Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | March 21, 1880 |
Place of Birth | Goole, Yorkshire |
Country | England |
Marital Status | Married |
Next of Kin | wife, Olive Ellen Bateman of Keewatin,Ontario |
Trade / Calling | accountant |
Religion | Church of England |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | NA |
Service Record | Link to Service Record |
Battalion | No. 130 Company |
Force | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
Branch | Canadian Forestry Corps |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
Address at Enlistment | Keewatin, Ontario |
Date of Enlistment | January 15, 1916 |
Age at Enlistment | 35 |
Theatre of Service | Europe |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | Yes |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | May 3, 1947 |
Age at Death | 67 |
Buried At | Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Ontario |
Plot | 18E-21-3 |
Ralph Stanley Bateman was the youngest child of blacksmith Collingwood Bateman and Mary Ann Nicholson. He was born 21 March 1880 in Goole, Yorkshire, England. His siblings included: Collingwood, Rebecca, Ada, William G., and Harold S.
In 1901 Ralph was still living in Goole, working as a timber merchant clerk. Then in March 1905 he immigrated to Canada settling in Ottawa, Ontario. He married Olive Ellen McCreery in Ottawa on 10 June 1908. At that time his occupation was listed as ‘bookkeeper’. Around 1911 Ralph and ‘Nellie’ moved to Kenora, Ontario and he began a 37 year career with the Keewatin Lumber Company and its subsidiaries.
Ralph enlisted with the 94th Battalion in Kenora on 15 January 1916. Due to former service with the 98th Regiment he was given the rank of Lieutenant. After a short training period in Port Arthur, Ralph was detailed to attend the school of musketry in Ottawa. His wife relocated to Ottawa at this time. Ralph headed overseas with the 94th Battalion embarking from Halifax on 28 June 1916 aboard the S.S. Olympic. He was Platoon Commander of ‘D’ Company. Once in England he was transferred to the 17th Reserve Battalion. He headed to France in October of 1916 and served with the 52nd Battalion. Ralph was hospitalized for three months in 1917 suffering from ‘trench fever’. Upon his discharge from hospital in August 1917 he joined the Canadian Forestry Corps and was taken on strength to Company 130. By October of 1918 Ralph was appointed second in command of Company 130. Then, the following April he became its commanding officer. He returned to Canada as Captain Bateman in July of 1919.
Upon his return, Ralph resumed his position at the Keewatin Lumber Company. He was put in charge of their new recently opened office in the old Rat Portage Lumber Co. office building on the lake front overseeing their rapidly expanding box manufacturing business. In 1923 he was moved to the Winnipeg office of the company and he didn’t return to Kenora until 1936.
When Ralph died on 03 May 1947 he was resident Vice President of the Ontario Minnesota Pulp and Paper Company. He is buried in Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora.