Bates, Wilfred
No.51 – Sergeant Wilfred Froude Bates – 16th Battalion AIF
Wilfred Froude Bates was born in South Yarra Victoria on the 28th December 1888 to Edmund and Eliza Bates. He had one brother Stanley who was born in 1892 and a sister called Gladys born in Fremantle in 1896. His family had moved across to Western Australia where Wilfred attended primary school. After leaving school he trained to be a barber but later worked as a Mill Hand. In 1913 he married Florence May Williams and they resided at Rocky Bay North Fremantle.
Wilfred did have a step-daughter with Florence called Dorothea born in 1908 and their own son, Billy who was born in 1914. Wilfred’s mother Eliza unfortunately passed away at 34 Ada Street on the 2nd June 1914.
Wilfred unsuccessfully tried to enlist prewar in the Royal Australian Navy but kept up an interest in the military as he was Captain of the Hoffman Rifle Club.
When war was declared in August 1914, Wilfred did not take long to enlist, presenting himself to Swan Barracks in Perth on the 7th September 1914. As the 11th & 12th Battalions had already been filled, Wilfred found himself allotted to the 16th Battalion AIF with the regimental number 51. He was passed as fit by the medical examiner who found Wilfred to be; 5 feet 7 & ½ inches in height; weight of 134 lbs; chest measurement of 35-36 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
On November 21st 1914 the 16th Battalion, under the command of Lt-Colonel Pope, entrained for Fremantle Harbour where the men boarded two steamers, the SS Indarra and SS Dimboola. The steamers departed for Victoria and after arriving at Port Melbourne the men were sent to Broadmeadows Camp to join the rest of the 4th Brigade in training. Amid all the training a noteworthy event was held on the 17th December 1914 when the 4th Brigade marched through Melbourne to cheering crowds.
Five days later on the 22nd December 1914, the 16th Battalion travelled to Port Melbourne where they boarded the HMAT Ceramic. The convoy of ships left Melbourne and reached Albany on December 28th. No shore leave was given to the WA soldiers in Albany and on the 31st December the convoy sailed to Egypt, reaching Port Said on the 31st January 1915. The following day the ship berthed at Alexandria and the men were disembarked and sent to camp at Heliopolis.
The Battalion was trained hard over the next two months and on the 12th April 1915 the 4th Brigade set sail for Lemnos Island. They would spend the next two weeks on their ships, only going ashore on Lemnos to train, in preparation for the landing at Gallipoli.
The 1st Division would land first on the morning of April 25th, and the 4th Brigade with the New Zealanders would reinforce them later in the day. The 16th Battalion landed in the early evening of April 25th and made their way to Popes Hill. Wilfred wrote;
“We are under shellfire we are just about to land warships firing all around us…blown up 3 times with the shells of our own warships, not hurt. Terrible lot of wounded”
The land was very confusing and a few men of the 16th were taken prisoner by the Turks, however a line was gradually established.
The 16th Battalion held that position for the next week, but on May 2nd the men were sent to take what would later be known as Dead Man’s Ridge. Wilfred survived that horrid assault but the battle stress was taking its toll as his diary entries testifies as he found a spare minute to write a line or two over several days.
“Was on outpost last night I was lucky bullets were flying all round me. The fighting is very fierce, one continual fire of rifles, Battery and warships. Expecting attack tonight…No attack last night but we were up all night. The fighting is still strong. The Turkish snipers are doing bad work among us. Expecting attack tonight…We were attacked last night but we gave them such a bad time of it that they did not come 20 yards we were itching for a charge but did not get it. Up all night again and I have not had any rest of 4 days & 4 nights. I am pretty tired I can tell you. I had my bayonet shot off last night… We are losing a lot of men. But the Turks are loosing about 4 to 1 So we are not doing to bad they won’t come and show them selfs. Was relieved today after 5 days and 5 nights in the trenches…we were cut up terrible but we held them in check until reinforcements came up. I believe Kitchener is surprised at the way we fought. I heard some officers talking about what was said & it said that if we had many more people in Australia we would take the world. May 1st Today is supposed to be a rest day for us but we are getting sniped off like one thing.”
We got the order to reinforce a place 5’oclock today we had to climb a very steep hill but only a few of us got there and as soon as I got there I was out of wind. an officer sent me under heavy fire to bring some men from another place. When I got back with them I could not speak. I was that much done up and dry…Sniped at all day we made an attack & took the place but we were cut up terrible & the RMLI were to support us with NZ. they wouldn’t come up. There is hardly any left of the16th Batt. We held the place for 13 hours and I was blown out of the trench again it lobbed right in the trench I only got a little bit of it in the face. There is only 150 of us left. I took command & if I was asked my name once I was asked 7 or 8 times…Nerves all gone to bits only 11 men left out of our platoon 46 out of 240 in Coy.
May 10th. We were supposed to be 2nd supports last night but we had to do the charge…we took the turks trenches and held them all night & could not get reinforcements so we had to leave the trenches again we lost heavy again I shoot 13 turks before I left the trench and was heavily cut off. I was made Platoon Seag yesterday… May 11th. We were in supports last night we go in the trenches at 10 o’clock today”
The first 10 days of May were terrible for the 16th Battalion. As well as that assault on May 2nd, they were also drawn into the fighting around Quinn’s Post which cost more casualties. Wilfred had been promoted to Lance Corporal and on the 10th May to Sergeant. On the 12th May 1915, Wilfred was badly wounded in the head. He was evacuated back to the hospital ship “Gascon” where treatment was given however the wound proved too severe and Wilfred died. Sgt Wilfred Bates was buried at sea off Gaba Tepe, a service being read by Chaplain Lt-Colonel E Hugo.
The Chaplain wrote to Florence Bates to give her details of Wilfred’s death. He also mentioned that Wilfred’s personal effects would be sent on to her. Florence and her children would receive a pension after his death.
Florence later remarried; Florence Kristman died on the 28th June 1963.