dug out.[20]

On 14 January 1915 he was mentioned in the despatches of Field Marshal Sir John French, undoubtedly for his work with the Battye grenade. In April he was wounded in the thigh and had to be evacuated to a hospital in England. After passing fit from his wound he gave lectures on trench warfare to men in new British divisions and to Canadian troops newly arrived in England.[21] During this period he even authored a pamphlet on trench warfare, which ultimately was accepted by the War Office for use throughout the army.

While in England Basil Battye received word that his brother, Major Hedley Morton Battye had been killed on 4 June 1915 while serving with the 5^th Gurkha Rifles at Gallipoli.[22] Both his father and his brother had been killed while serving with the 5^th Gurkhas, although many years apart. Then on 22 June he was again Mentioned in Despatches for his service in France and on 23 June he was appointed a Brevet Major.[23] He returned to France in August 1915 where he was posted as Adjutant on the staff of the Commander Royal Engineers (C.R.E.) of the Indian Lahore Division. On 5 September Major Battye was appointed a General Staff Officer, 3^rd Grade, on the staff of the Lahore Division commander.

In December of 1915 the Lahore Division received orders to redeploy to Mesopotamia. As the division began to depart for Mesopotamia, Battye left the division and was assigned as the Brigade Major of the 141^st Infantry Brigade in the 47^th Division on 15 February 1916. The following day he relinquished his position as a General Staff Officer 3^rd Grade to take up his assignment with the brigade. It is interesting to note that he, as an engineer officer, was selected to fill a brigade major’s position in an infantry brigade. This posting must indicate that the division commander and commanders at higher levels were convinced that Battye possessed the necessary tactical skills to fill this position. His trench warfare pamphlet and his lecture tours in early 1915 surely had something to do with this decision by higher command.[24]

During the period from 21 to 25 May 1916 the Germans attacked the British positions on Vimy Ridge and heavily engaged the 47^th Division. With the danger of a penetration between the right flank of his brigade and the neighboring formation, Battye, at a great personal risk, reconnoitered the position and was largely instrumental in readjusting the situation.[25]

As a result of his performance during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Battye was recommended for appointment to be a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) in the London Gazette of 27 July 1916. The citation for this honour read as follows:

For conspicuous gallantry and ability during a period of active operations. His skill and energy in sending forward reinforcements and ammunition under very difficult circumstances tended much to the success of the operations. He had previously made a personal reconnaissance of great value.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a rather weak citation for his award of the D.S.O. “His skill and energy in sending forward reinforcements and ammunition under very difficult circumstances” seems like nothing more than the undertaking of his duties as a Brigade Major. “He had previously made a personal reconnaissance of great value” seems like it was added to the citation as an afterthought. In fact what he did, as described in the Royal Engineers Journal of December 1932, was to go to the frontlines under heavy fire from the Germans and personally assess the attack they were making. He saw a gap between his brigade and the adjacent friendly unit, a gap that could easily be used by the enemy for a penetration into the rear of the British position. By getting up close to the action he was able to avert a penetration that would have resulted in flanking and rear attacks on his brigade and the unit next to them. This action, given the danger that he put himself in, certain was worth of an award for “conspicuous gallantry and ability.”

On 27 June 1916 Brevet Major Battye was appointed a General Staff Officer, 2^nd Grade of III Corps. He probably was replaced as Brigade Major of the 141^st Infantry Brigade by an infantry officer, but his performance of duty at Vimy Ridge rated a movement to a higher General Staff position. He was promoted to the substantive rank of Major on 2 November 1916 and was again mentioned in despatches on 4 January and 15 May 1917. On 2 June 1917 he was awarded the French Legion d'Honneur (Chevalier) and on 28 October he was appointed Temporary Lieutenant Colonel and graded for purposes of pay as an Assistant Quartermaster General.

