Allan Harold Bates – Royal Flying Corps, 25th Squadron

Second Lieutenant Allan Harold Bates – Royal Flying Corps, 25^th Squadron

Birth and Family Background

Allan Harold Bates

Archibald Bates and Harriet Elizabeth Smith
marriage certificate
Christ Church, Swansea

Allan Harold Bates was born in 1897 in Swansea. He was the son of Archibald Bates, a native of Monmouthshire, and Harriet Elizabeth Smith. His parents were married in November 1882 at Christ Church, Swansea.

Early Life

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Bates family were living at 23 Brunswick Street, Swansea. Archibald Bates (47) was employed as an ironmonger manager, while Harriet Elizabeth (44) undertook household duties. Their children present in the household were Archibald A. (17), a pupil teacher; Florence H. E. (13); Richard B. (8); and Allan H. (4).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 44 St Helens Road, Swansea. Archibald Bates (57) was working as an ironmonger, and Harriet Elizabeth (55) remained at home. Their children present were Archibald Alfred (27), an Assistant Teacher with the County Council; Florence Harriet Elizabeth (23), also an Assistant Teacher with the County Council; Richard Bertram (18), an ironmonger’s shop assistant; and Allan Harold (14), who was attending school.

Military Service

Allan Harold Bates served with the Royal Flying Corps, attaining the rank of Second Lieutenant and flying with 25^th Squadron. He served as aircrew aboard an F.E.2b (Farman Experimental 2) aircraft during active operations over the Western Front.

Operational Context – 7^th August 1917

On 7^th August 1917, 25^th Squadron was operating over the Arras–Lens–Hénin-Liétard sector of the Western Front, one of the most heavily contested airspaces in France during mid-1917. These operations coincided with the later stages of the Battle of Arras and a period of sustained German defensive activity.

F.E.2b (Farman Experimental 2)

By this stage of the war, the F.E.2b was regarded as an obsolete aircraft, increasingly vulnerable to the latest German single-seat fighters. Despite its declining effectiveness, the type continued to be employed out of operational necessity, and F.E.2bs were still routinely tasked with artillery observation, defensive patrols, escort duties, and offensive patrols over enemy territory. Such missions frequently brought their crews into direct contact with experienced German fighter units operating in strength, greatly increasing the risk of loss.

Death in Action

On 7^th August 1917, at approximately 7.35 pm, Second Lieutenant Allan Harold Bates was killed in action while flying near Noyelles-Godault, close to Hénin-Liétard, France. His aircraft, crewed with Sergeant William Alfred Barnes, was shot down during an aerial engagement.

Manfred von Richthofen
Red Baron

German records credit the victory to Manfred von Richthofen, flying with Jasta 11. The loss of the F.E.2b was officially recorded as Richthofen’s 43rd aerial victory, at a time when German fighter units held a clear tactical advantage in the sector.

Burial and Commemoration

South Wales Daily Post

Allan Harold Bates
Noyelles-Godault Communal Cemetery
credit - CWGC.org

Second Lieutenant Allan Harold Bates and Sergeant William Alfred Barnes are buried at Noyelles-Godault Communal Cemetery. Allan’s death was reported in the South Wales Daily Post on 7^th August 1917, bringing news of his loss to his family and the wider community in Swansea.

His story reflects both the intense aerial combat of 1917 and the heavy toll borne by Royal Flying Corps aircrews during one of the most dangerous periods of the First World War