Person:Piri Batley (1)

FULL NAME Norman Pirioa Batley RANK LAST HELD Private FORENAME(S) Norman Pirias SURNAME Batley WAR World War I, 1914-1918 SERIAL NO. 10/3846 GENDER Male PLACE OF BIRTH Moawhango, Manawatu, New Zealand FIRST KNOWN RANK Private OCCUPATION BEFORE ENLISTMENT Farmer NEXT OF KIN Mrs Emily Batley (mother), Moawhango, New Zealand BODY ON EMBARKATION New Zealand Expeditionary Force EMBARKATION UNIT 10th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion, B Company EMBARKATION DATE 4 March 1916 PLACE OF EMBARKATION Wellington, New Zealand TRANSPORT HMNZT 47 HMNZT 48 VESSEL Willochra or Tofua DESTINATION Suez,Egypt (8 April 1916) NOMINAL ROLL NUMBER 26 PAGE ON NOMINAL ROLL 11 LAST UNIT SERVED Wellington Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion PLACE OF DEATH Somme, France DATE OF DEATH 10 July 1916 YEAR OF DEATH 1916 CAUSE OF DEATH Killed in action CEMETERY NAME Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, France GRAVE REFERENCE I.D.34. OBITUARY "Pte. N.P. Batley, 2nd W.I. of Moawhango, Taihape, was killed in France about the middle of July. He had gone out with a repairing party to mend a gap in the wire entanglements when a German machine gun opened fire, killing him instantaneously. His body was brought in at great risk by the sergeant of his platoon, and he was buried in the Blue Blind Cemetery at Armentieres. 'A good man and a fine soldier,' says his captain." (Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., 15 September 1916, p. 32) BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES "Leaving New Zealand early in March, 1916, attached to B. Company, 10th Reinforcements, fell in action July 10th, 1916, only a few weeks after he had arrived in France. The last of the family at school here, he remained for five years, leaving in August, 1909, to manage part of his fathers property. At the beginning of the year he did his utmost to get away, but circumstances made his departure quite impossible. He was despatched with a party of fourteen men to repair a gap in wire entanglements fronting the New Zealand trenches, and on arrival at the spot a heavy fire was opened by the Germans, three being killed and four others badly wounded. Batley was shot through the head and killed instantly. No finer proof can be given of his sterling character and cheerful disposition than his own letters, written since he left the country." (In Memoriam, 1914-1918 [Wanganui Collegiate School]) DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE Portrait from In Memoriam, 1914-1918 [Wanganui Collegiate School], 1919[?] Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1916 Taihape Cenotaph. Private Batley's name is inscribed on the Roll of Honour for World War I (Source: Taihape Times). ARCHIVES NZ SOURCE Military personnel file SOURCES USED Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1917 In Memoriam, 1914-1918 [Wanganui Collegiate School], Wanganui Chronicle Co. Ltd. [printer], Wanganui, 1919[?] Commonwealth War Graves Commission. URL: http://www.cwgc.org