Arthur Ernest Bullock

Arthur was born at Notting Hill, London, on Tuesday 26th February 1889, eldest son of Joseph Ernest and Ada Eliza Bullock, of 86 West Hill, St. Leonards-on-Sea. He had a brother and sister, Gerald Frank and Eva Ada. Arthur was educated at Colet Court followed by St Paul’s School where he was both a Junior and Senior Scholar, Captain of both gymnastics and swimming, in 1907 he shared the Public Schools Championship Shield for Gymnastics at Aldershot, Hampshire. He left St Paul’s with a Leaving Exhibition to study medicine. Arthur qualified as a doctor at St Mary’s Hospital where he was a member of their football and swimming teams. With some friends he established the St Paul’s Mission at King’s Cross. He was engaged to Miss Elizabeth Cox. Arthur was an ardent Freemason and was a member of No 2682 Sancta Maria Lodge.
At the outbreak of war Arthur left London University and volunteered and was gazetted on Monday 10th August, and went out to France. He was promoted Captain in September 1915.
Arthur served in France for a short period before he was appointed to the Battalion. He joined them in Courcelles on Thursday 1st October 1914 after the Battalion had ended their service on the Aisne. Arthur was accompanied by Captains Bentley and Corcoran accompanied by Lieutenants Wrigley, Draper, Williams, Sharp and Shawyer who were welcomed by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Patrick Amyatt Hull. Over the next five days Arthur was able to get to know his fellow officers and the men as they moved each day then entrained for Abbeville on Tuesday 6th. Upon arrival the Battalion marched to billets in Haut Villiers. A series of marches, transport on motor lorries finally took the Battalion to Vieille Chapelle at 7.00am on Monday 12th. They were immediately sent into action and Arthur’s work began. Major Gerald Wilson Bentley (who was with Arthur when they arrived in Courcelles), Lieutenant Sidney Harcourt Coles, 2nd Lieutenant Gordon Morse, Lieutenant Claude Davis Sneath, Lieutenant Harold Arthur Tagg, and Captain Cecil Falconer Tulloh were killed with sixteen men. They all lie together in Vieille Chapelle New Military Cemetery, Lacouture. Despite Arthur’s best efforts many of the above died of terrible wounds and he had his hands full with dealing with the large number of wounded that flooded in as the Battalion engaged the enemy at Croix Barbee.
The Battalion was relieved on Friday 16th and all ranks were delighted to get some rest. The action in northern France was fierce and fluid so the Battalion was constantly moving and each time they saw action heavy casualties were taken. By the end of the month the majority of the officers who were with Arthur when he joined the Battalion were dead or wounded.
The Battalion was in the trenches at Fauquissart as the battle in that area in Flanders ground to a stalemate. The Battalion continued to fight on but much time was spent digging in. From Sunday 25th a number of drafts of officers and men began to arrive to replace the dead and wounded. As the front line quietened down so did Arthur’s work. Late on Saturday 31st the Battalion was relieved to billets near Rue Baquerot then returned to the trenches on Monday 2nd November in support.
In the early evening of Saturday 7th the Battalion marched to Le Touret where they went into reserve with the Lahore Division, then worked with the Meerut Division. Casualties soon mounted and Arthur was dealing with not only men from his own Battalion but wounded Indian troops whom they were serving with. At 8.00am on Sunday 15th Arthur marched with the Battalion to billets in the bustling behind the lines town of Bailleul. Upon arrival he was busy dealing with the men who had suffered with sore feet during the march. General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien addressed the Battalion early the next day and after the parade Colonel Hull bade farewell to his officers and men as he left them to take command of the 10th Infantry Brigade. Major Henry Storr was appointed to the command (he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, awarded the DSO; he died on Thursday 15th August 1918 and is buried in Matfield (St Luke) Churchyard, Brenchley, Kent).
