William H. Batten. Jr.
Early Life
William Harold Batten Jr. was born on January 11, 1894, in Rye, New York, the son of William H. Batten and Catherine Ellis. He was raised in Rye as part of a large family that included siblings Sarah M., Charles A., Augustus, Theresa S., and others, reflecting the strong family networks that characterized the community in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
By the time of his draft registration on June 5, 1917, Batten was living at 6 School Street in Rye and working as a machinist for Thomas Betts in Stamford, Connecticut. His employment in a skilled industrial trade placed him within the workforce supporting the region’s growing manufacturing and mechanical industries. He was described as of short stature with a medium build, blue eyes, and brown hair.
World War I Service
William H. Batten Jr. entered military service on June 24, 1918, when he was inducted into the United States Army at Local Board No. 6 in Port Chester, New York. He was initially assigned to Company 9, 152nd Depot Brigade, a unit responsible for organizing, equipping, and training soldiers as part of the Army’s wartime mobilization system.
During his training, he was transferred through installations including Camp Greenleaf, Georgia, before being assigned to Medical Company No. 5, Section B, associated with Camp Hospital No. 59. In this role, Batten became part of the Army’s medical support system, which was essential in treating wounded and ill soldiers and maintaining the operational strength of units in the field.
He served overseas from September 8, 1918, to June 27, 1919, as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, participating in the final phase of the war and the subsequent occupation period. He was promoted to Private First Class on October 16, 1918, reflecting his reliability and contribution within his assigned duties. His record indicates that he sustained no wounds in action.
He was honorably discharged on July 2, 1919, following the completion of his overseas service.
Life After Service
Following his return from military service, Batten resumed civilian life and worked as a carpenter, applying his technical skills in a trade that remained in demand throughout the interwar years. His postwar life, however, reflects some of the long-term challenges faced by many veterans.
By the 1940s and 1950s, records indicate that he was residing in a Veterans Administration facility, where he lived within a mental health hospital setting. This aspect of his life underscores the enduring impact that wartime service and broader life circumstances could have on veterans in the decades following World War I.
William Harold Batten Jr. died on January 28, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, at the age of seventy-eight.
At the time of his death, he was survived by extended family members, though no specific individuals are listed in the available records.
He was buried in New York, concluding a life that began in Rye and included both military service overseas and a complex postwar experience.