John Edward Bullock was born in 1887 at Morda, Oswestry. He was the youngest son of William and Agnes Bullock, his father was a general labourer and gardener. He had 6 siblings; Mary, (who died in 1907) William, Sarah, Agnes, Amy and Eva, (who died as a baby in 1894).  The family lived at Bryn Morda Cottages in Morda. By 1911 John had moved away and was living as a boarder at 13 Mardy Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil. He was single and working as a Platelayer for GWR. He later moved to Bristol – one of the main operations bases for GWR – and was living on Bannerman Road. There he seems to have met his future wife, Florence Caple, a domestic servant working in one of the houses further up the road. They married on Boxing Day 1912 and very soon afterwards moved back to Merthyr. They would have two girls, Amy born in 1914 and Florence in 1916. He was now working as a stoker or fireman, again for GWR. After the war his widow moved back to Bristol her home town, she re married in 1920. John’s mother and father were living at Rosedale on Sweeney Road, Oswestry.

John enlisted at Cardiff on 26 May 1917. He joined 3 Bn Royal Welsh, a training unit which at the time was based at Redcar, Yorkshire. He stayed there until November, being confined to barracks for 3 days for refusing to obey an order during his stay. He was then posted to 24 Bn Welsh Regiment and went out on 26 December 1917 to join the battalion in Egypt. There he spent time in hospital at Alexandra suffering from diarrhoea. On 1 May 1918 the battalion left Alexandra bound for Marseilles and then entrained to arrive near Abbeville on the 12 May.

They spent the next 2 months in the area around Bethune in the rear and support working on training, trench familiarisation and working parties. John spent another brief period in hospital. At the beginning of August the battalion went up to the front spending tours in the reserve and front lines in the Robecq sector north of Bethune. John was KIA on 20 August 1918. As the enemy began its withdrawal in mid-August, the battalion was ordered to follow them. On 20 August, at 8am they were ordered to advance and establish a new line. The objective was gained by 1pm, casualties were light, 7 other ranks were wounded, John Bullock was the only fatality.  He was buried at St Venant-Robecq Road British Cemetery. He is also commemorated at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry but recorded as Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Acknowledgements.

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