Under their new commander the Battalion marched off at 2.00pm for Belgium, at 11.00pm they arrived in Wulverghem to go into the trenches in front of the village. As soon as they arrived in the village a shell exploded and wounded seven men — as in their arrival in northern France, Arthur was in action from the moment he arrived. Each day there were wounded or sick men to deal with who were suffering in increasing numbers each day due to the conditions at the front. Arthur moved with the Battalion to Neuve Eglise on Tuesday 24th where it refitted and on Thursday 26th General William Hely Bowes inspected the Battalion then addressed the parade. A short march on Friday 27th took Arthur to billets in Westoutre during the afternoon and ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies were able to get a hot bath in the asylum in Bailleul and wash their filthy clothing. ‘A’ Company were issued with fur waistcoats that would keep them much warmer when in the line. The other Companies were disappointed that no waistcoats were given to them but perked up the next morning when the rest of the supply arrived and was issued. The men were detailed to assist in clearing over three inches of mud from the roads in the village that was making marching, and the movement of vehicles, difficult.
A further short march took Arthur to billets in Loker on Monday 30th where the Battalion was on ten minute notice to support the front line. Two drafts had arrived within a few days of each other so two hundred and fifty men had to be assimilated into the Battalion. This also gave Arthur additional work checking on their medical records et al. The new men had a few days together mingling and getting to know their battle-hardened comrades before going into the front line. During the morning of Thursday 3rd December all ranks were informed of the visit of HM King George at 1.15pm. Arthur lined the road as the King drove through the village. At 4.00pm the Battalion began the march to the trenches where they relieved the South Lancashire Regiment and the Gordon Highlanders. It was a particularly quiet tour of duty where only a few shells were fired on them during the three days before he was relieved and marched to Westoutre. For once Arthur did not have to deal with ghastly wounds but he did have a lot of work to do looking after the sick, particularly getting to know ‘trench foot’!
From Monday 7th to Sunday 13th the Battalion trained and relaxed, undertook a number of route marches and enjoyed some sporting events. At 3.00am on Monday 14th they went into the line in front of Kemmel. At 3.45pm the Battalion supported an attack by the Gordon Highlanders before taking over the front line from them. A number of casualties were sustained during the action. After only forty-hours at the front the Battalion was relieved to billets in Loker.
Another tour of duty at Kemmel followed, where Arthur had to look after a wounded German prisoner, then returned to billets in Westoutre on Tuesday 22nd where Christmas was celebrated. Stories of the Christmas Truce began to circulate before they returned to the line on Sunday 27th for the last time that year. The front was quiet active and during the bright moonlit night of Monday 28th quite a few of the Battalion were killed or wounded. Late on New Year’s Eve the Battalion was relieved and was able to celebrate, tempered however by the memory of the many comrades who did not return to their billets with the Battalion. Arthur was kept busy after the men returned dealing with many suffering with frostbite; forty-six being sent to hospital.
The Battalion continued on tours of duty between Kemmel and Vierstraat over the ensuing weeks. Arthur’s work was constant but when the Battalion was out of the line he gave lectures to the men, such as on Thursday 4th February 1915 when he addressed ‘C’ Company in a camp at La Clytte on the use of field dressings. This was repeated to ‘D’ Company the next day.
The Battalion welcomed Major George Augustus Bridgman to the command on Friday 26th February whilst they were in camp in La Clytte. Two days later Arthur accompanied other members of the Battalion Headquarters to enjoy a hot bath and a good clean up. Two hundred and ninety men lined up on Sunday 7th March as Arthur organised each one of them to be inoculated, and the next day a further one hundred and seventy were under the needle!
Arthur wrote home from the front: “It seems extraordinary that we should be desolating everything, and except for a few forcible reminders, at times it is difficult to realise that war is really in progress. The birds sing just the same, though heavy firing and bursting shells surprise them continually. Only yesterday morning I saw a robin singing merrily away in a place where a terrific shell explosion had rent the air only a few seconds before.”
