Private Eustace Delano FISHBOURNE (1818)
4 Platoon, A Company, 34th Battalion Australian Infantry

Date of birth: 23rd July 1893
Date of death: 7th February 1917

Died of wounds aged 23
Buried at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery Armentieres Plot IV Row D Grave 4
He was born at West Kensington in London on the 23rd of July 1893 the only son of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Eustace Fishbourne, Royal Army Medical Corps, and Edith A. Brind (nee Kendall later Dale) later of 24 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London.

He was educated at Allen House Preparatory School near Guildford and at the King’s School Canterbury from September 1907 to July 1909 where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps and won a House Scholarship in 1907.

He emigrated to Australia in April 1910 where he was educated at Cranbrook School in Western Australia. After completing his education he became a farmer and horse breeder at Blackboy Hill in Western Australia.

On the 28th of March 1916 he attested for military service at Blackboy Hill having been rejected on five previous occasions due to defective eyesight. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet six and three quarter inches tall and that he had brown hair and brown eyes. He was mobilised on the 27th of April 1916 and was posted to D Company, 11th Training Battalion. On the 4th of May 1916 he was drafted into the 2nd Reinforcements for the 44th Battalion, Australian Infantry.

On the 7th of August he embarked with his battalion at Freemantle on board HMAT “Miltiades” and arrived at Plymouth on the 25th of September 1916. While he was in training in England he was drafted into A Company, 34th Battalion on the 10th of November 1916. On the 21st of November 1916 the battalion sailed for France from Southampton and arrived in the front line on the 27th.

The winter of 1916/1917 was spent alternating between service in the front line, training and labouring in the rear areas where he was, a battalion scout and was fluent in German.

He was wounded in the stomach by machine gun fire at around 10pm on the night of the 7th of February 1917 at Houplines near Armentieres whilst on a listening expedition into no man’s land. He was carried on a stretcher to the 10th Field Ambulance Dressing Station where he died a short time later.

A number of interviews were undertaken from eyewitnesses to establish the events that night: -

Testimony of Private 13 J.L. Bepper, 34th Battalion Australian Infantry taken at Kitchener’s Hospital, Brighton on the 3rd of April 1917:-

“Informant states that on Feb 7th at Armentieres Pte Fishbourne was out in No Man’s Land at the listening post, when he was killed by a bullet from a machine gun, the bullet went through the stomach and he died in about 5 minutes and was buried in Armentieres Cemetery. The time was 10pm and it was dark, the ground was afterwards lost. Informant was an eye-witness.”

Testimony of Private 1930 R.H. Terras 34th Battalion A.I.F taken at Etaples on the 6th of April 1917:-

“I heard him sing out when he was shot in No Man’s Land on 7th Feb. I think a M.G. bullet got him in the stomach. This occurred on 7th Feb. Lt. Warner A Co. was with him at the time and could supply details. They were out on a scouting party of which Mr Warner was in charge. I believe Fishbourne lived a couple of days after being wounded. He belonged to A Co. and was a scout. He spoke German well and had travelled widely.”

Testimony of Private Horace Joseph Taylor 34th Battalion Australian Infantry taken at 3rd Southern General Hospital, Oxford on the 14th of April 1917: -

"I was told by Pte. Ernest Beatty (A Company, 34th Battalion) that he was out on a listening post with Pte. Fishbourne, about Feb 7th at Armentieres, when he was shot through the stomach by a stray bullet. I believe he was taken to a dressing station, and died soon afterwards. He was buried at the Australian Cemetery at Armentieres. (600 men of 3rd Div. are buried there). I saw the cross before it was put up. His name, No. and all particulars were on it. There were six men on the listening post at the time he was wounded. Pte. Lowe (sic) was another who was with him."

Letter from France from Private G.R. Low, A Company 34th Battalion Australian Infantry dated the 29th of April 1917: -

"I don't know much about what his civilian life was, only what he has told me since he joined the Batt. but I was within 9 feet of him the night he was hit and helped to carry him in. he was quite conscious all the time I was with him and he spoke freely. he was a farmer near Cranbrook, West Australia, enlisted there and came away as 2nd reinf. 44th Batt. being drafted to 34th in England. He is buried in the Military Cemetery. I have since seen his grave but as regards telling you where the grave would be registered I could not say nor can I tell you the name of the town. He was about 5ft 7ins in height, dark complexion, born in India educated in England and spoke German and French fairly well."

