Portrait of Arthur Albert Bock on his wedding day. Image PM0792 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Arthur Albert Bock was born on 10 September 1883 in Bendley, South Australia to Australian-born Gottlieb Reinhold and Johanne Caroline Shilling. His mother’s family Johann Gottfried and Anna Rosina Lange immigrated from Brandenburg, Prussia.[i] Bock came from a large Protestant family. He had an older brother, Ernest Theodore and 5 younger sisters (Edith Emelia, Alice Julie, Hilda Myrtle, Wilhelmina May), and a younger brother, Hurtle George. Susan Elizabeth, born in 1884, died only a few months old.
Police
Bock was appointed into the Queensland Police Force as a trial candidate on 3 May 1904 (Reg No 467, QSA File 4759), aged 21 years. The Register, describes Arthur as 5 feel 10 inches tall, with blue eyes, fair hair, and of fresh complexion. His religion is listed as ‘Church of England’ and previous calling as a ‘Labourer’.[ii] Bock was sworn in on 1 October.
Between 1904 and 1915, Constable Bock received numerous transfers. He was stationed at Roma Street, Charters Towers, Croydon, Toowoomba, Pittsworth and Oxley. In 1909, five years after joining the QPF, Bock married Annie Atkinson. They resided in Hunter Street, Indooroopilly. By June 1915, when Bock enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force, he was an experienced and competent policeman, and also a father of three young children.
Military
On 22 June 1915, aged nearly 32 years, Bock volunteered in the Australian Imperial Force. He was taken on strength of 25th Battalion, and embarked at Brisbane on HMAT Kyarra on 3 January 1916.[iii]
Kyarra, AWM HO1992.
In May 1916, Private Bock was taken on strength of 8th Battalion. In July, he was shot in action in right thigh and admitted to the General Hospital in Calais, France. Three days later, Bock embarked on Newhaven for England and was readmitted to Fifth Northern General Hospital. In November, following a four months recovery period, he proceeded back to France. A month later he received his first promotion to Temporary Corporal. In 1917 Bock joined No 4 Officers Cadet 9th Battalion
2nd Lieutenant A. A. Bock, The Queenslander Pictorial supplement to The Queenslander 1917, JOL, SLQ.
Following his promotion to 2nd Lieutenant, he was posted to General Infantry Reinforcements. A month later, he was sent back to France and then Belgium. At Westhoe Ridge he was shot again and evacuated to War Hospital, Epsom. Both of his legs were severely wounded. On 23 October 1917, Bock was promoted to Lieutenant. A week prior, on 14 October 1917, he was awarded Military Cross for his actions at Westhoe Ridge, Belgium:
HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been pleased to confer the Military Cross on the undermentioned Officer for gallantry and distinguished service in the field:
Second Lieutenant ARTHUR ALBERT BOCK
For the conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Whilst leading his platoon this officer encountered a series of concrete dug-outs. He rushed the entrance of one, and, single-handed, captured 17 prisoners. He continued to lead his platoon until severely wounded in both legs, setting a splendid example of coolness and daring to all ranks.
30 Jan 1918, Bock embarked on A14 for Australia, ‘GSW Both Thighs Old Thrombosis [thrombosis of femoral artery]’.[iv] In May 1918, Department of Defence Melbourne, recommended that Lieutenant Bock, MC 25th Battalion, be terminated from the Australian Military Forces on medical grounds.
Bock, Ernest Theodore. Field Service, NZA 29609.
Ernest Theodore, Arthur’s older brother, also volunteered to fight in the First Wold War with the New Zealand Army. He joined in June 1916 and was killed in action on 12 September 1918 in France.
After the War
Portrait of Inspector A Bock. Image PM2031 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Bock returned to Brisbane and in May 1918, resumed police duty.
Upon resuming his duties, Senior Constable Bock was first stationed at Toogoolawah, then Sandgate, Barcaldine, Longreach, Fortitude Valley and Roma Street. In the 1920s he organised and commanded a staff of plain clothes police at Roma St Headquarters. Between 1927 and 1930s, Bock rose to the rank of Inspector and was awarded numerous favourable records. In January 1927, he was awarded a favourable record for ‘good work performed in conjunction with other Police in connection with the arrest and conviction of Harry Collins; William Hy Power; etc., for the theft of £145 from QN Bank, Brisbane.[v] In 1932, Sub Inspector Bock was granted a reward of £25 by the Arson Award Agreement for good work, in conjunction with other Police in connection with the conviction of Mrs Jane Campbell for arson at Bowen Hills.[vi]
November 1939, Inspector F.M. O’Driscoll, Inspector A. Bock, Policewoman Eileen O’Donnell, Chief Inspector J.E. Toohill, Senior Sergeant H. O’Brien (president of the Police Union), Sub-Inspector J. Bookless photographed with Mr C.H. Greaves, manager of the Tivoli Theatre, at a private screening of movie “Undercover Doctor” (adapted from the book “Persons in Hiding” by J. Edgar Hoover). Image PM1480 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Inspector Bock retired from the Queensland Police on 10 September 1943.
Brisbane Courier, 9 Sep 1943, p. 4
Arthur and Annie Bock went on to have five children: Ronald Atkinson Bock, Dulcie Jean Peterson (neé Bock), Olga Ruth Lang, Lillian Edith McIver, Hurtle Arthur Bock.
Norma Morris and Dulcie Peterson (nee Bock) entering a Taxi. Donated By Dulcie Peterson. Image PM2730 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Dulcie Jean, born on 22 August 1920, joined the Queensland Police as a probationary Policewoman (19WP) in March 1946, her appointment was confirmed a year later. Until 1970s, PWs did not carry weapons or had full powers of arrest and retained a probationary status for the entire duration of employment in the force.
CIB Memo, 11 Mar 1946. AF5496, QSA.
Prior to joining the police, Dulcie served for 3 years and 10 months as a Sergeant Stenographer in the Australian Women’s Army Service during the Second World War, based out of Land Headquarters in Melbourne. She married Constable Victor Henry Peterson in 1948 and resigned from the force in August 1950.
Group of policewomen at Muriel Beresford’s wedding (married to become Muriel Bath), May 1948. L-R: Eileen F.E. Taylor (married – Todhunter); Mary Spence (married – Nesbitt); Laura Frisch; Joan McKenna; Dulcie Bock (married Peterson). Donated by Dulcie Peterson. Image PM 2729 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
Arthur Albert Bock died on 11 May 1966 from cerebral haemorrhage at the Repatriation Hospital, Greenslopes.
Queensland Police and the Great War Effort, is a project by Dr Anastasia Dukova, a policing historian, which connects personal, police and war service stories and histories of the Queensland Policemen who left active police duty to volunteer in the Australian Imperial Force.
[i] Netherlands, Genealogie Online Trees Index, 1000-2015.
[ii] Register of Members of the Queensland Police, 1895-1917 and 1879-1924.
[iii] NAA B2455.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] QPG Jan 1927, QP Service History
[vi] QP Service History
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This information was researched and written for the Police Museum Blog by Police Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT – Queensland Police ANZACs: Inspector Arthur Albert Bock (10 September 1883-11 May 1966)” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode