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Apr 13, 1895
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Born in
Littlemore, England to John and Sarah (nee Bishop) Fletcher
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Mar 27, 1908
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Embarked the SS
Virginian in Liverpool, England under the name Albert Bishop with John
and Sarah Fletcher and family
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Apr 4, 1908
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Disembarked in
Saint John, New Brunswick and proceeded to Port Perry, Ontario
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Nov 4, 1914
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Attested into the
21st Battalion CEF in Kingston, Ontario under
the name of Albert Fletcher
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Number 59069
(temporary number 519)
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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.
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Previous
occupation given as Labourer
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No previous
military experience given
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Religion given as
Wesleyan
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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
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Dec 19, 1914
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Sentenced to 20
days detention for being AWL (Absent Without Leave) for 9 days
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Mar 9, 1915
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His name was
changed to read Albert Bishop in the service file and shown as
“his true name”
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May 6, 1915
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Embarked the RMS
Metagama in Montreal, Quebec
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May 15, 1915
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Disembarked in
Devonport, England and the battalion proceeded to the West Sandling
Camp, near Hythe, Kent to continue training
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Jul 1, 1915
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Forfeited 1 days
pay for being absent
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Sep 14, 1915
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Embarked the St.
Seiriol in Folkestone
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Sep 15, 1915
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Disembarked in
Boulogne, France and the battalion proceeded to St. Omer
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Jan 22, 1916
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Admitted to the
No. 5 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) Rest Station with a wound to his
left arm
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Jan 24, 1916
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Discharged to duty
from the rest station and rejoined the 21st
Battalion
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May 2, 1916
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Admitted to the
No. 6 CFA with a sprained left ankle and transferred the same day to
the No. 5 CFA
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May 8, 1916
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Discharged to duty
from the field ambulance
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May 29, 1916
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Admitted to the
No. 4 CFA with a diagnosis that reads infected middle ear
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May 30, 1916
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Transferred to the
No. 3 Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne
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Jun 6, 1916
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Transferred to the
No. 1 Convalescent Depot to continue his recovery
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Jun 16, 1916
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Discharged to the
base details for light duties
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Jun 20, 1916
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Posted to the base
depot in Boulogne and posted to “A” Company for
those recovering from wounds and illness
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Jun 30, 1916
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After leaving the
base depot he rejoined the 21st Battalion at the
front
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Sep 15, 1916
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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.
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Sep 19, 1916
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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
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Dec 17, 1916
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Transferred to the
Ontario Military Hospital in Orpington
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Feb 16, 1917
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Transferred to the
1st Western General Hospital in Liverpool
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Feb 19, 1917
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Embarked the
Hospital Ship Essequibo
Note the ship did
not sail until February 24th
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Mar 1, 1917
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Disembarked in
Halifax, Nova Scotia and proceeded to Toronto, Ontario
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Mar 9, 1917
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Admitted to the
Whitby Military Hospital, Whitby, Ontario
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Apr 1, 1917
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Posted to the MHCC
(Military Hospital Commission of Canada) for pay purposes
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Sep 1, 1917
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To be an
outpatient of the Whitby Military Hospital
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Apr 16, 1918
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Discharged from
hospital
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Apr 30, 1918
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Discharged from
the CEF in Toronto, Ontario
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Rank on discharge
Private
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War Service Badge
Class “A” issued
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War Service Badge
Class “B” issued
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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
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Sep 24, 1918
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Admitted to the
Queen’s University Military Hospital suffering from Shell
Shock. He is noted
as being extremely nervous and suffering from headaches
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Oct 31, 1918
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Discharged from
hospital
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From the 1954 summer edition of the Communiqué
(the 21st Battalion’s post war
newsletter)
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Mar 21, 1959
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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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