Wilfrid Charles Bateson was born in 1896 at Kirkby Overblow, the only child of Hugh and Elizabeth Jane Bateson. The 1911 Census records Wilfrid as a 14-year-old schoolboy living with his father, a shoeing- and general smith, and mother at Kirkby Overblow.
Prior to enlistment into the army, Wilfrid was employed by the North Eastern Railway. Most likely he voluntarily enlisted in the early months of the war into the 17th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, a Pals battalion raised by his own employers, and was later posted to the battalion's depot company. It is known that he served at Home with the regiment's 32nd battalion, which had been formed from the 17th's depot company, and which in September 1916 became the 80th Training Reserve Battalion. Some time later - thought to be on or shortly after 1st January 1917 - he was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery, and eventually posted to the British Expeditionary Force in France to join 97th Battery (147th Brigade).
On 26th September 1918, the guns of 147th Brigade were moved forward into positions near Ecourt-St. Quentin. The following day saw the brigade play its part in the second of four large-scale attacks that marked the start of the final phase of the war on the Western Front. The brigade’s diary records the events of that day in which Wilfrid lost his life:
At 5.20am the barrage opened and an attack was launched on the southern portion of the First Army Front, from MOEUVRES to SAUCHY-CAUCHY. The attack was entirely successful, the Canadians capturing the whole of BOURLON WOOD and the 11th Division with the 169th Infantry Brigade of the 56th Division captured OISY-LE-VERGER and a considerable amount of ground to the east of the village. This brigade [147th] with 169th and 250th brigades supported the extreme north of the attack around OISY-LE-VERGER.
Hostile shelling during the attack was very slight both in forward and back areas. Signaller BATESON, 97th Bty, was killed and Sergt. PARAMOR, 97th Bty, wounded; 4 other men of the brigade were slightly wounded and remained at duty.
At night the 11th Division pushed on and took EPINOY. There was slight gas shelling around [the] batteries during the night.
Wilfrid Charles Bateson is buried in Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt; coincidentally, the same burial place as another Kirkby Overblow man, James William Mills. The inscription on his headstone, chosen by his parents reads HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY, HIS SOUL TO GOD.