Treasured diaries kept by Ted Bates detailing his experiences during some of the most savage battles of World War I are the basis of a new book written by his grandson, Canon Peter Humfrey.
Ted Bates became a professional solder in 1910. He joined the Royal Horse Artillery and went to France with the British Expeditionary Force in August 1914. He fought in battles at Mons, Le Cateau, the Marne, the Aisne and in the first battle of Ypres.
His war service came to an end near Ypres when early in the morning as he tried to persuade some nuns to leave a convent and retreat to a safer area, he was shot by a German sniper.
He was invalided out of the army and was one of the first ex-servicemen to be trained as a physiotherapist by the newly established St Dunstan’s.
He moved to Leatherhead and worked in private practice and was a well known figure in the community between the wars.
Father Peter Humfrey was handed the diary when he was about 12 and kept it for years.
“It is only quite recently that I decided to find out where he has been,” said Father Humfrey who lives in Epsom.
He has put in two years of research and now the book Destination Unknown is about to be published. It will be launched at St Andrews School, Leatherhead today.
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