Returned ANZACs,
Territory ANZACs,
First World War, 1914-1918,
Place of birth
Bathurst (N.S.W.),
Place of enlistment
Darwin,
Date of enlistment
1916-02-05,
Age
29,
Occupation
Motor Mechanic,
Service
Australian Imperial Force,
Unit
Australian Flying Corps,
Rank
Private,
Service number
2261,
Next of kin
Lola May Bates - Wife ; Goulburn, N.S.W.,
Date of death
1963-02-19,
Place of death
Wellington , N.Z.,
Place of burial
Karori Cemetery, Wellington. N.Z.,
Biographical notes
Arnold Hamilton Bates was born 26 August 1886 in Bathurst, the only son of drover John (aka Jack) and Daisy Bates (nee O'Dwyer, Morant and later Baglehole). Jack was often away on long droving trips leaving Daisy and Arnold behind. Rather than stay with her mother-in-law on the dairy farm at Pyree, Daisy took Arnold and for seven years travelled around rural New South Wales working as a part-time governess and living in the homes of wealthy pastoralists. In 1894 Daisy placed Arnold in a Catholic boarding school at Campbelltown. He stayed with his grandmother during the school holidays while she returned to England. When Daisy returned to Australia 5 years later, Arnold and his father were living in Western Australia - Jack had acquired Ethel Creek station some time before 1902. The Bates family, including Arnold, bought cattle at Roebuck Plains and overlanded drove 770 Herefords over 1,000 kilometres back to Ethel Creek. The journey took over 6 months and although they lost cattle along the way they still made a profit. Daisy and Jack separated in 1902 and the property was later sold. Daisy returned to Perth with Arnold who had been attending Christian Brothers' College for 5 years before undertaking an apprenticeship with Hoskins & Co. in Perth. This company supplied the pipe that still carries the water from Perth to Kalgoorlie. Arnold finished 5 year apprenticeship and in 1910 to Sydney. He married Lola May Davidson, a music teacher, in Moree in 1913 and their first child, Ronald Hamilton Bates was born on 13 October in Goulburn. Arnold later moved to Darwin where he was employed as Clerk of Works for the Public Works Department. Arnold had trained as a motor mechanic and early in 1916 enlisted as a private in the 4/4th Pioneers, AIF. He was discharged five months later on compassionate grounds - his wife was seriously ill, and together with two small children which included his recently born daughter Jean Marion Bates, was left destitute when her mother and step-father moved from country NSW to Sydney. Arnold and his family settled in Brisbane. In October 1917 Arnold joined the Australian Flying Corps as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class and served overseas for nearly two years. He was demobilised in Brisbane in December 1919. In 1930 Arnold was working as a fitter at the Royal Hotel in Cairns. He later worked as a census clerk in Canberra but by 1940 had moved to New Zealand where he was employed building Bren gun carriers. Arnold wrote to the Army to obtain a copy of his discharge certificate, describing himself as ‘a stranger … in a strange land’. He subsequently died 19 February 1963 aged 77 and was cremated at Karori Crematorium Chapel, Wellington, New Zealand. Daisy, from whom Arnold was estranged died in Adelaide 18 April 1951, aged 91. Jack Bates died in Mullewa District Hospital 13 April 1935 aged 78. Lola Bates died in Darlinghurst 18 June 1969 aged 78. Ronald Hamilton Bates died Surry Hills 3 May 1997 aged 84.,
History
Initially enlisted in Darwin in 4th Pioneers 4th reinforcement, and discharged, after 162 days, at his wife's request. Re enlisted into the Australian Flying Corps on 17 September 1917 in Brisbane. Unit embarked from Melbourne, on board HMAT A60 'Aeneas' on 30 October 1917. After service and further training in England, Arnold was sent to France before returning to England where he was granted extra leave so that he could obtain further training in armature winding and electrical engineering for a 6 months before returning to Australia where he was discharged in Brisbane 15 December 1919.,
Subject
Australia. Army. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,
History,
World War, 1914-1918,
Northern Territory,
ANZAC,
Related links
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3056671,
http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM8/8_15_2/PDF/0166.pdf,
http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page.asp?p=1652615,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3279540,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3277351,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3277582,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82389291,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37796034,
http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page.asp?p=1652615 [Nominal Roll],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3279540 ["Public Works Roll of Honour", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 25 May 1916: p.16.],
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3056671 [Service Record],
http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM8/8_15_2/PDF/0166.pdf [Embarkation Roll],
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bates-daisy-may-83 [Daisy Bates Biography],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3277351 ["News & Notes", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 10 February 1916: p.16.],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3277582 ["Arriving & Departing", Northern Territory News and Gazette 17 February 1916: p.18.],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82389291 ["Famous woman's son seen years ago", The Daily News, 5 July 1949: p.9.],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24733903 ["The Christian Brothers' College - Distribution of prizes", The West Australian, 20 December 1901: p.7.],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37796034 ["The Christian Brothers' College - Distribution of prizes", Western Mail, 4 January 1902: p.9.],