| David Clements Bates was the only son of William and Anne Jane 'Jennie' Bates (nee Clements). David was born on 10th May 1889 in Castleblayney, County Monaghan.
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| The 1901 census records David as age 11 living with the family at house 31 in Square, Crossmaglen, Armagh.
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| His father, William Bates, was a bank manager with Belfast Bank. He worked at Crossmaglen and at Saintfield, Belfast.
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| Family: William Bates, Jennie Bates David Clements Bates (born 1889), Martha Frances Bates (born about 1892).
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| David attended the Royal School Dungannon between 1901 and 1903.
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| After leaving school he too joined the Belfast Bank.
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| William Bates died in 1905.
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| The 1911 census lists David as age 21 living with the family at house 17 in Brookvale Avenue, Clifton, Antrim. His mother was a widow and David was working as a bank clerk.
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| In 1912 David emigrated to Canada. He was soon followed by his mother and sister.
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| David Clements Bates worked for the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Toronto.
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| When he enlisted on 24th April 1916, David Bates was working as an office clerk for the Premier Cream Separator Company in Toronto.
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| David gave his address as Fairview Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario. He gave his next of kin as his mother, Jennie.
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| After spending the summer of 1916 undergoing military training at Camp Borden in Canada, Private David Bates went to Europe in October.
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| He served as a Private in the 201st Battalion initially before being transferred to the 58th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, the Central Ontario Regiment.
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| His unit returned to the front line south of Lens on 11th September 1917 to relieve the 43rd Battalion.
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| Private David Bates was killed in action on 14th September 1917, a day before the unit's stint at the Front was due to end.
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| The Canadian Circumstances of Death Register records that Private Bates was killed in action on 14th September 1917. Private Bates, while on a working party, was almost instantly killed by the explosion of an enemy shell.
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| From the Toronto Star dated 26th September 1917 : Private David Bates Killed – Only Son Makes Supreme Sacrifice After Years' Service in Trenches – Irishman by Birth
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| Private David Clements Bates has been killed in action after almost one year's service at the front. He was the only son of Mrs Bates, 53 Fairview Boulevard, who is at present living in Montreal. Private Bates was born in Castleblayney, county Monaghan, Ireland, 28 years ago. He came to Toronto more than five years ago, and entered the service of the Canadian Bank of Commerce. He was with the Premier Cream Separator Company when he enlisted in the spring of 1916. After spending the summer at Camp Borden, he went overseas last October, and reached France in almost record time, being drafted the next month to a Toronto Battalion of the 3rd Division, with whom he served up to the time of his death.
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| Private Bates is buried in Beehive Cemetery in Willerval near Arras in France.
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| The CWGC record Private Bates as the son of Ann Jane Bates (nee Clements) of 212 Logan Street, St. Lambert, Montreal, Canada and of the late William Bates.
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| Many thanks to Paul Kerr and the Royal School Dungannon for his research and all the information provided.
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