Name
Arthur William Bull
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/11/1914
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
9285
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BISHOP'S STORTFORD OLD CEMETERY
A.18.12
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
OUT OF THE RANKS THEY MISS YOU, NOW IN THE GRAVE YOU LIE, PIERCED BY DEADLY BULLETT, YOU FOR YOUR COUNTRY DIED
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial, All Saints' Church Memorial(s), Hockerill
Pre War
Arthur William Bull was born in Bishop's Stortford in 1890 to Arthur Bull, a bricklayer, and Alice (nee Bird). He was baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Bishop's Stortford on 30 Nov 1890.
On the 1891 Census Arthur was living with his parents and his mother’s sister Maude Bird (born 1882) at Jarvis Road, Bishop Stortford.
The family of parents, Arthur, Alice (born 1896) and May (born 1899) were living in Trinity Street, Bishop's Stortford on the 1901 Census.
Arthur enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 9285 sometime in 1908 (Serial Number 9340 was issued 7 Aug 1908).
On the 1911 Census he is shown as already being a Private in the 2nd Beds Regiment serving on the Bermuda & Jamaica Station.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Arthur. He was serving in South Africa at Roberts Heights, Pretoria at the outbreak of the Great War and returned to England with his Battalion on 19 Sep 1914. After re-equipment two trainloads of the 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regiment left on two ships, SS Winfredian and SS Cornishman between 4 and 6 Oct 1914, landing at Zeebrugge on 7 Oct 1914, part of 7 Division.
The Division marched to join the BEF and by 18 Oct were in positions at Ypres on the Menin Road where they came under enemy rifle and shrapnel for the first time in the War. On 9 Nov 1914 the Battalion was ordered forward to hold a wood on the Ghelevelt/Zandvooorde Road but had to withdraw under heavy shelling and risk of being surrounded. It may have been in this action or other periods under shelling in the Front Line that Arthur was wounded. Following his repatriation to UK and he was sent to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Southampton, Hampshire where he later died on 12 Nov 1914. At some time during his service he had been promoted to Corporal.
Arthur is named as A E on Hockerill memorials.
Additional Information
His father Arthur received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £8 16s 5d.
Arthur's headstone (not CWGC) bears the inscription:
"IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON CORPL. ARTHUR BULL DIED OF WOUNDS RECEIVED
AT YPRES BELGIUM NOV 12TH 1914, AGE 24 YEARS.
OUT OF THE RANKS THEY MISS YOU,
NOW IN THE GRAVE YOU LIE,
PIERCED BY DEADLY BULLET,
YOU FOR YOUR COUNTRY DIED."
A later inscription refers to his parents, who may also be buried in the grave.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