Battye served with III Corps until just after the Battle of Cambrai for which he wrote out the orders for the tank attack that took place during that battle.[26] During this period he was working under Major General John Frederick Charles Fuller, one of the founders of modern armored warfare.

Figure 3. Major General J.F.C. Fuller, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Major General Fuller wrote this about Battye’s service during the Battle of Cambria:[27]

“in all arrangements we made for the concealment of the troops prior to the attack, he was invaluable, full of resource, and always anxious to see for himself how things were going.”

In this statement Fuller was talking about the concealment of tank troops prior to the attack and as an engineer officer Battye was particularly resourceful in preparing the deception plan to camouflage the tanks prior to their appearance on the battlefield. On 11 December 1917 Battye was again mentioned in despatches.

During the large German spring offensive in April 1918, Battye was employed on plans for the construction of the British model of the “Hindenburg Line” for use in case the field army was driven back farther by the German attacks. Fortunately this plan never had to be utilized.[28]

On 9 August 1918 Major Battye was appointed General Staff Officer 1^st Grade of the 34^th Division.[29] He was listed as “Major (Temporary Lieutenant Colonel) to retain temporary rank while so employed” in the London Gazette of 14 October 1918. On 20 December 1918 he was again mentioned in despatches.

Post War Service

It appears that at some point near the end of the war Battye was appointed to take up the organization, or perhaps the reorganization, of a tramway system under Army Headquarters.[30]

While working under Army GHQ control he was subjected to the bewildering promotion and appointment system of the British Army during the Great War starting early in 1919. On 1 January 1919 he was listed as “Major (Temporary Lieutenant Colonel) to be Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.”[31] Then on 14 January he was listed as “Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, relinquished appointment as General Staff Officer 1^st Grade and temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel.”[32]

On 4 September 1919 Battye was awarded the Belgium Croix de Guerre and on 12 May 1920 the London Gazette of that date listed him as “Brevet Lieutenant Colonel to be temporary Major while G.S.O.2^nd Grade (27 June 1916).” Another bewildering announcement of appointment/promotion, or demotion in this case.

Battye remained on active service following the war. In 1925 he was appointed to the office of the Director of Public Works at Simla. On 2 December 1925 the London Gazette of that date lists him as “Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel to be Lieutenant Colonel.” Later in December 1925 he was appointed the Chief Engineer of the Hydroelectric Works in the Punjab and in that capacity he envisioned construction of one of the worlds earliest hydroelectric projects, now called Shanan Power house, which is still in operation.

On 21 October 1929 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel with seniority from 1 January 1923 and the Indian Army made him a Brevet Major with the 3^rd Sappers and Miners, his old unit early in the war.

Tragedy Strikes

On 16 May 1932 Basil Condon Battye was killed in a motor accident while on tour near Batala. It is thought that the accident was due to a burst back tyre, while the car was travelling at high speed. Battye was killed instantly. Two Indian servants were with him as well as a Major Aylward, D.S.O., M.C. who had been associated with Battye since the beginning of the war.[33] Major Aylward and the servants were seriously injured, but recovered. Battye was buried in the Non-War Cemetery in Lahore.[34]

Probate of his Will took place in Bristol on 13 June 1932. His resident address was listed as 6 Tollinton Road, Lahore, Punjab, India. His effects were left to Edith Lillian Battye, widow, in the amount of £3,936 and 4 shillings (about $592,300 US in 2023 currency).

The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Battye’s promotions and appointments, and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army. They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career.

5. PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

Promotions: Battye received the following promotions during his time in service:

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
18 August 1900	Commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.
18 August 1903	Promoted Lieutenant.
10 August 1910	Promoted Captain.
23 June 1915	Appointed Brevet Major.
2 November 1916	Promoted Major.
28 October 1917	Major (appointed Temporary Lieutenant Colonel).
1 January 1919	Major (Temporary Lieutenant Colonel) to be Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.
14 January 1919	Relinquished temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel
12 May 1920	Brevet Lieutenant Colonel to be temporary Major.
1 January 1923	Promoted Colonel.
2 December 1925	Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel to be Lieutenant Colonel.
21 October 1929	Promoted Colonel with seniority from 1 January 1923. Appointed Brevet Major in the 3^rd Sappers & Miners, Indian Army.

