TOPIC:

BATTEN, Victor Thomas Arthur

An Australian who served in three separate South African Units in the Anglo Boer War; being taken POW whilst serving as a Trooper with Kitchener’s Horse (No. 3424); then enlisting in 1901 as a Sgt with the Namaqualand Border Scouts (No. 663) and then finally joining the Cape Garrison Artillery as a Gunner (No. 127) in 1902 with whom he was seriously wounded; wounds for which he never fully recovered. During WW1 he enlisted with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 4th Reinforcement Group, (No. 860) and passed away in 1919 from pneumonic influenza. His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial.






Victor Thomas Arthur Batten was born on the 18 July 1875 in Geelong, Victoria, the son of Thomas Lloyd Batten and Miriam Elizabeth. He enrolled at Geelong College on the 6th May 1889 and served with the Geelong Garrison Artillery for five years prior to service in the Anglo Boer War.

He joined Kitchener’s Horse on the 3rd February 1900, under Lt Sampson, and a week later the squadron was surrounded by a large Boer Force that attacked them and was compelled to surrender after they made a very creditable defence in a farmhouse for two days. The prisoners were released in Pretoria on the 6th June 1900; he was discharged from Kitchener’s Horse on the 7th December 1900.

In January 1901 he joined the Namaqualand Border Scouts as a Serjeant; they were conspicuous for consistently refusing to surrender when surrounded as patrols were at times. They would keep up a fight till dark and although half of them were killed the survivors of the party would escape.

In January 1902 he joined the Cape Garrison Artillery and shortly thereafter was seriously wounded in the shoulder at Omkyk on the 10th January 1902.

Following the Anglo Boer War he continued to serve with the Cape Garrison Artillery and then as a German Transport Conductor before settling down in South Australia as a plasterer.

He re-enlisted (No. 860) on 10 December 1914 in the AIF with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment (4th Reinforcement Group). On 5 March 1915 he married Margaret Frances Andrews, daughter of Michael and Johanna Shannon, at the Methodist Manse, South Terrace, Adelaide, shortly before his embarkation for Egypt. He embarked from Adelaide on HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on 1 April 1915 and disembarked Suez, 27 April 1915.

He return to Australia from England on board HMAT A70 Ballarat, 5 July 1915 and disembarked Melbourne, 6 August 1915; discharged Melbourne, 10 May 1916 (medically unfit, asthma). Re-enlisted and attached for duty with base Postal unit, 3rd Military District (prior to discharge), 21 October 1915; discharged, 23 January 1919.

Joined 3rd Military District Guard, 24 January 1919; died of disease, No 5 Australian General Hospital, Melbourne, 11 February 1919 (pneumonic influenza) at the age of 43 years.

Place of burial - Coburg Cemetery (Plot C, Row 6, Grave No. 547), Victoria

Very nice Sturgy. Was he awarded any WWI medals? A brave man.

Hi Rory,

Thanks for that; yes he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Regards,
Sturgy