Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Contribute by The Beechworth Cemetery Trust

James Valentine Batson was born at Selwyn near Tumbarumba, New South Wales in mid-1873, possibly August and he was the son of William Batson (1843 – 1914) and Bridget Josephine Batson (Nee Murphy – 1837 - 1912). He had a least one sibling, Anne. He may have possibly lived in or around the Albury area in the late 1890’s to 1900 as James’s two sons recorded their “places of birth” as Albury on their “1st AIF Enlistment Forms”.

James served with “A” Squadron - 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles as a Trooper in the 2nd Boer War and his service number was 2060. He sailed for South Africa on the 21st March 1901 aboard the “SS British Prince” accompanied by the Regimental Staff and “C” and “E” Squadrons. The Units disembarked at Durbin, South Africa on the 17th and 23rd April 1901. Following his Boer War service in South Africa, On the 4th May 1902, James and “A” Squadron, 3rd New South Wales Rifles embarked at Cape Town for Australia aboard “RMS Aurania”. The Squadron reached Sydney on the 3rd June 1902, after stopping at Albany, Adelaide and Melbourne. Little is known of James from 1902 until his enlistment in the 1st A.I.F. with the exception that his wife, Fairley (Pearly - nee Webster) died in 1903, shortly after his return from the Boer War.

At age 42 years and 7 months, James, who was employed as labourer, enlisted in the 1st A.I.F. on the 14th March 1916, at Cootamundra, along with his two sons, Reginald Charles (1897 – 1978) and Eric George – (1900 – 2016). Eric, the younger son falsified his age to enlist in the A.I.F. He died from Diphtheria in the Liverpool Field Hospital, aged sixteen years on the 3rd May 1916, seven weeks after enlisting. Private James Batson undertook initial military training in “C” Company – 1st Depot Battalion, Cootamundra Camp between the 14th March 1916 to 17th April 1916. He was then assigned to “A” Company, 1st Battalion at Liverpool from the 18th April to the 1st of July 1916. His service number was 6131. Private Batson was assigned to “C” Company 1st Battalion A.I.F. On the 22nd August 1916, James Batson and his Battalion departed Sydney aboard (A28) HMAT “Wiltshire” for the European War, arriving at Plymouth, England on the 13th October 1916.

Following further training in England, Private Batson departed Folkstone on 13th December 1916 for France aboard “SS Arundel”. He proceeded to join his Battalion at Etaples on 4th February 1917 and he was taken on strength with his unit, the 19th Reinforcements on 8th February 1917. From the 25th February 1917 to 28th March 1917, Private Batson was on commission to the 1st Division, Sanitary Section which involved ferrying and transporting wounded. This reassignment may have been attributed this his age, as he would have been almost forty-four years old at this stage and had eyesight problems. From 29th March to the 22nd May 1917, he served with this unit around the Armentieres area on the Western Front.

On 23th May 1917, he was admitted to a field hospital with the eye condition “central choroiditis”. After being certified as medically unfit, he arrived at Southampton from France on 19th June 1917. He was then repatriated for convalescence at Perham Downs Camp, Salisbury Plains on 27th June 1917. On 22nd October 1917, he entered Training Camp Codford, Wiltshire and then he entered Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, for retraining pending a return to active duty. He was medically discharged from Longbridge Deverill and returned to Australia on 12th May 1918 aboard Hospital Transport “Gaika”. He disembarking in Australia on the 7th July 1918 and was discharged on the 7th August 1918 as medically unfit due to defective vision.

Again, little is known of James after his WW1 service until his death in 1954. Records indicate that James Batson was living at Holbrook, N.S.W. in 1923. James Batson was admitted to “The Ovens Benevolent Home” in Beechworth on the 24th October 1952 and his prior address was recorded as Manus Creek N.S.W. His occupation was that of a Farm Hand. He died on the 3rd July 1954 in that institution and was buried in the Beechworth Cemetery on the 6th July 1954, aged 81 years. He is buried in a single grave in Roman Catholic Section C – Plot 389. The grave was unmarked which would indicate that he was possibly buried as a pauper. However, with the assistance of his relatives, a full military grave has now been constructed for him. His name is featured on the “1914 – 1918 Tumbarumba N.S.W. Roll of Honour” and also the Tumbarumba “Monument to Boer War Survivors”.

Medals

1914 – 1915 Star

WW1 Victory Medal

British War Medal