Appointments: Battye received the following appointments during his time in service:

Date of Appointment	Position
November 1903	General Duty Officer, Somaliland.
1905	Staff Officer, Military Works Service, Ferozepore, India.
1908	Staff Officer, Office of the Deputy General of Military Works, Simla, India.
1909	Associate Member, Institution of Electrical Engineers.
7 November 1914	Company Commander, 21^st Company, 3^rd Sappers and Miners.
August 1915	Adjutant, Lahore Divisional Engineers.
5 September 1915	Appointed General Staff Officer 3^rd Grade (G.S.O.3).
16 February 1916	Brigade Major, 141^st Infantry Brigade.
27 June 1916	Appointed General Staff Officer 2^nd Grade (G.S.O.2)
9 August 1918	Appointed General Staff Officer 1^st Grade (G.S.O.1)
14 January 1919	Relinquished appointment as G.S.O.1. Appointed G.S.O.2.
December 1925	Appointed Chief Engineer, Hydroelectric Works, Punjab

6. MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Basil Condon Battye received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service

The Distinguished Service Order (awarded on 24 June 1916)
The Albert Medal, 2^nd Class (Earned in 1906, but not awarded until 25 August 1913)
The Africa General Service Medal with Clasp [SOMALILAND 1903-04] (earned in 1904)
The 1914 Star with clasp
The British War Medal (awarded on 25 June 1920)
The Victory Medal with Oak Leaf for Mention in Despatches (MID: (14 January 1915, 22 June 1915, 27 July 1916, 4 January 1917, 15 May 1917, 11 December 1917, and 20 December 1918). Medal awarded on 25 June 1920. Clasp awarded on 23 April 1921. Mentioned in Despatches 7 times!
French Croix de Chevalier of Legion d'Honneur (awarded on 2 June 1917)
Belgium Croix de Guerre (awarded on 4 September 1919)

Decorations

Figure 4. (Left). The Distinguished Service Order.

Figure 5. (Right). The Albert Medal,

2^nd Class

Campaign Medals

Figure 6. (Left). The Africa General Service Medal with clasp [SOMALILAND]

Figure 7. (Right). The Great War Trio: 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal with MID oak leaf.

Seven times Mentioned in Despatches!

Foreign Awards

Figure 8 (Left). French Croix de Chevalier of Legion d'Honneur.

Figure 9 (Right). Belgium Croix de Guerre

Figure 10. The Great War Medal Index Card (front) of Basil Condon Battye.

(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Figure 11. The Great War Medal Index Card (back) of Basil Condon Battye

(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

7. RELEASE FROM SERVICE

Colonel Battye’s service ended on the date of his death on 16 May 1932. His total service was reckoned as shown in the table below:

Location	Period of Service
Home Service	4 years, 2 months and 29 days
Service Abroad	27 years and 6 months
Total Service (18 August 1900 – 16 May 1932)	31 years, 8 months and 29 days

8. EPILOGUE

A fellow Sapper officer wrote this about Battye as a final memorial to the man.

“It is difficult to think of another who has done so well in both the military and civil sides of his profession. His whole heart was in whatever he did. He was absolutely tireless, and if he had a fault it was that he sometimes forgot that his subordinates were not as tireless as he. While he had what he himself described as "the fatal gift of seeing both sides of a question," there was nothing hesitating about his conduct when he had made up his mind as to which was the better course. He was one to set precedents rather than to follow them. He was always cheerful with a cheeriness which was infectious. All who served with him in the war have testified to his utter fearlessness and complete disregard of self. He was a loyal subordinate, an able staff officer and a capable leader. Above all, he was, in the true sense of the word, a Christian.”