In the early hours of Wednesday 10th March the Battalion returned to the front line as the Battle of Neuve Chapelle was about to be launched. Major Bridgman received the order before the relief: “Second Army orders that every endeavour should be made during the next 24 hours to create impression on enemy on our front that he is going to be attacked.
Corps Commander desires particular activity to be shown along whole front tonight especially against any working parties repairing damage done by recent bombardments.”
As a result Major Bridgman ordered:
   (i)   a new communication trench dug and the old one
      cleaned out;
   (ii)   wooden gratings put at intervals over a disused French
      trench to resemble bridges by aeroplane observation;
   (iii)   2 gaps made in wire in Battalion frontage as if to attack
      through;
   (iv)   Trench Commanders starting back at a given time (5
      a.m.) as if to direct reinforcements up.
Contrary to all expectations the tour of duty was extremely quiet.
In mid-April rumours began to spread of an expected German attack to the north of the Salient, but nothing happened. A week later, that changed. The Battalion was put on half an hour’s notice at 6.00pm on Thursday 22nd April as the German attack began to the north, but at this stage nobody knew that poison gas had been deployed. Some news did filter in the next morning: “Apparently the French had been greatly alarmed by the asphyxiating gases which the Germans had let loose on them from their trenches and had given way losing a lot of ground and some guns and leaving the British left flank in the air which held out until forced to retire owing to lack of ammunition.”
The Battalion returned to the trenches not fully realising that a tremendous battle was in progress that would develop into The Second Battle of Ypres. It became clear on Saturday 24th that something serious was afoot when a tremendous bombardment began to the left of the Battalion’s position. Reports now began to filter in: “Report timed 1pm states 3rd Canadian Division is holding a line through N edge of St Julien its right has given way a little. Enemy of all arms marching south through Keerstleare. Our own reserves are well up. Heavy fighting probable.”
In the early evening a message arrived: “Following was situation at 2pm. North of Ypres Germans pressing strong attack about St Julien and Fortuin and are said to have met with some success. Counter-attack being organised. York & Durham Brigade and 10th Infantry Brigade concentrating in the area N & NE of Wieltje. Cavalry Corps report 1.30pm French attack on Lizerne postponed owing to non-arrival of troops. 1st Cavalry Division in support. Remainder of Cavalry Corps in reserve. Two remaining Bdes of Northumbrian Div supporting 5th Corps but still west of Ypres. 11th Infantry Brigade moving to area S.E. of Poperinghe. S&E of Ypres situation unchanged.”
At 10.40pm: “Air reconnaissance 6.35 to 7pm reports Warneton 5MT and one company inf going to Gapard. Messines clear and Wytschaete 2MT entering and 5 leaving to east. Otherwise all clear.”
Work for the Battalion continued as normal but everyone was a little more nervous wondering if the attacks would begin in their sector. During a period of shelling the Dressing Station was hit on Wednesday 28th, however, during the build up of the bombardment it was clear that it was to be targeted by heavier shells so everyone had been evacuated before the damage was done. A new position for the Dressing Station was quickly established.
Arthur marched out of ‘Rosenhill Huts’ at 1.30pm on Thursday 6th May as the Battalion went into the line near Hill 60 that had just been taken by the enemy. It was now relatively quiet but the shelling caused its usual problems and Arthur had to patch up Major Bridgman who was slightly wounded but refused to leave his post. A number of respirators arrived on Saturday 8th to be distributed to the men in the firing line, they were not particularly effective but better than holding a piece of cloth over the nose and mouth. The artillery scored a direct hit on a German ammunition dump behind Hill 60 on Wednesday 12th that went up with a huge explosion, followed by another as a second dump was set alight in the railway cutting. Lieutenant Thomas Boden received special praise for his excellent work with the 3.7in trench mortars that put the enemy to flight on the Hill. As the Germans fled the Battalion machine gunners took account of a good number that then littered the battlefield.
