Bullock George Henry 6918

SAPPER GEORGE HENRY BULLOCK 6918 – 2nd Tunnelling Company

Born 16 January 1884 at Cradley Heath, Staffordshire, England, George was 32 years and 10 months of age when he signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 24 November 1916 at Brisbane, Queensland. He stated that he was a Miner of Booval, Ipswich.

A medical examination on the same day found George to be fit for active service. It recorded that he was 5ft 3in tall, weighed 125 lbs; he had a medium complexion with blue eyes and brown hair.

George Henry Bullock had married Ellen Harris in Queensland on 6 March 1912 and he named her as his Next of Kin, recording her address as Stafford Street, Booval. George allotted three-fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and two children.

Between 27 November and 22 December George underwent some basic training at the 11th Depot Battalion. On 22 December he was transferred to the Miners (1st M.D.) and on 9 January 1917 he left Queensland for the Miners Reinforcements training camp at Seymour, Victoria.

On 27 February 1917 he was appointed to the February Reinforcements – Tunnelling Companies. The 168 member Reinforcements embarked on HMAT A9 Shropshire from Melbourne on 11 May 1917 and voyaged via Fremantle, Western Australia, Durban and Capetown in South Africa before disembarking at Plymouth, England on 19 July 1917, where the Tunnellers entrained for the training camp at Parkhouse.

During the 70-day voyage, George had been caught gambling on 29 June and was awarded 14 days C.B. (Confined to Barracks). He spent two of those days in George and Ellen Bullock and their the ships hospital, from 6 to 8 July, the reason is not recorded. children, Ester and Dorrie

He marched into the No.5 Group Training Battalion at the Parkhouse camp on 26 July. George took a little leave from 2400 hours on 16 August until 1630 hours on 17 August, but the Army considered him to have been Absent without Leave and he forfeited 4 days pay.

He proceeded overseas to France on 18 August and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot. On 2 September he was attached to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company where he was taken on strength on 27 September.

On 17 October George reported to 1/1 East London Field Ambulance suffering a sprained left knee. He was transferred to 36 Casualty Clearing Station on 22 October and on 24 October he was again transferred to the 2nd C.S.H. George was then evacuated to England on 30 October on the Hospital Ship Jan Breydal and admitted to Woodlands VAD Hospital at Liverpool. He was discharged to furlough on 28 December 1917, to return on 11 January 1918 to No.1 Com. Depot, Sutton Veny. On 16 January he reported sick to the Group Clearing Hospital at Sutton Veny and was discharged back to No.1 Com. Depot on 2 February. He marched in to the Overseas Training Brigade, also located at Sutton Veny, on 1 April 1918.

George again proceeded overseas to France on 9 April 1918, arriving at the A.G.B.D on 10 April and re- joining his unit on 19 April. On 29 September 1918 he was wounded in action (mustard gas) and treated at the 132nd Field Ambulance before being transferred to the 41st Casualty Clearing Station on the same day. He travelled by Ambulance Train 4 on 30 September and on 1 October he was admitted to 5th General Hospital at Rouen.

On 7 October he was transferred to England on Hospital Ship Grantully Castle and admitted to the 2nd Southern Hospital, Bristol, on 8 October with “severe gas shell wound to his neck”.

He was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford on 28 November and discharged to furlough on 10 December, returning to No.4 Com. Depot at Dartford on 27 December. He was re-located to No.2 Com. Depot at Weymouth on 31 December in preparation for his repatriation.

George left London 24 March 1919 on the Czar, was transhipped to the Dongola at Alexandria on 10 April and disembarked in 1st Military District on 16 May 1919, thence by Transport to the 3rd Military District

He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 21 June 1919 in 1st Military District, entitled to wear the British War Medal (29128) and the Victory Medal (27808).

ELECTORAL ROLLS of Queensland record: BULLOCK, George Henry 1913 Booval, miner A studio portrait of George Bullock while serving 1919 Booval, miner in the AIF in the Tunnelling Coys. The 1925 Stafford Street, Booval miner & wife Ellen photograph was taken in France and was sent back to his family as a post card. In the 1936 Mill Street, Booval miner photograph George is sitting at a table writing a letter while thinking about his family, who are His Military records were sent to the Department of seen in the top right hand side of the photograph. Repatriation, Brisbane in February 1944.

