Alfred Bullard

WWI Roll of Honour

By Lynette Wray

Alfred Bullard

Military History:        

Regiment:                              
Suffolk Regiment

Rank:                                     
Lance Corporal

Service Number:                    
5655

Date of Enlisting:                            
4.8.1914 

Date of death:                        
3.1976

Cemetery/ Memorial:            
Not known

UK Cemetery/Memorial:      
St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour

Alfred enlisted with the Suffolk Regiment in about 1901. He served in the South African (2nd Boer War) with the 1st Battalion, Regimental Number 5655. He served with various battalions during his military service.

The 1911 census shows Alfred, a farm labourer, living in Bygrave with his wife and son, but when WWI broke out Alfred enlisted with his brothers with the Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Battalion. The Battalion mobilised and went to the Western European Theatre of War, France and Flanders, where they engaged in The Battle of Mons, the retreat, and The Battle of Le Cateau. Alfred was wounded four times but survived the War and returned home.

Alfred was entitled to the King’s South African War Medal with the Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, and 1902 clasps. He was also awarded the British War Medal, the 1914 Star with Mons clasp, the Victory Medal, and ‘clasp and roses’ emblem for mention in dispatches, and the Silver War Badge

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

Family History:

Date of Birth:               
19.2.1884

Birth Place:                            
Thriplow, Cambridgeshire

Residence:                    
Bygrave, Hertfordshire

Marriage:                     
9.4.1910

Alfred was the second son of Samuel and Ruth (nee Hayden), born at Thriplow, Cambridgeshire on 19th February 1884.  He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell. Before enlisting he was a farm labourer. 

Alfred married Emily Jane Wilkins on 9th April 1910 at Ashwell.  They had two sons, Ernest Arthur born 28 August 1910, and Edward Russell Charles born 28th March 1912.

Alfred died at North Buckinghamshire in March 1976.

Five of Alfred’s brothers served in the War. All survived but two brothers, Albert and Eli, were captured by the Germans at Cateau in May 1914 and spent the War in Doebritz Prisoner of War Camp. His brother Frederick, an agricultural labourer, was unfit for war and remained on the farm. His father, Samuel, served with the Hertfordshire Territorial Force and was billeted at home.

Commentary:

Royston Crow,, 28 Oct 1918Lance-Corpl, Alfred Bullard  (top left hand corner),  of the Suffolk Regiment, second son, served through the South African War, and has seen four years’ service in France.  He has the Mons Ribbon, and been mentioned in despatches.  He has been wounded four times, the last about seven months ago.