William Bews
31st Battalion Australian Imperial Force
Died 19th January 1917 aged 28
Private W. Bews – Aus. Ex. Force
William Bews was born at Gallowcairn, Tornaveen on 11 April 1888. His parents, David Bews and Jessie Gordon had married at Kincardine O’Neil in 1874. David was a native of Orkney and Jessie was born in Banchory-Devenick. In 1891 the family were living at Gallowcairn and David was working as a crofter/agricultural labourer. There were then six children born in the following years, at roughly two-yearly intervals. In 1891 William was the second youngest, but two more children followed. Ten years later, in 1901, the census found David, Jessie and their three youngest at “North Fittie”, most likely denoting North Footie. It appears William had left home. He may be the William Bews who is noted age 13 in the 1901 census as a servant living in the household of farmer William Smith at Ferretfold on the Craigmyle estate.
In 1911, William Bews and George Gordon, as part of a large contingent of railway workers, sailed to Australia on the “Durham”, departing from London on 27 June bound for Brisbane.
Bews enlisted voluntarily as a Private in the 31st Battalion Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane on 13 July 1915 (Service no.493), giving his occupation as “Labourer”. He named his widowed mother, Mrs Jessie Bews of North Footie, Torphins, as his next of kin. His record gives no further details until he disembarked at Suez in early December 1915. Thereafter both he and George Gordon were destined for the Western Front. On 8 June 1916, he made a will leaving everything to his mother, before embarking once again from Alexandria, this time to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. He arrived in Marseilles in June 1916 and was wounded in action the following month, with a gunshot wound to the right thigh. This probably occurred in the course of the 31st Battalion’s involvement in fighting at Fromelles on 19 July, in which it suffered very heavy losses. Bews was shipped to England from Boulogne, returning to France in October. At the end of November 1916, he took sick again, but rejoined his battalion in January 1917, when it was engaged in the allied advance towards the Hindenburg Line.
Shortly after, Private Bews was killed in action aged 28 on 19 January 1917. He was buried at Grass Lane Cemetery, A.I.F. Burial Ground, Flers. A small bundle of effects was duly posted to Mrs Bews in Torphins.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Register of Births
Census 1891 & 1901
National Archives of Australia: Series B2455 – Item No. 3079971
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour at http://www.awm.gov.au
Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 (online)
Wikipedia history of the 31st Battalion AIF
Aberdeen Evening Express 7 February 1917:“Roll of Honour – Killed in action on the 19th January,1917, Private William Bews, Australian Imperial Force, third son of the late David Bews and Mrs Bews, North Footie, Torphins, aged 28 years – deeply mourned.”
