Valera, the Prime Minister of Ireland which was then known still as a Dominion. Valera strenuously worked towards gaining full independence and at one point Batterbee tried to stop British plans to impose import duties on Irish farm produce. Although he failed in the short term, duties were lifted after a couple of years. Domestically, Sir Harry reportedly played an important part in resolving the crisis that arose when King Edward VIII was advised that he should abdicate if he wished to pursue his plans to marry Mrs Simpson. In 1939 Harding was appointed the British High Commissioner to South Africa and at the same time Batterbee took up office as the first British High Commissioner to New Zealand having been appointed as such on 27 July 1938. His appointment eased relations with New Zealand which was increasingly unwilling to use the Governor as an intermediary between its own government and that of the United Kingdom. The Second World War broke out soon afterwards, and given its reach into the Pacific, it was not until its conclusion that Batterbee was finally able to retire. Batterbee was able to maintain a long-cultured network of correspondents even in wartime conditions where telegrams were largely restricted to matters of the highest urgency. His correspondents included Whitehall mandarins, fellow High Commissioners and soon-to-be Ambassadors, family and friends, ordinary citizens of the Empire. Later life Sir Harry retired from the Civil Service in 1945 and began a period that was to last almost as long as his working life. He became Chairman of the British Antarctic Survey and the Batterbee Mountains in Antarctica were named after him. He also became a governor of his old Faversham school, and from 1961 to 1967 was chairman of the governors. He moved back to the town of his birth and joined the Faversham Society where he was instrumental in the struggle to avert Kent County Council plans to give the town an inner ring road. On 3 December 1961 Sir Harry was driving on the Guildford to Horsham road at Bucks Green. He went on to the wrong side of the road and hit a group of cyclists from the Clarence Wheelers cycling club. Several were injured and two subsequently died. The case went to court on 23 January 1962 and Sir Harry was charged with careless driving. He was fined £10 and order to pay costs of