Figure 10. Colonel Basil Condon Battye, D.S.O., A.M.

(Image from The Royal Engineers Journal, December 1932)

APPENDIX A

“THE FIGHTING BATTYES”

1st Generation

George Wynyard Battye (1806-1888), Bengal Civil Service, was the father of ten remarkable brothers.

Major-General George Money Battye (1829-1912) served in the 2nd Burma War where he was present at the Capture of Pegu June 1852 and was commander at Murree during the Indian Mutiny.

Lieutenant Quintin Henry Battye (1832-1857) was second in command of the Corps of Guides in their march from Mardan to Delhi. He was killed on the day of their arrival. There is a memorial tablet for him in St Paul’s Cathedral crypt.

Major-General Henry Doveton Battye (1833-1915) served in the Indian Mutiny in the Rohilcund Campaign and the Oude Campaign.

Major Wynyard Battye (1835-1882) commissioned in the 65th Bengal Native Infantry served at the Second Lucknow Relief and in the 2nd China War.

Lieutenant-Colonel Montagu McPherson Battye (1836-1929) served in the 10th Lincolnshire Regiment during the Indian Mutiny at Dinapore, Arrah, Atrowlee, Chanda and Lucknow.

Captain Charles Forbes Battye (1838-1918) served in the 33rd Bengal Native Infantry

Major-General Arthur Battye CB (1839-1909) was an ensign in the 19th Bengal Native Infantry and later in the 2nd Gurkha Rifles. He took part the Lushai Expedition and the 2nd Afghan War.

Figure 11. Major Leigh Richmond Battye (1845-1888)

(Image courtesy of The Fighting Battyes)

First of the 35th Royal Sussex Regiment later of the 5th Gurkha Regiment served throughout the Jowaki Expedition. He was killed during the 3rd Black Mountain Expedition. There is a memorial stone for him in St Luke's Church in Abbottabad.

Figure 12. Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Drummond Battye

(1847-1895)

(Image courtesy of The Fighting Battyes)

He served in the Corps of Guides Infantry in the Jowaki Expedition 1877, the 2nd Afghan War when he was severely wounded at the Battle of Asmai Heights, the Hazara 1891 and the Chitral Campaign 1895 when he was killed leading a battalion on a punitive expedition. His grave is in Mardan where there is a tablet to him in St Alban's Church.

Figure 13. Death of Major Wigram Battye of the Queen’s Own Corps of Guides at the Battle of Futtehabad on 2nd April 1879 in the Second Afghan War.

(Picture by Henri Dupray)

Major Wigram Battye (1842-1879) served in the Corps of Guides in the 2nd China War, the Ambela Campaign and the Jowaki Expedition. In the 2nd Afghan War at the Battle of Futtehabad he was killed leading the Guides in a cavalry charge. There is a memorial tablet for him in St Paul’s Cathedral crypt.

2nd Generation

Montagu McPherson Battye had a third son who served in the British Army

Lieutenant Colonel Clinton Wynyard Battye DSO (1874-1917) of the 85th King's Light Infantry served in the North West Frontier and the Great War in France.

Leigh Richmond Battye had five sons who served in the army in India.

Figure 14. Lieutenant Richmond Moffat Battye.

(Image courtesy of The Fighting Battyes)

Lieutenant Richmond Moffat Battye (1869-1897) of the 6th Bengal Cavalry who served on the North West frontier and was killed in action in the Kurmana Dara. He is buried in Parachinar, Kurram Valley.

Lieutenant Arthur Baldwyn Battye (1872-?), Indian Staff Corps formerly 30th East Lancashire Regiment, served in the Chitral Campaign.

Lieutenant Colonel Walter Rothney Battye DSO (1874-1943), Indian Medical Service, served with 10th Bengal Lancers, 12th Bengal Cavalry, 14th Sikhs to China in 1900, Boxer Rebellion. Later a political officer in India; British Vice-Consul at Meshed; acting Consul-General in Khorassan; Residency Surgeon, Udaipur State; OC 108th Indian Field Ambulance, 1914; Director Civil Medical Services, Mesopotamia.

