Albert Edward "Ab" Bishop

aka Albert Fletcher

Apr 13, 1895

Born in Littlemore, England to John and Sarah (nee Bishop) Fletcher

 

Mar 27, 1908

Embarked the SS Virginian in Liverpool, England under the name Albert Bishop with John and Sarah Fletcher and family

 

 
 

Apr 4, 1908

Disembarked in Saint John, New Brunswick and proceeded to Port Perry, Ontario

 

Nov 4, 1914

Attested into the 21st Battalion CEF in Kingston, Ontario under the name of Albert Fletcher

Ø  Number 59069 (temporary number 519)

Ø  Next of kin given as John Henry Fletcher, father, Keene, Ontario

o   John Fletcher was later recorded as his uncle, but noted that he had been adopted by him.

Ø  Previous occupation given as Labourer

Ø  No previous military experience given

Ø  Religion given as Wesleyan

Ø  Assigned to “E” Company

o   This was later reorganized into “C” Company

 
His 2 half-brothers, Alfred Edward Fletcher and William Henry Fletcher, also attested into the battalion the same day.  Note that they have consecutive temporary numbers, 519, 520 and 521.

 
The battalion trained in the Kingston area through the winter with headquarters in the Kingston Armouries

 

Dec 19, 1914

Sentenced to 20 days detention for being AWL (Absent Without Leave) for 9 days

 

Mar 9, 1915

His name was changed to read Albert Bishop in the service file and shown as “his true name”

 

May 6, 1915

Embarked the RMS Metagama in Montreal, Quebec

 

 
 

May 15, 1915

Disembarked in Devonport, England and the battalion proceeded to the West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, Kent to continue training

 

Jul 1, 1915

Forfeited 1 days pay for being absent

 

Sep 14, 1915

Embarked the St. Seiriol in Folkestone

 

 
 

Sep 15, 1915

Disembarked in Boulogne, France and the battalion proceeded to St. Omer

 

Jan 22, 1916

Admitted to the No. 5 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) Rest Station with a wound to his left arm

 

Jan 24, 1916

Discharged to duty from the rest station and rejoined the 21st Battalion

 

May 2, 1916

Admitted to the No. 6 CFA with a sprained left ankle and transferred the same day to the No. 5 CFA

 

May 8, 1916

Discharged to duty from the field ambulance

 

May 29, 1916

Admitted to the No. 4 CFA with a diagnosis that reads infected middle ear

 

May 30, 1916

Transferred to the No. 3 Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne

 

Jun 6, 1916

Transferred to the No. 1 Convalescent Depot to continue his recovery

 

Jun 16, 1916

Discharged to the base details for light duties

 

Jun 20, 1916

Posted to the base depot in Boulogne and posted to “A” Company for those recovering from wounds and illness

 

Jun 30, 1916

After leaving the base depot he rejoined the 21st Battalion at the front

 

Sep 15, 1916

The 21st Battalion was assigned the heavily defended sugar refinery south of Courcelette as their objective during the battle of the Somme.  The fighting was fierce and the battalion suffered many losses.  Private Bishop was buried by the nearby explosion of a high explosive artillery shell.  After being dug out by his comrades, he was dazed and clearly suffering from a concussion and evacuated to a nearby field ambulance for first aid before being transferred to a casualty clearing station.

 

Sep 19, 1916

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship St Patrick

 

  

On arrival in England he was admitted to the Bethnal Green Military Hospital in Cambridge Heath with a diagnosis that reads Shell Shock.  He was noted as suffering from trembling arms and legs

 
Posted to the CCAC (Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre) for pay purposes while in hospital

 

Dec 17, 1916

Transferred to the Ontario Military Hospital in Orpington

 

Feb 16, 1917

Transferred to the 1st Western General Hospital in Liverpool

 

Feb 19, 1917

Embarked the Hospital Ship Essequibo

 

 
Note the ship did not sail until February 24th

 

Mar 1, 1917

Disembarked in Halifax, Nova Scotia and proceeded to Toronto, Ontario

 

Mar 9, 1917

Admitted to the Whitby Military Hospital, Whitby, Ontario

 

Apr 1, 1917

Posted to the MHCC (Military Hospital Commission of Canada) for pay purposes

 

Sep 1, 1917

To be an outpatient of the Whitby Military Hospital

 

Apr 16, 1918

Discharged from hospital

 

Apr 30, 1918

Discharged from the CEF in Toronto, Ontario

 Ø  Rank on discharge Private

Ø  War Service Badge Class “A” issued

Ø  War Service Badge Class “B” issued

Ø  Proposed residence on discharge Keene, Ontario

 
Following the war the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at Keene, Ontario

 

Sep 24, 1918

Admitted to the Queen’s University Military Hospital suffering from Shell Shock.  He is noted as being extremely nervous and suffering from headaches

 

Oct 31, 1918

Discharged from hospital

 

From the 1954 summer edition of the Communiqué
(the 21st Battalion’s post war newsletter)

 

 

Mar 21, 1959

Albert Bishop died while a patient at the Sunnybrook Veteran’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario and was buried in the Lower Keene Cemetery, Keene, Ontario

 
 


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