216876 Capt. Reginald John Godfrey Bateman MIDCanadian Forces 46th Btn. (Saskatchewan Regiment) (d.3rd Sep 1918) Reginald Bateman, son of Godfrey Bateman, LL.D., and Frances Emily Bateman, of 14 Adelaide Street, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, was born on October 12th 1883 in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland. In 1906 he received a B.A. from Trinity College, Dublin, having studied English, French, and Modern History. Three years later he was hired at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, as its first professor of English, and one of the first four professors at the new university.
In October 1914 Reginald Bateman enlisted in the 28th Infantry Battalion, and later fought with them around Ypres. He then accepted an invitation from Walter Charles Murray, president of the University of Saskatchewan, to take command of the Saskatchewan Company of the 196th (Western Universities) Infantry Battalion. Whilst spending the summer and autumn of 1916 in Canada he passed his officer’s exams, and became a major. After he arrived in England the 196th was broken up, and so Bateman reverted from major to lieutenant so that he could see action again.
Bateman was posted to the 46th Infantry Battalion, arriving at the Western Front in June 1917. He was an acting captain during the attack on the Drocourt-Quéant Line, when he was killed by a shell dropping at the entrance to battalion headquarters near Dury, France. Captain Bateman was 34 years old, and is commemorated on Vimy Memorials, France.The Bateman Memorial Fund at University of Saskatchewan was founded in 1932 to provide scholarships for students.
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