Brigadier Ivan Urmston Battye CB (1875-1953) of the Queen's Own Corps of Guides of which he was Commandant. Served in the North West Frontier and in Mesopotamia.

Colonel Basil Condon Battye (1882-1932) DSO Royal Engineers, the protagonist of this research project.

3rd Generation

Walter Rothney Battye had a son who served in the Indian Army.

Major General Stuart Hedley Molesworth Battye CB (1907-1987) commissioned in the Royal Engineers and served with the Bengal Sappers and Miners in the North West Frontier and in the 2^nd World War.

Basil Condon Battye had two sons who served in the British Army

Basil Wigram Battye (1905-1988) is thought to have served in the Royal Artillery. No details regarding his rank or service have been found.

Lieutenant John Christopher Battye (1919-1943) commissioned in the Royal Corps of Signals and served in the 1^st Parachute Brigade Signal Section, 1^st Airborne Division and was killed in action in North Africa. He is buried in the Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery in Northern Tunisia (see Annex B).

ANNEX B[35]

In Memory Of Lieutenant

JOHN CHRISTOPHER BATTYE

Service Number: 95097

1st Parachute Brigade Signal Section, 1st Airborne Division

who died on 14 March 1943, Age 23

Son of Colonel Basil Condon Battye, D.S.O., A.M., formerly of the Royal Engineers, and of Edith Lilian Battye, Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Salisbury.

SO HE PASSED OVER, AND ALL THE TRUMPETS SOUNDED FOR HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE

Remembered with Honour

TABARKA RAS RAJEL WAR CEMETERY

Plot 3. Row C. Grave 14.

The British airborne operations in North Africa were conducted by British paratroopers of the 1^st Parachute Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Edwin Flavell, as part of the Tunisian campaign of World War 2, over the period between November 1942 and April 1943. Units from the 1^st Parachute Brigade dropped near Bône on 12 November, then near Souk el-Arba and Béja on 13 November, and at Pont Du Fahs on 29 November, seizing airfields, fighting as infantry after each action and linking up with an Allied armored force, supporting it until December. Due to the inability of units of the British First Army to link up with the Pont Du Fahs force, the 2^nd Parachute Battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel John Frost, was forced to retreat over fifty miles towards the nearest Allied units; it was attacked several times during the retreat, and although it reached Allied lines safely it had taken more than 250 casualties. For the next four months the 1st Parachute Brigade was used in a ground role, serving under several formations and advancing with Allied ground forces; it suffered heavy casualties on several occasions, one of them being Lieutenant John Christopher Battye.[36]

ANNEX C

Lieutenant Colonel Walter Rothney Battye, D.S.O., M.B., F.R.C.S.

Indian Medical Service

1. INTRODUCTION

Lieutenant Colonel Walther Rothney Battye was one of “The Fighting Battyes,” one of 18 men of the Battye family who served in both the British and Indian Armies. The family included four Major Generals, one Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, four Majors, one Captain and three Lieutenants. Of the 18, five were killed in action in India and one at Gallipoli. Lieutenant Colonel W.R. Battye was the brother of Colonel Basil Condon Battye, D.S.O., A.M., R.E., the major subject of this research project.

2. FAMILY INFORMATION

Family Information

Walter Rothney Battye was born on 20 January 1874 in Rawalpindi, Punjab, India. He was the fourth child and second son of Major Leigh Richmond Battye (1845-1888), an officer who had been commissioned in the 35^th Royal Sussex Regiment and then transferred to the 5^th Gurkha Rifles. Walter’s mother was Margaret Fanny Jane Battye, née Moffat (1847-1917). The Battyes had nine children: seven boys and two girls. Besides Walter and Basil, another son, Ivan Urmston Battye (1875-1953) served as a Brigadier and Commandant of the Queen’s Own Corps of Guides. Ivan served on the North West Frontier of India and in Mesopotamia.

