Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Batts a solicitors clerk, born 1854 in Farringdon, Berkshire and his wife Anne Batts (nee Ellingworth, married in the 3rd quarter of 1880 in the Oakham, Rutland district), born 1853 in Oakham, Rutland. William Henry was born on the 15th August 1884 in Oakham, he had one sibling, Matilda Anne, born 1889 in Oakham, in April 1891 the family home was at Southern Cottage, South Street, Oakham. In March 1901 William was residing in the family home at Southern Cottage, South Street, Oakham, together with his father, the Clerk of the Rural District Council of Oakham, Clerk to the Guardians and Oakham Union Superintendent Registrar, his mother and sibling, Herbert, born 1891 in Oakham, In April 1911 William was employed as a poor law clerk, and was residing at 30, Egbert Road, Winchester, Hampshire.
At the outbreak of war he was an assistant clerk to the Guardians and Rural District Council of Winchester, Hampshire, having qualified for the post in his father’s office at Oakham. He enlisted in the 1/4th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment in August 1914 and was promoted to Lance Corporal soon afterwards. He was posted to the Persian Gulf in October 1914, and he fought in Mesopotamia and at the Siege of Kut, where he was wounded, being there at the time of the capitulation. He died of recurrent fever whilst a prisoner of war in Angora, Asia Minor, and was buried in the Armenian cemetery. He had been recommended for a commission, but was besieged in Kut soon after passing his medical examination. William first entered the theatre of war in Asia on the 18th March 1915, he was awarded the 1915 Star, British War and Victory medals.
On Friday June 30th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. The following casualties were reported in Friday’s list. The town shown against each soldier’s name is the home of his next-of-kin. Wounded: Dixon, 13223 Private G. H. (Melton Mowbray). Prisoner of War: Hampshire Regiment. Batts, 2783 Lance-Corpl. W. H. (Oakham, Rutland). Tuesday’s list contained the following:- Wounded: Leicestershire Regiment, Waling, 1945? Private P. (Quorn). Royal Sussex Regiment, Hand, 3145 Lance-Corpl. H. (Melton Mowbray). Wednesday’s list included:- Died: Leicestershire Regiment, Robinson, 16064 Private J. H. (Melton Mowbray).