It is known from his Military records that in 1948 his address was still Mill Street, Booval, Ipswich.

Queensland Birth, Death & Marriages record the death of George Henry Bullock, the son of Isaiah Bullock & Ellen (nee Furley), on 11 September 1948.

The Queensland Times (Ipswich) on Monday September 12, 1948 reported the following notice:

DEATH NOTICE BULLOCK—On September 11, George Henry Bullock, formerly Stafford-street, Booval, aged 64 years. Interred at Ipswich Cemetery, Yesterday (Sunday) Afternoon. G. BOTTCHER & SON Funeral Director

Note: the two images on this page are included with the kind permission of Picture Ipswich, Ipswich City Council. SAPPER THOMAS BULLOCK 9529 – 2nd Tunnelling Company

Born 20 September 1879 in Cradley Heath, Staffordshire, England, Thomas Bullock signed the Attestation Paper, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, on 13 September 1917 at Maryborough, Queensland. A medical examination, also at Maryborough on 13 September, found him to be fit for active service.

Thomas was 5ft 1in tall and weighed 120lbs. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. It was noted that his sight was RD12 and LD18. A single miner aged 38, he gave his address as the Torbanlea Hotel, Torbanlea, Queensland and named as his Next of Kin his mother, Mrs Ellen Bullock of 10 Hollybrush Street, Cradley Heath, Staffordshire, England.

On 15 September Thomas was recommended for discharge as ‘medically unit for further service’, possible because of his eyesight. This was cancelled on the same day by the Camp Adjutant with the annotation ‘Character Good’.

Thomas spent the period 15 September to 27 October at No.1 (Depot) Battalion, Broadmeadows, Victoria, before being transferred to the ‘Miners’ on 27 October. On 19 December he was sent to the Tunnellers training camp at Seymour, Victoria

Officially appointed to Tunnelling Coys Reinforcements at Broadmeadows on 25 February 1918, Thomas embarked from Melbourne on 28 February 1918 on board HMAT A71 Nestor with the 61-member Reinforcements for the Tunnelling Companies already in France and Belgium. The voyage via Colon, Panama; Newport News, USA and Halifax, Nova Scotia, arrived at Liverpool, England on 19 April after 51 days at sea. The Tunnellers entrained at Liverpool for their camp at Parkhouse, arriving there on 20 April 1918.

Thomas proceeded overseas to France on 14 May, marching in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) at Rouelles on 15 May. On 20 May he was transferred to the Australian Corps Depot, then to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company where he was taken on strength on the same day.

He reported sick on 7 July and was admitted to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station suffering influenza. He was transferred to the 4th Army Corps Depot on 11 July and rejoined his unit on 21 July.

He again reported sick on 26 July and was diagnosed with Hypermetropia (farsightedness) at the 12th Casualty Clearing Station before being admitted to the 3rd General Hospital at Le Treport on the same day. On 31 July he marched in to the AGBD and on 8 August he was transferred to England.

On 9 August at the Clearing Hospital, Weymouth his vision in his right eye was assessed as 6/60 with floating vitreous opacities; and his left eye as 6/60 with hypermetropia astigmatism. At No.2 A.C.D., Westham on 12 August, he was assessed as having defective vision originating prior to enlistment and that he had always had poor sight.

Thomas left London on 20 October 1918 on board Borda for his return to Australia, arriving in Sydney on 19 December 1918.

An examination at 6th Australian General Hospital, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane on 10 January 1919 confirmed the early assessment of his defective vision.

He was discharged in Queensland on 20 February 1919 as ‘medically unfit’, entitled to wear the British War Medal (32932) and the Victory Medal (30851).

Three brothers arrived in Queensland on 14 February 1906 on the Ophir - George Henry (20), Joseph (18) and Thomas (28).

Two other brothers came out but not through Queensland Assisted Immigration – Samuel and William Bullock (sons of Isiah & Ellen Turley/Furley)

Queensland deaths show sons of Isiah & Ellen to be: Samuel died 21 August 1953; William died 7 September 1932; George Henry died 11 September 1948.