3. COMMISSIONING, POSTINGS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Walter Rothney Battye was educated at Redland Hill House School, Bristol, and Combe Down School, Bath, and at University College, London, where he won an entrance exhibition and took first-class honours in zoology at the BSc examination in 1893. He received his medical training at St Bartholomew's and St Thomas's Hospitals, qualifying in 1897, and won the Parkes memorial medal at the Army medical school, Netley, in 1898. He passed second into the Indian Medical Service, being gazetted Surgeon-Lieutenant on 27 July 1898.

Battye served as the Medical Officer of the 10^th Bengal Lancers, the 12^th Bengal Cavalry and with the 14^th Sikhs in 1900 with the Indian contingent in China during the Boxer Rebellion. He was awarded the China 1900 medal and was promoted Captain on 27 July 1901. In 1903 he transferred to the civil branch, was posted to the coveted political section, and served in Persia and Rajputana. He took the London MS in 1908, and the Fellowship in 1909, and was promoted Major in the Indian Medical Service on 28 January 1910.

During the Great War of 1914-1918 Battye served in Egypt (1914-1915), Gallipoli (1915), and France (1916-1917), where he won the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) on 2 February 1916 and the French Legion d'Honneur in the rank of Chevalier on 24 February 1916. While at Gallipoli he served as the Officer Commanding the 108^th Indian Field Ambulance. There is a long despatch written by Major Battye which records that the 108^th Indian Field Ambulance was initially located at Gully Beach. The ambulance later departed for Imbros on 24 July 1915 as a step towards subsequently relocating to ANZAC. Initially at Aghyl Dere, it subsequently moved to a more permanent spot in near 'Danakjalik Bair' in a

"cul-de-sac of the hills about 1200 yards from the sea and about 400 yards from the Chailak Dere. This place was about 1½ miles from our brigade trenches, and about the same distance from the pier at Walkers' Ridge. All evacuation of wounded had to take place at the latter place as the beach nearest to the ambulance which was used in the early phase had to be given up owing to the numerous casualties occurring there. The position of the ambulance midway between the brigade and Walker's pier was therefore eminently suitable as the 108^th Indian Field Ambulance had to act as a Casualty Clearing Station for the brigade"

From a Despatch by
Major Battye

Figure 1. Major Battyes Shelter at Gallipoli.

(Image courtesy of the Great War Forum)

Battye goes on to record that the approaches were over open ground and spent bullets and shrapnel [sic] frequently, especially in the area of the olive grove. It was necessary to dig a long deep sap to cover the arriving parties started on 20 August and later in October was extended right into Chailak Dere near No.2 Outpost. In November a large tunnel into the hillside was commenced, on a large scale to accommodate patients. This was not finished before the evacuation took place.

Figure 2. The Sap at the 108^th Indian Field Ambulance, Gallipoli.

(Image courtesy of the Great War Forum)

Four large terraces were built by the Kahars (stretcher-bearers) most of whom being hill-men were accustomed to terracing. Major Battye goes on to relate:

"All the sap and tunnel digging, the terracing and hut-building was done entirely unaided by the ambulance Kahars under our own supervision. No help unfortunately was obtainable from the sappers or any one from outside. As soon as the daily evacuation of sick was over the men returned to their digging &c and carried on cheerily in spite of the night work the heavy labour the hardships and the casualties among them. The casualties among the ambulance personnel throughout the Gallipoli campaign in killed and wounded alone mounted to:-

Stretcher Bearers.........................................................35.6% of the strength on the peninsula

Pack store havildars and ward-orderlies.....................50% of their strength

Total ambulance personnel incl British Officers..............33.1% of strength.

