Courtesy of www.rememberthefallen.co.uk
BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / War Memorials(WM) – Evesham. Lloyds Bank War Memorial / Oswestry School
EDUCATION – Oswestry Grammar School
JOB – Bank Clerk
UNIT – 10 Bn Worcestershire Regiment
RANK – Private 204284
THEATRE – Kaiser Offensive / Battle of the Aisne. Lhery. 10 Bn Worcestershire Regiment. 30 May 1918.
DIED – KIA 18 June 1918. Aged 33.
BURIED – Jonchery sur Vesle (CWGC)
Henry Marsden Bull was born in 1884 at Oswestry. He was the son of John Christopher Bull, a solicitor in the town, and Mary Louisa Bull. He was the second youngest of 7 children with 2 brothers and 4 sisters. In 1891 the family was living at 3 Belgrave Place, Salop Road and by 1901 had moved to Cae Glas House, Church Street and adjacent to the Memorial Gates. Henry attended Oswestry Grammar School. By 1911 Henry was living as a boarder 52 Port Street, Evesham where he was working a bank clerk for Lloyds Bank. Hiis parents were still at Cae Glas House – next door to the Lloyds branch in Oswestry. In 1912 Henry married Louisa Thomas at Knighton, they would have a son, Maxwell M Bull born in 1914. They would live at Evesham at 35 Burford Road – his widow would come to live at Picton Place, Oswestry after the war.
Henry enlisted at Evesham joining the Worcestershire Regiment – he started in 2/8 Bn, a training unit, and was then posted to 10 Bn Worcs. Rgt. It is not known when he first went over to France. Henry was listed as missing since 28 May 1918 and subsequently declared dead on 18 June 1918. His battalion had been in action during Operation Georgette, Kaiser Offensive and had then been transferred to the quieter Soisson area for what was supposed to be a rest period, however they were caught up in Operation Blucher-Yorck and the enemy advance along the River Aisne. The battalion fought a series of actions between 29-31 May at Lephry near to Reims.
His body was recovered by French troops who buried him at Ecueil Farm, at that time his grave was marked as ‘Un Anglais Inconnu Worcestershire’ (English, unknown). His body was exhumed after the war to be reinterred at Jonchery sur Vesle British Cemetery in 1922. At that time he was identified by his name inscribed on a groundsheet found amongst his equipment with his body. His headstone, chosen by his widow Louisa reads ‘All you had hoped for, all you had you gave to save mankind’, the address is given as Mrs L Bull, 66 Picton Terrace, Oswestry. Henry is also commemorated on the Evesham War memorial as well as on the Lloyds Bank War Memorial. and you can find him in the Lloyds Bank Memorial Album. He is also commemorated on Oswestry School War Memorial.
Acknowledgements. www.rememberthefallen.co.uk
END