Bullen, Frederick Percival

No.2296 – Corporal Fred Bullen –

11^th Light Trench Mortar Battery

Frederick Percival Bullen was born in Ipswich Suffolk England to William and Lydia Bullen in 1882. It is unknown at what date he came to Australia but he had served with the 1^st Bedfordshire Royal Engineers for 6 years before being discharged at his own request.

Upon arrival in Western Australia he set up residence with his wife Mary at 123 Hope Street South Fremantle and he found employment locally as a Storeman.

On the 3^rd May 1916 aged 33 Fred enlisted into the AIF and the medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 8 ½ inches in height; weight of 177 lbs; chest measurement of 37-39 inches; fresh complexion; grey eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

Fred was initially sent to No.71 Depot and stayed there till the 20^th June when he was assigned to the 7^th Reinforcements to the 51^st Battalion. He trained with this group in WA till the 4^th September when he was re-assigned to the 4^th Reinforcements to the 43^rd Battalion. The 43^rd Battalion was a South Australian unit but took a few Western Australian reinforcement drafts. He trained in WA with this group until the 28^th October 1916 when he embarked from Fremantle on the transport ship H.M.A.T. “Port Melbourne”, disembarking at Devonport England on the 28^th December 1916. His reinforcement group was marched into the 11^th Training Battalion at Durrington on the Salisbury Plains. The next few months were to be spent training in England. However Fred would end up spending longer in England as he contracted VD and on the 13^th April 1917 was sent to No.1 Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He remained here till the 27^th April when he was transferred to Parkhouse Military Hospital and then on the 2^nd May to No.20 Depot. On the 3^rd May Fred was sent to No.1 Convalescent Camp and then returned to the 11^th Training Battalion at Durrington.

On the 19^th June 1917 Fred left Southampton England and proceeded over to France to join the 43^rd Battalion. After arriving he was sent to the 3^rd Australian Division Base Depot at Rouelles where he stayed from the 20^th June to 8^th July 1917. Fred officially joined up with the 43^rd Battalion near Messines on the 10^th July 1917. His stay with the 43^rd was to be short however as seven days later he was transferred to the 11^th Light Trench Mortar Battery. The 11^th trench mortar battery supported the actions of the 11^th Infantry Brigade and for the next few months was continually in the line in the vicinity of Messines and Warneton. On the 9^th August 1917 Fred was promoted to Corporal.

In September and October 1917 the 11^th Brigade was heavily involved in the Third battle of Ypres though Fred came through unscathed.

On the 3^rd December 1917 he got into trouble for neglecting to obey orders after being caught outside the boundary of camp though was only reprimanded and not punished. For Fred the winter months would be spent in the vicinity of Warneton and the cold months in the line obviously had an effect as on the 11^th February he was evacuated to the 1^st Australian Casualty Clearing Station sick. He spent ten days there and returned to the unit on the 21^st February. On the 4^th March 1917 Fred was granted three weeks leave which he spent in England, rejoining his unit on the 22^nd March 1918.

On his arrival back to his unit he would have found a changed atmosphere as on the 21^st March the Germans broke through the Third and Fifth British Armies and were capturing much territory. The 3^rd Division was sent south to the Somme to try and stop this advance. The 11^th Brigade arrived between Sailly-le-Sec and Sailly-Laurette and helped stop the Germans in this area. Fred and his unit would have provided much needed support for the infantry during this period. The line gradually stabilized and the next few months saw the Australians on the advance.

On July 4^th 1918, the 11^th Brigade took a major part in the capture of Hamel and Fred with his trench mortars were in close support. His wife Mary recorded that an officer of the Trench Mortar Battery wrote that Fred bombed a dugout and compelled the surrender of 1 Officer and 45 other ranks and did much excellent work during the Battle. Unfortunately no recommendation for a medal could be found.

All through August and September further advances were made by the Australians and large expanses of territory was recaptured from the Germans. On the 1^st September 1918 near Clery on the Somme, the 11^th Brigade were advancing and the Trench Mortar Battery were providing close support. Captain Couchman of the Trench Mortars reported that Bullen;

“was killed in action 1-9-18. He had charge of a mortar and having occasion in course of duty to expose his body he was sniped by a machine gun. 3 bullets in head, death quite instantaneous. He was given a battlefield burial by members of the 11^th A.L.T.M. Bty. Location of Grave – Sheet 62C N.W.C.22.A.7.3. His death was much regretted as he was a brave man and conscientious N.C.O.”

His service record also states that Fred was buried 1700 yards South of Bouchavsnes and about 1650 yards North of Feuillaucourt and 2800 yards E.N.E of Clery-sur-Somme. 

Unfortunately, after the war the War Graves parties could not locate Fred’s body and he is thus commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. In 1920 his wife Mary remarried a returned soldier Stanley Reynolds of the 12^th Battalion AIF and moved to Cunderdin.