Testimony of Private 2141 W. Reeves A Company 34th Battalion Australian Infantry taken at No. 51 General Hospital, Etaples on the 15th of May 1917: -

"He was a scout and belonged to IV Platoon, A Coy. He was out with me in a party on patrol on February 7th at Houplines. I was on sentry go and could see the party. He was shot through the stomach by a sniper. i heard him sing out as he fell. I saw him carried along on a stretcher to the D/S and helped to carry the stretcher myself part of the way. He died as soon as he reached the D/S. I heard this as we waited. I knew him fairly well. He came from W. Australia."


Letter from G.R. Low A Company, 34th Battalion A.I.F. from France dated the 29th of April 1917:-

“I don’t know much about what his civilian life was only what he has told me since he joined the Batt. But I was within 9 feet of him the night he was hit and helped to carry him in. He was quite conscious all the time I was with him and he spoke freely. He was a farmer near Cranbrook West Australia enlisted there and came away as 2nd reinf. 44th Batt. being drafted to 34th in England. He is buried in the military cemetery. I have since seen his grave but as regards telling you where the grave would be registered I could not say nor can I tell you the name of the town. He was about 5 ft 7 ins in height, dark complexion, born in India educated in England and spoke German and French fairly well.”

Testament of Private 2141 W. Reeves A Company, 34th Battalion A.I.F. taken at No. 51 General Hospital on the 15th of May 1917:-

“He was a scout and belonged to IV Pl. A Coy. He was out with me in a party on patrol on February 7th at Houplines. I was on sentry go and could see the party. He was shot through the stomach by a sniper. I heard him sing out as he fell. I saw him carried along on a stretcher and helped to carry the stretcher myself part of the way. He died as soon as he reached the D?S. I heard this as we waited. I knew him fairly well. He came from W. Australia.”

Lieutenant L. Warner, A Company, 34th Battalion A.I.F. written on the 1st of May 1917:-

“With reference to your enquiries concerning 1818 Pte Fishbourne E.D. I would be glad to help you with the following particulars. Pte Fishbourne who was a battalion scout was shot while coming in from patrol duty and died very shortly afterwards. He was buried in the “Cite bon Jean” Cemetery for soldiers at Armentieres and the grave has since been fenced and a cross placed at the head of it by the battalion. If possible a photograph of the grave will shortly be forwarded on to the deceased relatives. Our chaplain wrote to Pte Fishbourne’s mother some time ago giving her all details, and a letter was also written by the Asst. Adjutant, evidently these letters have gone astray. I am forwarding on to you by same post a few belongings that have recently been handed to me. Kindly convey to the enquirers my sincere sympathy, as Scout Officer, at the loss of one of my best men who proved himself not only a loyal soldier to his King and Country, but a man.”


His Commanding Officer wrote:-
“He was a capable and excellent soldier, whose death was keenly felt by all. He died doing his duty.”

His Company Commander wrote; -

“Private Fishbourne was one of a group of scouts, acting as an additional listening post in a shell hole halfway across no man's land. He was shot in the stomach and was not killed instantly, though he did not appear to be in very great pain. The main topic of his conversation was the prospect of getting to "Blighty", and neither he nor those around him then thought the wound would prove fatal. Unfortunately he died a few hours later, but as far as I can learn his end was a peaceful one being preceded by a merciful unconsciousness. In conclusion I would like to say I had taken particular note of Private Fishbourne, as I heard great praise of him from the N.C.O.'s and other officers of this Company. His work as a soldier was the most hazardous that a present day soldier can do, and it is all the more to his credit that he did it willingly and wholeheartedly. As a soldier he is a big loss to his unit and leaves a gap which cannot easily be filled.”

He is commemorated on the Western Australian War Memorial at Perth.

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