The BATY brothers
The parents
Mr Thomas Benham BATY married Miss Nellie MOORES on the 17 June 1907 in Gympie, they lived most of their life in 3 Lime street on the Mt Pleasant. They had 7 children of which 5 survived infancy, the first 3 being sons. The children attended One Mile primary school.
Thomas Martin BATY
Thomas Baty in Manila, c1945. Image Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Thomas Martin BATY, or Tom to his mates, was the first son born on the 2 January 1909 in Gympie and passed over on the 26 September 1990 in Gympie, he is interred at the Albany Creek Memorial Park.
Thomas was a member of the Queensland Police Force from 1936 to 1946, previously working as a police service clerk of the Firearms Section, he became the Detective in charge of the Technical Branch of the CIB as a Forensic Ballistic expert.
Tom is credited by the Qld Police Force with this statement ‘The Scientific Section of the Queensland Police Department owes its existence to an intelligent, innovative thinker named Tom Baty.’
Thereafter, Tom worked as head of the Manila Police laboratories in Manila and with the CIB of the American 8th Army in Japan working as a criminologist, both with great success.
BRISBANE POLICE OFFICER’S SUCCESS IN MANILA
MANILA. Dec. 16. The Associated Press says that hours of patient work by Brisbane criminologist Mr. Tom Baty. Who heads the Manila Police laboratories, helped smash Manila’s biggest ring of motor car thieves. Mr. Baty tested scores of cars and identified those stolen from the United States Army and repainted with fake registration numbers and rechromed.
CRIMINOLOGIST FROM JAPAN
Mr. T. M. Baty. of Helles Road, Moorooka, who for three years has been working as a criminologist attached to the Criminal Investigation Branch of the American 8th Army in Manila and Japan, has returned to Brisbane. Before he joined the American forces, he was officer in charge of the Brisbane C.l.B Scientific Bureau.
During his term with the American Army he was associated with the investigation of hundreds of murders, most of them in Manila, Murders, involving Americans in Tokyo where he was stationed for the last two years, averaged about one a month, he said.
John Robinson BATY
John Robinson BATY (1911-1943)
John Robinson BATY, or Jack to mates, was the second son born on the 14 June 1911 in Howell NSW and was Killed in Action on the 5 September 1943 in Salamaua, Lae, Papua New Guinea whilst a Lieutenant serving in the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion.
Jack was a shop assistant and unmarried when he enlisted into the Army on the 19 May 1941 as a Private. By the 18 July 1941 he had attained the rank of Corporal. On 25 August 1941 he became engaged to Linda ROBINSON in Gympie while he was a Sergeant in the 47th Battalion, a Militia battalion based in Maryborough. He was then promoted to the rank of A/Sergeant on the 21 October 1941. Following an OTS course in January 1942 he was appointed as a Probationary Lieutenant in February 1942 where he was appointed to the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion.
Following a number of training courses in Liverpool and Bonagilla in NSW in early 1942, Jack volunteered and was accepted for service in the AIF on the 26 November 1942. Embarking at Townsville on the ‘Katoomba’ for Milne Bay in the Territory of Papua on the 4 February 1943 returning to Townsville on the ‘Tarooma’ on the 7 April 1943, on the 14 July Jack emplaned from Townsville for New Guinea whereupon he was KIA in Salamaua area of Papua New Guinea.
Jack is buried at the Lae War Cemetery.
BROTHERS KILLED IN N.G.
Lieut. Jack Baty, 32. second son of Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Baty, Mt Pleasant, Gympie, who was killed in action at Salamaua on September 5, 1943.
He was a brother of Lieut. Harry Baty, who was killed in action at Buna on December 18, 1942.
Lieut. Jack Baty Jived In the Gympie district all his life, and represented Gympie and Wide Bay at Rugby
League football for several years.
BROTHERS KILLED
WHEN Lieut. Jack Baty was killed at Salamaua on September 5 the Baty family, of Gympie, lost their second boy in New Guinea.
The first Lieut. Harry Baty, was killed at Buna in December, 1942.
Only surviving son is C.I.B.’s scientist Tom Baty.
Harry Benham BATY
Harry Benham BATY
Harry Benham BATY, the third son was born on the 27 June 1913 in Gympie was Killed in Action on the 18 December 1942 in Buna, Papua New Guinea whilst a Lieutenant serving in the 2/9th Infantry Battalion.
Harry was Manager of the Men’s Department of Wilbraham’s Store in Mary Street when he enlisted in Maryborough on the 2 April 1940. Listed as a Shop Assistant, unmarried.
