The Bernard Harris Collection of Medals to the 3rd Regiment, South African Infantry

Seven: Private M. Bateman, 3rd Regiment, South African Infantry, later South African Corps of Signals, who was thrice wounded on the Western Front and later served in North Africa during the Second World War

1914-15 Star (Pte. C. [sic] M. Bateman 11th Infantry); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (Pte. M. Bateman. 3rd S.A.I.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, the Second War awards all officially impressed ‘61605 M. Bateman’, traces of adhesive to reverse of all, nearly very fine (7) £100-£140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bernard Harris Collection of Medals to the 3rd Regiment, South African Infantry.

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Mark Bateman was born in Johannesburg on 31 July 1895, and initially attested at the outbreak of hostilities for “G” Company, 11th Infantry (Rand Light Infantry). His papers note his rank at this time as Private and his number as 364. Transferred as Bugler to “A” Company, 3rd South African Infantry, he served on the Western Front and was wounded in action during the Battle of the Somme on 27 July 1916. Receiving flesh wounds to the left and right thighs, he was evacuated to St. Thomas’ Hospital in London where he spent 6 weeks under medical supervision. Returned to the trenches, he suffered a shrapnel wound to the thigh on 4 April 1917 and was wounded by a gas shell on the fifth day of the German Spring Offensive in March 1918.

Upon recovery and transfer to Inkermann Barracks (Woking), a ‘20 year-old’ Bateman married 19 year-old Miss Ellen Avery at Guildford Registry Office on 10 August 1918. Perhaps unusually, the original Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage states his given name as ‘Victor Matthew Bateman’ - although the event is further recorded in the army service record of Mark Bateman, the dates tallying. Recorded absent without leave 20 December 1918 to 2 January 1919 - when he surrendered himself at Inkermann Barracks - Bateman returned home to South Africa and was later discharged at Maitland in 1919. He subsequently served during the Second World War as a Signaller with the 2nd Battalion, Field Force Brigade. Posted to Mombassa in 1940 and Suez in June 1941, his service record states repeated offences including drunkenness, disobeying an order and going absent without leave. He was finally discharged in 1945.

Sold with copied service records (2), the latter confirming full entitlement to Second War medals listed; original marriage certificate; original Union Defence Forces named parchment certificates and booklets of discharge (3); Baptism Certificate for his son, Harry Edward Bateman, dated 9 December 1930; and a photograph of the recipient with a fellow soldier, this annotated to reverse ‘Mark Bateman 3rd S.A.I. Wnd 3 times, 1st at Delville Wood.’