Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Bates, a farmer, born in the 2nd quarter of 1851 in Burbage, Leicestershire and his wife Margaret Bates, born 1857 in Bohey, County Leitrim, Ireland. Thomas Ernest, a schoolboy, was born in 1891 in Rostrevor, County Down, Ireland, his siblings were, Adelaide E., a schoolgirl, born on the 22nd January 1888, Sarah Jane, a schoolgirl, born on the 21st June 1889 and William John, a schoolboy, born on the 23rd February 1892, the latter three siblings were all born in Ireland, Margaret Helen, a schoolgirl, born on the 18th November 1894 and Letitia Ann, born on the 6th November 1897, the latter two siblings were both born in Walcote, Leicestershire, in March 1901 the family home was at London Lodge, Misterton, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Thomas was absent from the family home at Misterton, residing there was his father, a farmer, his mother and siblings, Margaret, a draper’s assistant and Letitia, a schoolgirl, meanwhile Thomas was employed as an assistant grocer and was residing as a servant at 235, Wellingborough Road, Northampton.
NOTE: Exhaustive research has failed to reveal a Thomas Ernest Bates who was born in Gloucester and who may have been this casualty. The family information that is provided is based on assumptions regarding the identity of the casualty Thomas Ernest Bates. My reason for accepting the family information, is as follows, in the March 1901 census return Ernest Bates, is recorded as the eldest son of Thomas and Margaret Bates of Misterton, Leicestershire, in the Soldiers Effects ledger, Thomas is shown to have given his father, Thomas Bates, as his sole legatee. In the Pension Records, his mother Margaret Bates, of Misterton, Leicestershire is shown to be the claimant of an Army Pension for her late son Thomas Ernest Bates. Given that Thomas’s brother William is recorded on the same 1901 census return not showing his second Christian name, which was John, I am assuming that, as appeared to be a tradition of the time, the eldest born son often took his father’s name, in this case it would have been Thomas, but like William only one Christian name that of Ernest was shown on the census return. And of course, the fact that Thomas Ernest Bates is recorded on the War Memorial inside St. Leonard’s Church in Misterton, almost certainly confirms my assumption as to his identity. Thomas is recorded in the HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, Volume 33, The Gloucestershire Regiment, as having been born in Gloucester and enlisted in Gloucester, I believe that he would most certainly have enlisted in that city, given that he enlisted into a Territorial Battalion, but his place of birth is quite clearly, according to the census return of April 1911 to have been in Rostrevor, County Down, Ireland along with his three other siblings. I have attempted to discover if Ernest Bates existed in the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Gloucestershire area after 1918 with no success, although I have managed to discover all his other five siblings in the 1939 Registers, this would again indicate that Ernest is in fact the Thomas Ernest in question. (My research was concluded in 2021-05-03).
Thomas’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment, Territorial Force, being allotted the service number 3335, and was posted as a Private to that Regiment’s Depot for training, subsequently being posted to the 1/5th Battalion. It was with this Battalion that he first entered the theatre of war in Boulogne, France on the 29th March 1915. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was officially recorded as having been killed in action on the 6th May 1915, while serving with the 1/5th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. He was buried in Ploegsteert Wood Military Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Thomas was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 5 May-15 – ROMARIN. In billets. “A” and “B” Companies went to baths at PONT de NIEPPE. “D” Company found working party at PLOEGSTEERT WOOD.
5.30pm. 2nd Lieutenant H. G. C. GUISE while instructing his Platoon Grenadiers, accidentally exploded a jam tin grenade which killed himself and Private BATES and wounded 6 others severely.
The War Diary records: 7 May-15. ROMARIN. 2nd Lieutenant H. G. C. GUISE and Private BATES were buried in PLOEGSTEERT WOOD. “A” and “B” Companies found working parties for 2nd line defences in PLOEGSTEERT WOOD.