Frederick James Bishop

Western Mail 4 Oct 1918 page 21
Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Mundijong, Western Australia
Death	23 Jun 1918
Place of Death	Somme Valley east of Amiens
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 3 months
Description	5' 11½" (1.82m) tall, weight 152 lbs (68.9 kg); medium complexion, blue eyes, and light hair.
Occupation	farrier
Religion	Church of England
Address	Anstey street, Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother Mrs Margaret Bishop
Military Information
Reg Number	1897
Date of Enlistment	21 Jun 1915
Rank	Sergeant
Unit/Formation	28h Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement, transferred to32nd Battalion, D Company / 8th Brigade, 5th Division
Date of Embarkation	2 Sep 1915 - unknown
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A68 Anchises
Fate	Wounded in Action 19 Jul 1916 at Fromelles Killed in Action 23 Jun 1918 in the Somme
Monuments	Armadale (Beenup panel) Mundijong Canning
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

A member of the 3rd reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion, Fred trained at Blackboy Hill camp before being shipped to a holding unit in Egypt.

Although he was taken on strength by the 28th Battalion on 12 Oct 1915, he had joined the 28th Battalion in the field on the evening of the 11th October when they were located on Lower Cheshire Ridge. Admitted to 7th Field Ambulance ill on 31 Oct 1915, but appears to have remained with the 28th Battalion until their return to Egypt. During November they were engaged primarily on working parties and on beach fatigues. Early December was spent at Russell's Top, and on 12 Dec 1915 they were relieved by the 20th Battalion and were evacuated to Lemnos Island. On 6 Jan 1916 the battalion embarked on HMT Ausonia for Alexandria.

Fred was transferred to the 32nd Battalion in Egypt as part of the doubling of the size of the AIF on 10 Mar 1916. Appointed Lance Corporal on 26 May 1916.

While the unit's War Diary doesn't speak of enemy shellfire on 19 Jul 1916, it would have occurred during both the attack, and afterwards as they sought to hold the ground that they had won. Fred's injury was caused by a shell - a wound to his arm during an attack near Fleurbaix in the northern sector of the battle for Fromelles. Admitted to the 3rd Canadian Hospital in Boulogne, he was back with his unit on 15 Aug 1916.

On 26 Aug 1916 he was ill and he re-entered hospital until 15 Sep 1916. On 16 Oct 1916 he was sent to the 4th Army School and promoted to Sgt, but soon after was again ill and entered hospital with Trench Feet. This time he was evacuated to England on HMHS St Andrew and entered the Reading War Hospital.

In March 1917 he was fit to begin the journey back to his unit via a training course for Sergeants, some leave, and the inevitable depot units, reaching the 32nd Battalion on 23 Feb 1918. D Company entered the front line trenches on 21 Jun 1917 near the Somme River. Fred's Red Cross file entry quotes Pte W. Anderson who on 6 Aug 1918 described Fred's death .....

"We were in supports between Sailly-Laurette and Morlancourt when a shell landed on a dug out where Sgt Bishop was resting, he was buried by the fall of earth and died instantaneously. When we pulled him out he was practically in pieces. I don't know where he was buried."

Capt Crinks and Cpl Shilcock were also buried with him by the shell burst. Apparently they had just returned from a raid at about 10:00am and were being relieved when the shell landed. Capt Crinks who had led the raid was wounded and taken to the Casualty Clearing Station. Another member of his unit 6240 Private A.J. Grimwade said

"Near Dernancourt in June, when we had just got back from a raid about 10:00 in the morning, and were being relieved, a shell landed and buried up 3 men, Bishop, Capitan Drinks and Corporal Shilcock. I went up to help dig them out. We found Bishop's body and he was taken for burial to the R.A.P. where there were others buried."

Fred is also listed on the Canning War Memorial as his parents moved there prior to the end of the war.

Notes

Buried Heath Cemetery (Plot VII, Row G, Grave 6)