Leonard Samuel Bate

Tags

Express & Star, Germany, Leonard Bate, Lichfield Street, New Zealand, Prisoners of War, South Staffordshire Regiment, T. E. Lowe, Tettenhall, Tettenhall Wood, Wood Road

Leonard was born in Wolverhampton on 13 January 1899, the son of Enoch Wesley and Anna Maria Bate. He was christened at Tettenhall on 3 April 1899. The family were living at 147 Tettenhall Wood in 1901, including Leonard, his parents, sisters Kate, Harriett Ann, Dora Beatrice, Nellie, Ruth, and Winifred Alice, and brothers Enoch Arthur and Harold Victor. By 1911, they were living at 72 Wood Road, Tettenhall.

On 8 January 1917 he enlisted with the 4th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 42663). By this date, his  trade was clerk at T. E. Lowe, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton. There was a small piece in the Express & Star on 29 May 1918, stating that he had been taken prisoner in Germany. He was taken prisoner at Messines on 11 April 1918, and kept at the camp at Antwerp. He was repatriated and discharged in June 1919.

At some point, he appears to have emigrated to New Zealand, as he is shown on the electoral registers of Timaru, in Canterbury, in 1949 and 1954. I have not been able to trace further details of his life

Andrew Broadhead

Tags

Andrew Broadhead, Silver War Badge, South Staffordshire Regiment, St Michael and All Angels Church, Tettenhall, Tettenhall Wood, Wood Road, Worcestershire Regiment

Andrew was born in Tettenhall in 1891, the son of William and Annie Broadhead. In 1901 they were living at Tettenhall Wood, together with Andrew’s siblings Mary, William, Thomas, Anne, Alfred, Harry, Nellie, Priscilla, Ethel and Beatrice. By 1911, Andrew was living with his brother Thomas at 16 Wood Road, Tettenhall Wood, along with two other brothers, Alfred and Harry. Andrew was a Grocer’s assistant.

Andrew enlisted first in the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 5038) and then on 8 December 1915 he enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment (number 39937). On 12 January 1917, Andrew’s name was listed in the Express & Star as having been wounded, but he clearly recovered from these wounds and survived the war. He was discharged on 9 October 1919 due to wounds. On 15 October 1919 he was issued with a Silver War Badge (number B315856).

Andrew married Aggie Deakin in Wolverhampton in 1925, and they had a daughter, Eileen M., in 1933. Andrew died in 1941 at the age of 48, and is buried at St Michael & All Angels Church, Tettenhall.

Ruth Bate

Tags

Birches Barn Avenue, Red Cross, Ruth Bate, Tettenhall, Tettenhall Road, V.A.D., Voluntary Aid Detachment, Wood Road

Ruth was born in Wolverhampton on 20 July 1890, the daughter of Enoch Wesley and Anna Maria Bate. She was baptised on 9 October 1890 in Tettenhall. In 1891 they were living at 185 Tettenhall Road, together with Ruth’s sisters Kate, Harriet Ann, Dora Beatrice, and Nellie, and brother Enoch A. By 1911 they were at 72 Wood Road, Tettenhall, and Ruth had an additional sister, Winifred Alice, and two brothers, Harold Victor and Leonard Samuel. By this date, Ruth was a teacher in an elementary school.

In May 1915, Ruth enlisted as a nurse with the Red Cross, working at the V.A.D. Hospital in Tettenhall, and served until August 1917, a total of 900 hours. She married George Westerman in 1924 in Wolverhampton. She died on 9 October 1974, by which date her address was 23 Birches Barn Avenue, Wolverhampton, and the value of her effects was £7612.