Donald Roy Hislop (1894-1916)
Donald Roy Hislop, nicknamed Roy, was born on 6 January 1894 in Bunbury to Walter Cook and Sarah Ann Hislop née Caporn (reference; reference). He had six siblings, Frederick James (1883-1944), Harry Clulow (1885-1959), Laura Ailsa (1888-1966), Pulo Maud (1890-1945), Percy Mervyn (1891-1916) and Hilton Arnold, who was his twin (1894-1971) (reference). His grandfather was James John Henry Hislop, an ex-convict, Bunbury schoolmaster and businessman. The children were brought up by their parents as members of the Church of England (reference).
In 1909 when Donald was fifteen, he witnessed a crime that was investigated before the Bunbury Police Court (reference). Herbert Jones was accused of using a boat belonging to the WA Jarrah Saw Mills Company without permission (reference). Donald had seen Herbert Jones get out of a boat and into one the one belonging to the WA Jarrah Saw Mills Company (reference). The Bunbury Herald recounted Donald's testimony in the newspaper and commented on his small stature, saying he looked more like ten rather than going on sixteen (reference).
In November 1910 Donald went to the Collie River for an entire night of fishing with his mates (reference). Together they caught a haul of fish, including sixty kingfish (reference; reference). Donald and Alf Johansen were reported to have caught 'four kingies all on the small side' (reference).
In 1916 the family home was in George Street, South Bunbury (reference). Before enlisting in the Great War, Donald lived in South Bunbury on George Street, likely in the family home (reference; reference; reference). He worked as a milk carter and was single (reference; reference; reference). Upon enlistment, Donald was described as five feet, three inches tall, with fair hair and grey eyes, weighing 53.5 kilograms and 22 years old (reference; reference).
When the call to arms came to Australia, Donald and his older brother Percy answered the call together. The brothers travelled to Blackboy Hill and signed up for the Australian Infantry Force on 29 February 1916. Percy was first in line and was allocated service number 4445, followed by Donald with 4446 (reference; reference). They were assigned to the 28th Australian Infantry Battalion, 11th reinforcement (reference; reference; reference). On 1 March 1916, Donald took an oath to serve the King in the Australian Imperial Force (reference). According to his military records, before Donald travelled to Blackboy Hill on 14 February, he underwent a military medical examination in Bunbury (reference).
The brothers stayed together, leaving Australia from Fremantle on 31 March 1916 on the HMAT Shropshire A9 (reference; reference). The brothers arrived in Egypt to train. Donald then boarded the H T Scotian on 10 May 1916 from Alexandria, arriving in Marseilles, France on 18 May (reference).
The rest of Donald's war experience and his ultimate death are unclear. The historical record contains conflicting sources that, upon examination, reveal that Donald had been confused with both his brother, Percy, service number 4445, and another Hislop named Allan Henderson Hislop of the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, service number 4057. The mix-up of soldiers occurred when the International Red Cross Committee, Comité International de la Croix Rouge, began investigating Donald’s disappearance (reference).
The records all indicate that Donald joined the fight on the Western Front at Pozieres. The last concrete information on Donald is that he was wounded at Pozieres on 4 August 1916 (reference). One witness account by Walter Pickersgill of Bunbury claims that Donald was killed by a shell at Pozieres on 4 August in No Man's Land. However, this may not be the case as according to another report his brother Percy and another soldier received letters from Donald, who was receiving treatment in a hospital as a prisoner of war (reference).
From here, the following information on Donald was incorrect and had him mistaken for another man. It was Corporal Allan Henderson Hislop of the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, service number 4057 who was taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans on 6 August 1916 and cared for at the hospital, having lost his left hand, had a wounded thigh and eventually died of a gathering of the liver on 17 October 1916 (reference; reference; reference). Allan Hislop, not Donald, died of illness at the prisoner of war camp Krisgagef Get Lasarett Gottingen (reference; reference; reference). Allan was then buried on 21 October 1916 at the Central Cemetery in Gottingen, Row 46 B, grave number 101 (reference; reference). After the war, Allan's body was moved into the Niederzwehren Cemetery.
Over one hundred years after Donald’s disappearance, we have access to all these documents and can ascertain that what actually happened to Donald was never uncovered. However, his family never knew. Instead, they were given incorrect information and lived out their lives, never knowing what happened to their beloved son and brother. However, answers could still be out there if those corresponding with Donald before his untimely death kept the letters he wrote after that fateful day at Pozieres, 4 August 1916. That is of course if the reports that he wrote to his brother and friend are correct. The other likely scenario was that Donald was blown up by that shell and his remains were unidentifiable, resulting in his disappearance.
The year after his death and disappearance, his parents and sisters posted an In Memoriam message in the Anzac Heroes section of The West Australian (reference). It read: "Sacred to the memory of Private Donald R. Hislop, who died a prisoner of war in Germany on 16 October 1916. His duty done. Inserted by his loving parents and sisters (reference)." They also posted a letter of thanks to the Mayor and Councillors of Bunbury and other friends for their messages of sympathy for Donald, who they understood died as a prisoner of war in Germany (reference). Donald's belongings, including a kit, handkerchief, brooch and armlets, were sent to his mother (reference; reference).
In 1922 both brothers had memorial plaques created and given to their father Walter (reference). These plaques have remained in the family, keeping the memory of the Hislop brothers alive. Walter was then living on Blackwood Road in South Bunbury, where he moved sometime between 1918 and 1921 (reference).
In 1934 his father, Walter Hislop, was forwarded information from the Imperial War Graves Commission on where his sons Percy and Donald's names were on memorials (reference).
Donald is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Bunbury War Memorial and the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (reference).
Nearly a centenary after Donald's death, his case was reopened by the Office of the Australian War Graves upon the request of Anzac Heroes author, Jeff Peirce. Having researched Donald's military experience, Jeff noticed the inconsistencies within the records and contacted the Office of Australian War Graves to investigate further what truly happened to Donald. After much investigation by the Office, looking through Battalion War Diaries and examining soldier witness statements, as well as a full inquiry by German Authorities, the Office concluded that Pickersgill's statement was the only clear and direct evidence of what happened to Donald. From this, the mystery surrounding Donald's death is resolved as much as it can be, that Donald was blown up by a shell in No Mans Land at Pozieres on 4 August 1916.