The only class that by some extraordinary good fortune escaped entirely unscathed was that of the sub-assistant surgeons in spite of the fact that they were just as much exposed as all the others and were indifferent to their own safety as were all the others and often had men hit close beside them. The above figures include a few men who were wounded twice and consequently admitted twice on the books."

On three occasions the ambulance personnel had to evacuate the hospital due to heavy shelling. Battye comments that the nearby howitzer battery in the next hollow of the hill was probably the intended target but the shells fell short. One ward orderly was shot dead through the head while standing by the side of the operating table.

As a winter campaign became a possibility, it became clear that the weather might prevent evacuation to ships for days or even weeks and a Clearing Hospital was established on 23 October at North Beach for Indian troops commanded by Captain Stocker, IMS.

Battye comments:

"unfortunately the utterly unexpected bad weather of November 26^th to 30^th (fine weather had been foretold by the experts) arrived before the ambulance headquarters was ready for the 300 patients"

Such was the demand for space to accommodate the frost-bitten patients that the Officers' accommodation was vacated for patients. Battye praises Capt Stocker's energy and resourcefulness for being able to deal with over 600 casualties from the blizzard. He records that the frost-bite cases were very bad:

"some men losing toes, parts of feet and even whole feet. One Gurkha died before evacuation and a few were reported to have died on a hospital ship"

Battye mentions that as the weather became colder dysentery dropped but jaundice increased and records that the two diseases occurred in inverse proportions. Apparently in August bathing in the sea was only done at night and only later carried out during the day due to the shrapnel risk. He records that the Officer Commanding the 1/5^th Gurkhas was severely wounded whilst bathing.

Serbian Barrels were used for sterilizing clothing from November onwards. One solution for lice was to burn sulfur in sealed-up dugouts, however Battye comments that the most successful measure was for each man to spend 15 minutes each day hunting through their own clothing.

The Field Ambulance alone admitted on its books and treated 5,487 cases of which 2,863 were wounded and 2624 were sick. About 80% of these were evacuated. All transport of patients was done by hand, there being "no transport of any kind" available

Following his service at Gallipoli, Battye served in Iraq from 1917 to 1919, first as Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services (DADMS) at Bagdad, and then as secretary for health and director of the civilian medical service in Mesopotamia. He had been promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 28 January 1918. For his services during the war he was mentioned in despatches on 23 January 1916, 21 June 1916, and 13 July 1916, and on 21 February 1919.

4. PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

Promotions: Battye received the following promotions during his time in service:

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
27 July 1898	Surgeon-Lieutenant, Indian Medical Service.
27 July 1901	Promoted Captain, Indian Medical Service
28 January 1910	Promoted Major, Indian Medical Service.
28 January 1918	Promoted Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Medical Service.

Appointments: Battye received the following appointments during his time in service:

Date of Appointment	Position
1893	Bachelor of Science in Zoology (BSc)
1897	A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS)
1897	Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (LRCP)
29 July 1897	Member Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS)
10 June 1909	Fellow Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS)
1908	Master of Surgery (MS)
1916	Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
22 June 1937	Commander of the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (CStJ)

MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Lieutenant Colonel Walter Rothney Battye received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in the Indian Army:

· The Distinguished Service Order

· The British War Medal

· The Victory Medal with oak leaf for Mention in Despatchers (4 times)

· The French Legion d'Honneur in the rank of Chevalier

Battye’s Medal Index Card (see image below) shows that he was issued the British War Medal and Victory Medal in India for his service in the 108^th Indian Field Ambulance as a Major (Acting Lieutenant Colonel) and in the Indian Medical Service (I.M.S.) as a Lieutenant Colonel. The card also indicates that he first entered the Theatre of War in Egypt on 1 December 1914. If Egypt was indeed considered to be a Theatre of War on that date, then he would have been authorized to receive the 1914 Star. The card does not indicate that he received the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star. This is a mystery regarding his medals.

Figure 3. The Medal Index Card of Walter Rothney Battye.