Captains Greenway, Meyler, Rowley and 2nd Lieutenant Clacham went via the Lille Gate on Tuesday 25th moving along the Menin Road to reconnoitre the trenches where the Battalion would be serving. It was a somewhat fruitless task as when the party arrived there was nothing to view as the trenches were yet to be dug! The next morning, at 10.15am, a number of experts (both officers and men) arrived to instruct the Battalion on the use of respirators. They examined the respirators that had already been issued to the Battalion only to find that most of them were of no use whatsoever so more were immediately ordered that arrived in the afternoon. At 7.30pm the Battalion paraded and, with the Brigade, marched from Ypres, through the Lille Gate, passing ‘Hell Fire Corner’ to the level crossing from where they moved forward to the trenches. The men began digging in and improving the trenches as the Germans were doing the same only yards ahead of them. The trench system was under constant development and expansion with new support and communication trenches under construction. Arthur’s stretcher bearers went out to collect a number of wounded from the Welsh Regiment who lay in No Man’s Land. Many of the poor men had been lying there for days waiting without pain killers, food or water, for comfort and rescue. It must have been an even grimmer task than normal for Arthur dealing with the poor souls who were in such dreadful condition.
The Battalion sent an officer from each Company, on Thursday 10th June, who selected one of the men whom he considered to be influential amongst his peers, to attend a special demonstration and instruction of smoke helmets and respirators. Later in the day the officers mess welcomed 2nd Lieutenants Philip Moses Marks (who died on Wednesday 29th September and is commemorated on the Menin Gate), Goring and Butterfield who joined the Battalion. A few days later, on Saturday 19th they were in action in front of Hooge before being relieved to the ramparts in Ypres and onto Vlamertinghe on Sunday 20th. During the action over four hundred and fifty men were passed back wounded.
2nd Lieutenants Bambridge and Ronald Ochs (see below) joined the Battalion the next day and were posted to ‘C’ and ‘B’ companies respectively. Whilst in camp a Brigade Sports Competition was held nearby on Wednesday 23rd that was enjoyed by everyone. A Boxing Competition was held on Friday 2nd July that Arthur attended and cheered on the members of the Battalion who were competing.
The Battalion continued training until marching to Hooge on Monday 12th. Many of the men were employed digging a communication trench from the light railway to ‘Zouave Wood’.
General Sir Edmund Allenby visited the Battalion on Wednesday 4th August and following the inspection addressed the parade congratulating the men on their good work whilst serving at Hooge. The Battalion returned to front near ‘Sanctuary Wood’ on Sunday 8th where the next day an attack was made at Hooge.
At 2.45am on Monday 9th a forty-five minute bombardment was laid on the German trenches that was followed by an attack. A series of messages came through to Headquarters:
“Right attack succeeded, left attack progressing. Some prisoners taken. Germans reported to be bringing up reinforcements by train from Wervicq and Passchendaele.”
“Situation at Hooge appears to be that attacks of 16th and 18th Brigades have succeeded. They have taken German trenches as far north as the crater where the two brigades are in touch. They are now consolidating themselves on this line.”
“139th is in direct touch with 18th brigade. 6th Division report that prisoners state that their battalion has been badly knocked about both today and during previous bombardments which appears very satisfactory. Brigades are now digging in on the line C1, C2, C3, C4 north of crater to somewhere between G19 & 20. 16th Brigade report that they are worried by bombers from Ecluse HF presumably our bombers are working forward on our left. First Howitzer Brigade R.F.A. reports 8.15am seventeen inch shell just arrived and moat road by I.13.3.6 has disappeared, traffic impossible.”
“Very heavy German bombardment of Zouave Wood and captured trenches in progress. About 9 officers and 300 men casualties in Durhams and about the same in Second Sherwoods.”
“127 prisoners including 3 officers have reached advanced divisional H.Q. include men of two battalions 126th Regiment and one battalion of 132nd Regt. Many prisoners killed by shells in coming back. Bombers have pushed up to trench junction I.12.e.9.3.”
“Hostile shelling again heavy and some companies greatly reduced in strength. After rendering portion of trench untenable. Enemy have obtained footing between Durhams and Sherwoods. Our artillery now shelling them. 18th Brigade report counter-attack coming from Chateau Wood between Chateau and main road.”
