Name
John Charles Pulford
1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
30/12/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
761300
London Regiment (Artists' Rifles) *1
1st/28th (County of London)(Reserve) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 12 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
London County Westminster and Parrs Bank Memorial, Bishops Stortford (Now the Royal Bank of Scotland), Royal Bank of Scotland (previously London County & Westminster Bank) memorial plaque, Bishop's Stortford, Felstead War Memorial, Essex
Pre War
John Charles Pulford was born in 1896 in Felstead, Essex to Arthur Lewis and Beatrice Ellen Pulford.
On the 1911 Census he was living with his family at Cock Green, Felstead, Essex where his father was a miller and corn merchant and he was a school boy. When he was 18 years old he went to work for London County & Westminster Bank. He worked as a Clerk at the bank’s Bishop's Stortford branch. He was living at New Mill House, Felstead, Essex on enlistment.
Wartime Service
He enlisted on 29 December 1915 at Dukes Road, London and initially served under service. no. 6329. He left Southampton for France on 21 April 1916 and disembarked at Rouen the following day. He joined the battalion in the field on 25 May 1916 and was reported missing in the field, believed killed on 30 December 1917. At 6.30 am on that day the Germans, dressed in white camouflage suits and spearheaded by flame throwers, launched a surprise attack in snow south of Marcoing. The Artists’ Rifles were hurried forward from reserve to counter-attack at 11.15 am without artillery support. They did not reach their objective and suffered more than 100 casualties. The artist John Nash took part in the attack and later painted the scene. ‘It is in fact pure murder’ he wrote, ‘and I was lucky to escape untouched … It was bitterly cold and we were easy targets against the snow and in daylight.’
A letter from his mother stated that he had done a course in the 63rd Divisional signalling school and passed first in the school in the final exam. He had also just completed a course in the 4th Army Signalling school training for an instructor certificate. She understood that he was promoted to Lance Corporal a day or two before he was killed.
Additional Information
His only brother Arthur is also commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, having been killed on 9 October 1916. His father received a war gratuity of £8 10s and pay owing of £9 3s 7d.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London)
Bn. London Regiment (University and Public Schools).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
