Percy Mervyn Hislop (1891-1916)

Percy Mervyn Hislop, known as Mervyn and nicknamed Merv, was born in December 1891 in Bunbury to Walter Cook and Sarah Ann Hislop née Caporn (reference; reference; reference). He had six siblings, Frederick James (1883-1944), Harry Clulow (1885-1959), Laura Ailsa (1888-1966), Pulo Maud (1890-1945) and twin brothers Hilton Arnold and Donald Roy  (1894-1971) (reference). His grandfather was James John Henry Hislop, an ex-convict, Bunbury schoolmaster and businessman. Sarah and Walter raised their children as members of the Church of England (reference). 

Percy and his mate, Herbert Wenn, took their teenage shenanigans a little too far in 1904 when they were thirteen (reference). The teenage boys, called 'youthful incorrigibles', were taken to court for petty theft (reference). Sergeant Smyth had many previous run-ins with the teenagers, who, according to Smyth, did not attend school, were out in Bunbury at all hours and were out of control (reference). The last straw was when Percy and Herbert were caught stealing 5 shillings and fruit from Annetta Blanche Pearson, a fruiterer in Victoria Street, as well as three singlets from Clement and Dickenson's and four packets of cigarettes from Mrs Veale's shop window (reference; reference). The Bunbury Resident Magistrate sentenced the boys to new schools hoping they could be straightened out (reference). Percy was sent to the State Industrial School at Subiaco for two years and Herbert to the Roman Catholic Industrial School (reference). Their fathers attended the hearing and were ordered to contribute money towards their upkeep at their new schools (reference).

Percy's new school, the Government Industrial School of Western Australia, ran from 1893 to 1907 (reference). When he was sent there in 1904, it was known as the Government Industrial School and Receiving Depot for Boys and Girls (reference). The school was established in Claisebrook but moved to Subiaco in 1897 (reference). Initially made for young girls, by the time Percy attended, it received older children, both boys and girls, from parents who were unable to care for them (reference). Due to Percy's behaviour in Bunbury, the court decided that his parents could not control him, so he was sent to the school to correct his behaviour. 

In 1907 when Percy was sixteen years old, having returned to Bunbury after his stint in the Industrial School, he prevented a man from assaulting a young girl (reference). Ethel Bowman, a nine-year-old Bunbury school girl, was attacked on her way home from school by Ah Woh (reference). Percy, his brother Harry Clulow Hislop and Arthur Swain followed Ah Woh as he appeared to be acting suspicious (reference). Their instincts were correct, and they saved Ethel (reference). At trial, Ah Woh was found guilty and sentenced to nine months of gaol with hard labour (reference). 

In 1916 the Hislop family home was in George Street, South Bunbury (reference). Before enlisting in the Great War, Percy lived in South Bunbury on George Street, likely in the family home (reference; reference; reference). He worked as a bread carter and was single (reference; reference). Upon enlistment, Percy was described as five feet, three inches tall, with fair hair and green eyes, weighing 63.5 kilograms and 24 years old (reference).

When the call to arms came to Australia, Percy and his younger brother Donald answered the call together. The brothers travelled to Blackboy Hill and were accepted into the Australian Infantry Force on 29 February 1916 (reference). Percy was first in line and was allocated service number 4445, followed by his younger brother Donald who received service number 4446 (reference; reference). They were assigned to the 28th Australian Infantry Battalion, 11th reinforcement (reference; reference; reference; reference). On 1 March 1916, Percy took an oath to serve the King in the Australian Imperial Force (reference). According to his military records, before Percy travelled to Blackboy Hill on 14 February, he underwent a military medical examination in Bunbury (reference; reference). This medical examination record also says he applied to enlist into the Australian Infantry Force on 22 February 1916 (reference; 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. Percy and Donald then boarded the H T Scotian on 10 May 1916 from Alexandria, arriving in Marseilles, France, on 18 May (reference; reference; reference). 

On 5 August 1916, Percy was sent to the 2nd General Hospital in France as he had caught influenza (reference). After recovering from his illness, Percy returned to active duty on 19 August (reference). 

At 9 am on 5 November 1916, Percy and the other soldiers in his company 'left the front line of the trenches at Flers to assault the enemy trenches' on the first day of the Battle of Flers (reference; reference). According to Private George Timewell, Percy was about five yards ahead of him when he saw a shell land 'almost at his feet' (reference). The proximity of the shell gave George no doubt that Percy was killed outright (reference). As he was not seen again, it is highly probable this was how Percy lost his life (reference). Percy was remembered fondly by George and the rest of the company as a likable person and a good soldier (reference).

The Battle of the Somme was a massacre with thousands of men killed, many of whose bodies were never recovered. The mayhem and horror of the fight resulted in delayed reporting of soldiers who were either missing or killed in action. This was the case for Percy, as he was not officially reported as missing until five days after his death on 10 November 1916 (reference). Investigations into his disappearance took months. It was not until 26 July 1917 the army amended his record as killed in action sometime between 3 and 6 November 1916 at Flers in France (reference; reference; reference; reference). Again, the investigation took time as different soldiers, witnesses to Percy's disappearance, had to be consulted by the Red Cross, who were leading the inquiry (reference). 

The soldiers who were interviewed into the matter of Percy's disappearance gave different accounts. As Percy was killed during an offensive attack in No Man's Land while the Germans were shooting and shelling the soldiers, it is no wonder accounts differ as the fear for ones life along with the filthy conditions of the Somme would have made misidentifying another soldier very easy. While this makes it difficult to determine what happened to Percy, the statements all point to his death occurring on 5 November 1916 near Flers in No Man's Land (reference). His cause of death is more difficult to determine. However, more than one soldier claims to have seen him blown up by a shell, pointing at this to be the most likely cause of death (reference). 

Another few months passed before his family received word of his death. While Percy's parents, Sarah and Walter, had received word that he was missing in action between 3 and 6 November, it was nine months after Percy was killed that his parents were informed of his death (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). 

A year after Percy was killed in action, his 'sincere friend, Phemie McDonald' posted an ‘In Memoriam’ under the Anzac Heroes section of the West Australian. It said: "In sad and loving memory of my dear friend, Private P. M. Hislop (Merv), killed in action on 5 November 1916, aged twenty-four years. There is one that will miss and remember him, although he was a private, that's all" (reference). 

Percy's belongings, including a kit, a book, two photos, a brush and writing material, were sent to his mother (reference). His mother was also given a war pension after the death of her sons (reference). Sarah began receiving the money after Donald passed away, and it was increased to 70 shillings a fortnight after Percy died (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). 

Percy is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Bunbury War Memorial and the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (reference; reference; reference).