‘Hooge Crater’ remained in British hands but the ruins of the stables at Hooge Château were lost as was part of the line that had been captured. As the fierce action continued the Battalion undertook fatigues whilst Arthur’s expertise was put to good use tending the wounded. He was in his Dressing Station on Saturday 21st when a German mine was blown at St Eloi, despite it being over a mile away the ground shook quite violently.
General Sir Herbert Plumer came to inspect the Battalion on Wednesday 1st September whilst they were in ‘Dickebusch Huts’ undertaking training. The Battalion remained training or out on fatigues until moving to casements in the ramparts of Ypres on Sunday 12th from where salvaging parties went out to the battlefield at Hooge and collected anything that could be made serviceable. Battalion Headquarters moved into the Rue de Lille with ‘B’ Company moving close by in the ruins of the post office and convent. Whilst the men were working on salvage two were killed and three wounded by the same German sniper who was using a British rifle. The Battalion snipers were sent out to investigate and found the enemy thirty feet up a tree but he was not despatched.
The Battle of Loos began on Saturday 25th and a diversionary action took place at Hooge. At 3.50am a bombardment was laid down on the German line for fifteen minutes that was then followed by an attack. The Battalion was at the rear in reserve. For Arthur, it was the same as if they were in the front line. From 6.30am until 8.30am large numbers of prisoners and the wounded streamed down the communication trenches to the rear until they were destroyed by shellfire.
At 5.30pm the Battalion was ordered into the line and they worked all night improving the position. Considerable action was seen by the men at close quarters when bombers met bombers, patrols met patrols and the artillery kept up a steady, regular bombardment. Early on Sunday 26th 2nd Lieutenant Ochs was killed and Arthur died when hit by a stray bullet whilst at the ‘dumping ground’.
The Chaplain, Reverend Crisford, an old school friend who buried him, wrote: “There has been an attack made by our brigade lately, and while Arthur was going to attend to a wounded man he was shot through the head and killed instantly. I can’t tell you how grieved we all are at this loss, and I hope you will allow me to sympathize with you, as I have known and loved Arthur for many years. We were boys at camp together at Studland before he left St. Paul’s School and several times since then. Arthur had won his way into the hearts of both officers and men in the regiment, and all who have spoken of him have testified to their admiration for him. … I buried him at 2.15 yesterday at Brandhoek, and though the battalion was in the trenches, there was a large attendance of transport men, and also doctors and orderlies from the Field Ambulance. It was a most impressive service. He was carried from the dressing station to the cemetery on the shoulders of Middlesex sergeants, led by the drum and fife band playing the ‘Dead March’ from ‘Saul’.”
Colonel Whaite wrote: “I feel your son’s loss very much. I had seen a good deal of him and his work, and I looked upon him as one of my best officers. He never spared himself, and it was most unfortunate that he should have been killed by a stray bullet after he had passed unscathed through the big fight of the day before.”
Captain Farrow wrote: “After being together for a year I feel I have lost a great friend and a dear comrade. He was one of the most beloved officers in the 4th Middlesex Regt., and was always ready to assist anyone. Nothing was too much trouble to him in looking after the health of the men. … I have seen him after tea deal with 200 men against enteric fever. I have never met a doctor who had his work so much at heart, and who was so much loved in the battalion. A braver soldier never entered a battlefield. He carried out his work without any fear, and though he has had many narrow escapes and terribly hard times in his dug-out, nothing ever upset him.”
One of his men, a stretcher-bearer wrote: “There are many who owe their lives to him, for his self confidence and skill enabled him to attempt dangerous surgical work in the most difficult surrounding?“
Arthur was Mentioned in Despatches on Wednesday 17th February 1915 and Saturday 1st January 1916.
He left an estate of £526 3s 11d.
Arthur’s gravestone inscription reads: “E’en as he trod that day to God so walked he from his birth”.