Alan Stephen BISHOP
Alan Bishop was born on 23 July 1895 in Brighton, Victoria. His parents were John and Jemima Gibson (née Mackan) Bishop. He attended Scotch from 1913 to 1914. He was in the First Rowing crew in 1914. His father mentioned this in the Roll of Honour circular written for the official army historian.
When Alan enlisted in Melbourne on 14 January 1915, ‘Left school’ was entered on his enlistment paper. His father entered his status as ‘schoolboy’ on the Roll of Honour circular. He served in the 8th Battalion and 60th Battalion with the final rank of Sergeant. His Regimental Number was 1921.
Alan died on 9 December 1916 in Sheffield, England. He was 21 years of age.
Service record
Alan was 19 on enlisting. He did so with his father’s ‘full knowledge and approval’ (see below). He was apparently a Corporal in the Melbourne University Rifles before enlisting. He was allotted to reinforcements for the 8th Battalion. He joined his unit on Gallipoli on 17 July 1915 as a Corporal.
In February 1916 he was transferred to the newly formed 60th Battalion. In March he was promoted to Sergeant, though his records show there was subsequently confusion as to his exact rank at his death. He reached France with his battalion on 29 June 1916. On 19 July 1916 the unit was thrown into the battle of Fromelles, which proved catastrophic: the battalion was virtually annihilated, sustaining 757 casualties that day. Alan was one of them.
The 1917 The Scotch Collegian says that he was initially wounded in the knee while calling his men forward. A second wound reportedly brought him down, after which he lay in No Man’s Land, unable to move until dusk because of enemy fire. A few minutes before it would have been safe to move, a shell landed some 10 metres from him, throwing him into the air and inflicting another 10 wounds, ‘including a compound fracture of the arm and the loss of an eye.’ He still managed to crawl towards the trenches, covering the necessary 50 metres in two hours. He was admitted to hospital with ‘multiple’ gunshot wounds to face, hand and knee. He was transferred to the 3rd Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, England. He died there nearly five months later, on 9 December 1916.
His record says the cause was gunshot wound to head, arm and leg, and ‘General Septicaemia’ (blood poisoning). His mother had travelled from Australia to be with him, and arrived just in time to be at his bedside when he died. His funeral was attended by an uncle who had travelled from Ireland, two aunts, the hospital commandant and the Inspector-General of the London Metropolitan Special Constabulary.
According to his obituary in the Collegian: ‘The coffin was covered with the Union Jack, over which were laid many beautiful wreaths. So numerous were the flowers that a special coach was laden with those for which no place could be found on the coffin or gun-carriage. In addition to the detachment of Field Artillery (mounted) in charge of the gun-carriage, a detachment of the Royal Army Medical Corps paraded. The funeral procession passed through the streets of Sheffield to the Burngreave Cemetery, amid manifestations of public regret along the whole route.’ After he had been laid to rest in a beautiful location, an artillery bugler played the Last Post. Not many Old Scotch Collegians who died in the war had such a fine funeral, with family members present, although unlike Alan, many had comrades from their units in attendance.
Alan Bishop is buried in the Sheffield Cemetery (Row JJ, Grave No. 3655), Yorkshire, England.
Photographs and Documents:
Permission letter for Alan to enlist at 19. From his service record.
Sources:
- Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour
- Mishura Scotch Database
- National Archives of Australia – B2455, BISHOP A S
- Scotch Collegian 1917
- The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=23385
