Soldier Record

Before sailing to France Ted sent telegrams:Leaving tomorrow. Destination unknown.

Edward Bates was born in St Helier and after running away to sea he later joined the Royal Horse Artillery (later joined by his younger brother Arthur) at Woolwich Barracks in 1910. E Battery, 3rd Cavalry Brigade, sailed from Dublin to Le Havre August 1914. Ted, a gunner, fought at the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, the Marne and the Aisne with 4th (Queens Own) Hussars, 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers and 16th (The Queen's) Lancers. After 15th September E Battery R.H.A. transferred to 5th Cavalry Brigade with 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys), 12th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Lancers and 20th Hussars and fought at the First Battle of Ypres. Ted was blinded in both eyes by sniper fire at Houthem near Ypres early in the morning while evacuating nuns from a Convent on October 21st 1914. He trained as a physiotherapist and practised in Chelsea and Leatherhead until he retired. He died at Rottingdean in 1949 and was buried at Leatherhead. He left his diary which I inherited and which I hope to publish shortly as part of a book about 1914 called Destination Unknown.