(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Figures 4, 5, and 6. The Distinguished Service Order, British War Medal, Victory Medal with MID oak leaf and the French Legion d'Honneur.

(Images from the author’s collection)

NOTE: The medals shown above and below are not those of Lieutenant Colonel Battye. They are presented here for illustrative purposes only.

6. POST SERVICE LIFE

Returning to India after the war he was residency surgeon at Indore and superintendent of the King Edward Hospital and medical school, and chief medical officer for central India. He was placed in the select list for promotion on 31 May 1923, and retired on 28 January 1929. He later served for a period as medical superintendent of the King George V Merchant Seamen's Memorial Hospital at Malta, living first at 5 Harper Lane, Floriana, and later at 55 Victoria Avenue, Sliema. He was a Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem as indicated above.

Figure 7. Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia).

Battye married Maud St. George Molesworth in 1898, who survived him with two sons and a daughter. He died at Sandecotes Road, Parkstone, Bournemouth, after a long illness, on 27 April 1943 and was cremated.

REFERENCES:

Books

Bentwich & Kisch. Brigadier Frederick Kisch: Soldier and Zionist, Valentine Mitchell & Co. Ltd., London, 1966, p. 27.
Corrigan, G. Sepoys in the Trenches: The Indian Corps on the Western Front, 1914-1915, 1999.
DOHERTY & DONOVAN. The Indian Corps on the Western Front.
Hayward, J.B. Honours and Awards of the Old Contemptibles, Arms & Armour Press, London, 1971, p. 51.
BAKER BROWN, W. History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume IV. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952, p. 138.
History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume V. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952, p. 456.
History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume VII. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952, p. 309.
MacAslan, A. The 26th Squadron RE: A History of the Squadron from its Formation in 1855 to the Present, 1988.
Naval and Military Despatches, November 1914 – June 1915.
SANDES, E.W.C. The Indian Sappers and Miners. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1948, pp. 443-150.
SANDES, E.W.C. The Military Engineer in India, Volume II. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1935.
Shakespear, J. The Thirty-Fourth Division, 1915-1919: The Story of Its Career from Ripon to the Rhine, H.F. & G. Witherby, London, 1921, 269.

Civil Documents

Probate Calendar, 1932, p. 224.

Family Trees

Major Leigh Richmond Battye (by Tanya Collier).
Basil Condon Battye (by Stephanie Youthed).
Lt. Col. Dr. Walter Rothney Battye, D.S.O., M.B., F.R.C.S,

London Gazette

The London Gazette, 23 August 1898, p. 5084.
The London Gazette, 17 August 1900, p. 5116.
The London Gazette, 3 April 1906, p. 2336.
The London Gazette, 3 May 1910, p. 3073.
The London Gazette, 19 August 1910, p. 6039.
The London Gazette, 26 September 1911.
The London Gazette, 26 August 1913, p. 6081.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 June 1915, p. 6120.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 February 1916, p. 1336.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 24 February 1916, pp. 2065 and 2066.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 20 March 1916, p. 3046.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 24 June 1916, p. 6305.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 27 July 1916, p. 7427.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 27 July 1916, p. 7460.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 November 1916, p. 11388.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 June 1917, p. 5452.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 February 1918, p. 2290.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 14 October 1918, p. 12041.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 1 January 1919, p. 14.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 March 1919, p. 3821.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 12 May 1920, p. 5453.
The London Gazette, 1 December 1925, p. 7951.
The London Gazette, 29 December 1925, p. 8643.
The London Gazette, 15 November 1929, p. 7379.
The London Gazette, 24 June 1937, pp. 4007 and 4008.

Military Documents

Medal Index Card (Basil Condon Battye).
Medal Index Card (Walter Rothney Battye).
Medal Index Card (Ivan Urmston Battye).

Periodicals

Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Volume 53, 1914-1915.
The Royal Engineers Journal. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, December 1932, p. 699.
The Royal Engineers Journal. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, September 1940, p. 425.

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