Following various courses in Enoggera Qld, Harry was quickly promoted to:
-
- Lance-Corporal on the 5 July 1940
- Corporal on 29 July 1940, and then
- Acting Sargeant on the 4 August 1940
Embarking in Sydney on the 10 January 1941 for the Middle East where he was marched into the 18th Infantry Brigade at Beit Jirja Camp in Palestine, on the 10th March 1941 he was part of the 2/9th Battalion in Egypt.
Receiving a gun shot wound to the left thigh on the 17 May 1941 he was transferred to the 4th Australian General Hospital, promoted to Acting Sargeant on the 27 une 1941 as part of the 18th Infantry Training Battalion where he attended a Small Arms School for a month in Palestine.
Harry Benham Baty headstone
Evacuated to the No1 AGH for relapsing fever in September joining the 18th AIT Battalion attaining the rank of Sergeant on the 15 October 1941, by the 29 December he was part of the 2/9th Infantry Battalion Reinforcements, on the 10 April 1942 he embarked the ‘SS Nieu Amsterdam’ to Bombay. In October 1942 he attended Potential Officers School in Brisbane, rejoining the 2/9th Infantry Battalion thereafter.
On the 9 November 1942 he was appointed to the rank of Acting Lieutenant and approved for the New Guinea Force of the 2/9th Battalion.
It is reported on the 14 January 1943 that he had attained the rank of Lieutenant on the 1 November 1942.
On the 2 February 1943 it was reported KIA with no date available, later a notation stated that Harry had been previously reported was KIA on the 18 December 1942. Harry is buried at the Port Moresby Bomana Cemetery.
LIEUT. BATY KILLED
Lieut. Harry Baly, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Baty, of Lime Street, Gympie, has been killed in action in New Guinea. Official advice of the casualty was received on Thursday afternoon by his parents. Lieut. Baty enlisted in the A.I.F. in April 1940 and shortly afterwards was. drafted to the Middle East where he saw much of the fighting in that war theatre, and where he was wounded.
Returning lo Australia about the middle of last year he later went to New Guinea. Lieut. Baty was particularly well known, being one of Gympie’s leading footballers and due to his untiring, indomitable forward play he was looked on as one of the leading forwards in Wide Bay. From the time he left school until he enlisted he was employed in the men’s department of Mr. T. J. Wilbraham’s store.
GYMPIE SPORTSMAN KILLED AT BUNA
Lieut. Harry Benham Baty, 28. youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Baty, Mt. Pleasant, Gympie, was Killed in action at Buna on December 18.
He was a brother of Plain clothes Constable T. M. Baty, of the CIB., and Lieut. Jack Baty, A.I.F.
Lieut. H. B. Baty saw service in the Middle East.
He was a prominent sportsman in the Gympie and Maryborough districts. He represented Gympie and Wide Bay at football for many years and before he enlisted was organiser of swimming and hockey activities.
The BATY Cup
1938 Gympie Rugby League team
Both John and Harry were good Rugby League football players. In June 1937 during the inter-district matches the Wide Bay team is described as one of the best ever. Harry as a 14 stone front row forward was described as having incredible pace for such a big man. John also on the same team was a second row forward weighing in at 13 stone.
The Baty boys are in front row of the 1938 team photo.
Following Harry’s death, a memorial rugby league trophy, the Baty Cup was donated, John’s name was added to the trophy after his death.
Lieutenants Jack and Harry Baty
‘Two gallant gentlemen, who in their football careers captained Wide Bay Rugby League Team.’
Killed in action Second World War, 1939-1945.
First Baty Cup match in Gympie
WORLD War II affected the Gympie community and the sporting clubs as men went overseas to serve.
Distinguished rugby league players Lieutenants Jack and Harry Baty were both killed in the war and a cup competition was started in their memory in 1947.
Probably for the first time in Gympie, a young woman set in motion a rugby league match.
It was between Suburbs and Wanderers, for the Jack and Harry Baty Memorial Cup at Albert Park.
The woman was Lorna Baty, sister of the two men whose memory the competition perpetuated.
Miss Baty led the players onto the field and a minute’s silence was observed to show respect to the Baty brothers.
Suburbs won the match 13-5.
Researched and compiled by Conny Visini
Sources
- GFHS ‘The Baty Story by Darcy Edwards’
- Trove
- Australian War Memorial
- Virtual War Memorial
- Qld BDM
- My Police Qld
- Find a Grave
- Ancestry.com
More to discover
You can discover more about these brothers at these links:
CONTACT US
Secretary: gympiefamilyhistory@gmail.com
Research officer: research@gfhs.com.au
Phone: (07) 5482 8211
OPENING HOURS
Wednesday: 9:30am – 2:00pm
Friday: 9:30am – 12:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
LOCATION
1 Chapple Street, Gympie Qld 4570
In the Old Ticket Office under the Rattler Railway Station.
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