The Fighting Battyes
The Battye family was notable for the number of members who served with great distinction in the army in British India.
1st Generation
George Wynyard Battye (1806-1888), Bengal Civil Service, was the father of ten remarkable brothers all of whom served in the army in British India.
- Major-General George Money Battye (1829-1912) served in the 2nd Burma War where he was present at the Capture of Pegu June 1852 and was commander at Murree during the Indian Mutiny.
- Lieutenant Quentin Henry Battye (1832-1857) was second in command of the Corps of Guides in their march from Mardan to Delhi. He was killed on the day of their arrival. There is a memorial tablet in St Pauls Cathedral crypt.
- Major-General Henry Doveton Battye (1833-1915) served in the Indian Mutiny in the Rohilcund Campaign and the Oude Campaign.
- Major Wynyard Battye (1835-1882) commissioned in the 65th Bengal Native Infantry served at the Second Lucknow Relief and in the 2nd China War.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Montagu Mcpherson Battye (1836-?) served in the 10th Lincolnshire Regiment during the Indian Mutiny at Dinapore, Arrah, Atrowlee, Chanda and Lucknow.
- Captain Charles Forbes Batty (1838-1918) served in the 33rd Bengal Native Infantry
- Major-General Arthur Battye (1839-1909) was an ensign in the 19th Bengal Native Infantry and later in the 2nd Gurkha Rifles. He took part the Lushai Expedition and the 2nd Afghan War.
- Major Wigram Battye (1842-1879) served in the Corps of Guides in the 2nd China War, the Ambela Campaign and the Jowaki Expedition. In the 2nd Afghan War at the Battle of Futtehabad he was killed leading the Guides in a cavalry charge. There is a memorial tablet in St Pauls Cathedral crypt.
- Major Legh Richmond Battye (1845-1888) first of the 35th Royal Sussex Regiment later of the 5th Gurkha Regiment served throughtout the Jowaki Expedition. He was killed during the 3rd Black Mountain Expedition. The is a memorial stone in St Luke's Church in Abbottabad.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Drummond Battye (1847-1895) served in the Corps of Guides Infantry in the Jowaki Expedition 1877, the 2nd Afghan War when he was severely wounded at the Battle of Asmai Heights, the Hazara 1891 and the Chitral Campaign 1895 when he was killed leading a battalion on a punitive expedition. His grave is in Mardan where there is a tablet in St Alban's Church.
2nd Generation
Legh Richmond Battye had four sons who served in the army in India.
- Lieutenant Richmond Moffat Battye (1869-1897) of the 6th Bengal Cavalry who served on the North West frontier and was killed in action in the Kurmana Dara. He is buried in Parachinar, Kurram Valley.
- Lieutenant Arthur Baldwyn Battye (1872-?), Indian Staff Corps formerly 30th East Lancashire Regiment, served in the Chitral Campaign.
- Lieutentant Ivan Urmston Battye (1875-?) of the Queen's Own Corps of Guides.
- Colonel Basil Condon Battye (1882-1932) Royal Engineers.
External links
Arthur Battye www.dnw.co.uk
Family tree familysearch.org
Wynyard Battye www.britishmedals
The death of Wigram Battye Google Books
Legh Richmond Battye http://thepeerage.com
Frederick Drummond Battye Officers died
Historical books on-line
Battye family tree archive.org
Lt-Col Frederick Battye's death archive.org
Legh Battye's death archive.org