DOB/DOD: June 26, 1890 (Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England) – September 29, 1918; 28 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LAST LOCAL ADDRESS: 212 Main Street, Norwalk
SERVICE NUMBER: 6414578
UNIT: Company H, 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division
FAMILY: Born to Percy Bates (1860-1935) and Hannah Cliff Bates (1862-?). Sisters Mary (1881-1954) and Florence (1888-1943). One brother, William (1882-1956).
CIRCUMSTANCES: Killed in the first days of the Meuse River-Argonne Forest Offensive.
OTHER: Researching Private Bates was a challenge. Initially, he was thought to be Charles Wesley Bates, who was born in Norwalk and registered for the draft while living in Chicago. The picture below from The Norwalk Hour provided clues that made it a little easier to find him, specifically through his unit in the Army – 315th Infantry. Using that as the data point, Charles Harold Bates of England was found to be the Charles Bates listed on the plaque in Norwalk. He came to the United States from Canada and, after a short residence, enlisted for service with the U.S. Army. In probate records in England, he left his effects to Percy Bates of England, his father. The same record indicated the burial location, which matches the picture caption below. Notes on findagrave.com indicate Charles was “a lace maker by trade”. Other people in the World War One section of this website were British citizens who worked at Dresden Lace Works in Norwalk. While Charles Bates’ employment there can’t be confirmed, it is a logical fit for his story. At some point, he lived in Philadelphia and also Somerville, New Jersey where he entered the service from. Son of Percy and Hannah Bates. At the time of his death, he had two sisters, Mrs. Mary A. Mabbitt and Mrs. Florence N. Porteous, who both lived in Montreal, Canada, and one brother, William Bates lived in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
From Ancestry.com
Private Bates is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, Rue du Général Pershing, 55110 Romagne-Sous-Montfaucon, France; Plot B, Row 5, Grave 17.
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