Missing death index and certificate [Brickwall]

[River Tyne Lass]

Another little snippet found recently at the North Shields local studies from the Tynemouth Union Minutes 1913-14 on page 115.  The excerpt is from 'Minutes of Committee brought up and confirmed at the Meeting of the Board on the 3rd July 1913.

' "WELLESLEY" TRAINING SHIP
The Clerk submitted notices from the "Wellesley" Training Ship as to the discharge of the following boys, viz:
W. A. Battista, on the 6th May, to the Royal Naval School of Music, Portsmouth.
James Hogg, on the 12th April, returned on account of physical unfitness for sea life.
James Potter, on the 27th May, physical unfitness for sea life.'

[River Tyne Lass]

http://readbooks.best/21067112/the-munitionettes-a-history-of-women-s-football-in-north-east-england-during-the-great-war.html

Grace Battista the Newcastle Great War footballer is mentioned in this book:

'The Munitionettes A historyof women's football in North East England during the Great War' by Patrick Brennan

The book shows a very good photo of the Armstrong Whitworth team.

[River Tyne Lass]

I have found something else in relation to the Battista family.  This below is from the Tynemouth Union Minutes Volume 1923-24 at North Shields local studies.  The entry about James Battista is on page 258:

'At a Meeting of the House Sub-Committee (Works) held at the Poor Law Institution, North Shields, on Wednesday, the 8th day of August, 1923 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon ..
.. ENA M. CLARKSON (29),
The Clerk reported that an inmate named Ena M. Clarkson (29), who has previously had two illegitimate children, was in an advanced state of pregnancy and that the putative father of her child was another inmate named James Battista (23), a married man whose wife was living in North Shields.
Resolved:- "That in accordance with the provisions of Article 35 of the Poor Law Institutions Order, 1913, James Battista be punished as a refractory inmate by confinement in a separate room for 24 hours on a diet of bread and water, after which the Master arrange for this man to be employed on a task of stonebreaking."

[River Tyne Lass]

Also on the subject of James Battista - there is a very long article in the Shields Daily News dated Monday September 22 1919.  It is about a reunion event of old Wellesley boys at the Tynemouth Cricket Club.  At the end of the article is a list of old boys who won honours.

A ...  'J. Battista 2nd N.F.  M.M.' is on the list.

So it would appear from this that this could very well be James Battista and that he won the Military Medal!

I don't think this will relate to John George Battista as he was with the 1st/6th Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers.  I suppose I might be wrong.  This might be worth looking into if possible to ascertain which J. Battista won the Military Medal.  This is quite an achievement.

[JenB]

Also on the subject of James Battista - there is a very long article in the Shields Daily News dated Monday September 22 1919.  It is about a reunion event of old Wellesley boys at the Tynemouth Cricket Club.  At the end of the article is a list of old boys who won honours.

A ...  'J. Battista 2nd N.F.  M.M.' is on the list.

So it would appear from this that this could very well be James Battista and that he won the Military Medal!

I don't think this will relate to John George Battista as he was with the 1st/6th Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers.  I suppose I might be wrong.  This might be worth looking into if possible to ascertain which J. Battista won the Military Medal.  This is quite an achievement.

Not John George, he was killed in action in 1916.

The London Gazette lists the awarding of the Military Medal to:
Private R. Battista (Newcastle-on-Tyne), 235473, in 1918
Driver C. Battista, R.F.A. (Newcastle), 830509, in 1917 

I can't see anything for a J. Battista.

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi Jen,

Thanks for this.  I did wonder if John George may have received the MM posthumously, if this was not for James.  However, since my post yesterday and seeing your post today, I have been in contact with someone who I thought might be able to shed some light on this.  He has told me exactly the same as you and he has said that he believes that this is just a mistake on behalf of the newspaper at the time in reporting that a 'J. Battista' had received the MM.

I have just looked again at the Wellesley book by Brian Godfrey.  At the back is the list of the Wellesley Roll of Honour with names of old boys and when they were discharged.

There is a 'J. Cattista  July 28th 1915 2nd TR Bn'

I wonder if this is an error and should be J. Battista (James)?

Jen, do you know if a Cattista won the MM?

[JenB]

There are no entries at all for 'Cattista'.

I've looked again can't find any award to a J. Battista (unless his surname was totally mangled)

There is a medal card for a James Battister, Private Northumberland Fusiliers, 89966. On this is states he was awarded the Victory Medal, but then it says 'forfeits under A.O. 298/20'.

The two Military Medals I mentioned earlier were awarded to Remegio Battista and Celesta Battista.

I will be happy to be proved wrong, but I wonder if James 'awarded' himself the M.M. for the sake of the newspaper article. They would be most unlikely to bother to check if this was correct.

[River Tyne Lass]

Thanks again Jen.  I wonder what he got the Victory Medal for?  This sounds like quite an achievement too.  I also wonder why he then had to forfeit this?  Perhaps some misdemeanor? 

Perhaps you may be right that James may have reported himself as having won the MM to the reporter of the article.  I agree that they would hardly be likely to check or even retract this later on.  The article was such a lovely, feel good one and I doubt they would want to alter from any of it after having gone to press.

[JenB]

Thanks again Jen.  I wonder what he got the Victory Medal for?  This sounds like quite an achievement too.

Not my area of knowledge at all, so I will stand to be corrected, but I think it was standard issue to someone who had served in the armed forces in WW1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Medal_(United_Kingdom)

It was only awarded to someone who had also won either the British War Medal or the 1914-15 Star, and in this case the card indicates he'd also been awarded the British War Medal.