Three: Private J. M. Batey, Army Cyclist Corps, who was killed in action on 23 October 1916: pre-war he was a professional footballer for Brighton and Hove Albion F.C.

1914-15 Star (8419 Pte., A. Cyclist Corps); British War and Victory Medals (8419 Pte., A. Cyc. Corps); with related Memorial Plaque (Jasper Matthews Batey), extremely fine (4) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties formed by Tim Parsons.

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Jasper Matthews Batey was born in July 1891 at South Shields, Durham and enlisted in London, originally into the Footballers’ Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. He was killed in action in France on 23 October 1916, while serving in the 11th Battalion, Army Cyclist Corps.

Batey’s pre-war football career commenced with a stint for South Shields F.C. in the North Eastern League, in addition to periods on Coventry City’s and Portsmouth’s reserve teams. While playing for the latter team against Brighton’s reserves, the “Lambs”, on Boxing Day 1912, he scored a hat-trick, thereby bringing himself to the notice of Albion’s management, and was duly signed for the club. Batey went on to become an ‘enthusiastic and popular player’ who was nicknamed “Ginger” - after the popular ginger beer drink - and played variously as centre-forward, half-back and, finally, in 1914, as a left-half.

He was interred in the Cambrin Military Cemetery, France; photographs of his gravestone are included.