Eric Batchelor DCM &

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

(29 August 1920 – 10 July 2010) was a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

soldier who was twice awarded the

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military ...

for conspicuous bravery in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

during World War II. He was the only New Zealand soldier of just nine British Commonwealth soldiers during the World War II to receive the DCM and bar. He was also Mentioned in Despatches, and fought at

El Alamein El Alamein (, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. The town is located on the site of the ancient city Antiphrai which was built by th ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Biography

Batchelor was born in

Waimate Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main N ...

and educated at Waimate Main School. He joined 5th Reinforcements in 1941. He later served with 23 NZ Battalion in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and Italy. He also took part in the battles of

Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic Church, Catholic, Benedictines, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient ...

. He was twice wounded. Batchelor's first DCM was awarded for gallantry, while in command of a forward platoon, during a fierce close quarter fight in a small house behind German lines at San Donato, on 21 July 1944, in the advance to

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. He was awarded his second DCM for gallantry, while serving as a platoon sergeant in a forward company, during an assault on Celle, south-west of Faenza in Italy, on 14 December 1944. He was demobilised in 1946. Batchelor's ability to work quickly and quietly through the black of night earned him the nickname 'the ferret' and the 'waimate warrior'. In 1953, Batchelor was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family ...

. Batchelor later ran a taxi business then a delicatessen and after that a wine shop. Batchelor died in his hometown of

in New Zealand on 10 July 2010.

Legacy

In 2011, a sports tournament in Batchelor's name was initiated. The Eric Batchelor Cup is held every two years in Waimate, with Army Reserve Forces from around the South Island competing in a range of sporting activities including touch rugby, football, volleyball and netball. A biography titled 'The Ferret' was published in 2017 about Batchelor's tales from the war.

References

External links

A very special man
profile in NZ Army News, Sep 9 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Batchelor, Eric 1920 births 2010 deaths New Zealand military personnel of World War II People from Waimate New Zealand recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal