“Jack’s war” – twenty years in the British Army
This story is about my maternal grandfather, “Jack” John Bates.
He served in the British army at the Somme and at Ypres during the First World War.
Jack was in the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment. His father was an army man and Jack was an only child. He served in the Labour Corps and in the Expeditionary Forces. He was married to Irishwoman, Maggie Behan in January 1909. He was gassed as a Prisoner of War which affected him but fortunately he survived the war. He died many years later in 1956. His mother was from Drogheda and his father from Newcastle in England. He was born in 1878 in Guernsey or on a ship heading there. I have a treasure trove of memorabilia dating from my grandfather’s time serving during the Great War. Material that we have includes 2 medals and a miniature souvenir helmet as well as two prayer books – ‘A simple prayer book for soldiers’ and ‘The manual of catholic piety.’ He also kept what appears to have been a German Shell made into an ash tray and what was possibly a match box holder or cartridge case. I still have my grandfather’s baptismal certificate from Guernsey Church. The photographs and letters include a number of embroidered greeting cards which my grandfather sent to his loved ones at home in Drogheda, Ireland.
two medals
a miniature souvenir helmet
two prayer books – ‘A simple prayer book for soldiers’ and ‘The manual of catholic piety.’
a German Shell made into an ash tray and what was possibly a match box holder or cartridge case.
my grandfather’s baptismal certificate from Guernsey Church
photographs and letters
a number of embroidered greeting cards which my grandfather sent to his loved ones at home in Drogheda, Ireland.
Jack Bates
Photograph
Dublin 12 July 2014
Jack Bates, soldier of the first world war
Dublin 12 July 2014 52
Postcards, Christmas card and letter
Greetings from the front
Trench Life
Remembrance
Letter
Christmas cards from the front
Postcard
Western Front
Recruitment and Conscription
Telegram, labour corps document
Prisoners of War
Letters on official stationery to Mrs. Bates in Drogheda
Jack and Maggie Bates
Correspondence between Jack Bates and his wife, Maggie Bates née Behan
Women
Memoranda and pension documents
Official document
Certificate of identity for wife or child of a soldier
Jack Bates's wife, Maggie Bates née Behan
Photographs featuring Jack Bates and postcards from the edge
More postcards from the Great War
Jack Bates and family
Miscellaneous correspondence between Mr and Mrs Bates
Correspondence between Mr and Mrs Bates
Further correspondence
Letters from Maggie Bates née Behan to Jack, her husband
Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
Maggie to Jack Bates
Prisoner of War, Labour Corps Document and more letters
Maggie to Jack Bates with home news
Home Front
'A simple prayer book for soldiers' and 'The manual of Catholic piety'
Prayer book and letters
'The manual of Catholic piety' and letters
A German shell made into an ashtray and medals
Medal
Reverse of ashtray made from German shell, medals and a miniature souvenir helmet
Memorabilia
letters, postcards and embroidered greeting cards
CONTRIBUTOR
Lilian Brayshaw
DATE
- 1918
LANGUAGE
eng
ITEMS
28
INSTITUTION
Europeana 1914-1918
PROGRESS
METADATA
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