Name
Frederick William Bulwer
13 May 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/07/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13418
Essex Regiment
10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 10D.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Leavesden Road Baptist Church Memorial, Watford
Pre War
Son of Mark Harry and Caroline Alice (nee FRENCH) BULWER; husband of May (nee SCOTT) BULWER.
His parents married 16 August 1892 at Hornsey Road Wesleyan Chapel, Islington, London. Caroline died 1942 in Watford aged 74, and was buried 9 December in North Watford Cemetery; Mark died 4 June 1962 in Holland-on-Sea, Essex, aged 92, and was buried 8 June, also in North Watford Cemetery.
Frederick was born 13 May 1894 in Finsbury Park, London, and baptised 9 September 1894 at St Andrew’s, Watford. He attended Wood Green C School, Middx; then Alexandra School, Watford, from 26 February 1906 to 15 November 1907. He married 1914 in the Colchester, Essex, district; they had one child. He resided in King’s Langley, Herts. May remarried 1925 in the St Alban’s, Herts, district to Sidney G HANNAFORD, and died 1975 in the Barnet, Herts, district aged 81.
On the 1901 Census, aged 6 he lived in Wood Green, Middx, with his parents and four siblings. On the 1911 Census, aged 16 he was possibly living with his mother and four siblings in Watford, but his details have been crossed out and he has not been found anywhere else.
Wartime Service
He enlisted at Westminster, London in August 1914; and was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 25 July 1915.
He took part ion several actions and had been wounded. He was reported missing 20 July 1916 at Delville Wood during the Battle of the Somme, and later presumed killed in action.
The following letter was written to Fred's mother by George Holland with a report from the battlefield:
2nd November, 1916.
Dear Mrs. Bulwer,
I am so sorry to keep you waiting so long for a reply to your letter, but I did not receive it till three days ago. I was at Felixstowe then, but I knew I was coming here today so I thought I would wait until I could give you an address before I replied.
It was in Delville Wood that Fred was last seen. I was not in the Wood with them at the time, but being one of his friends they told me all about it when they came out. On the 19th July out (sic) regiment were ordered to go and take Delville Wood. They entered the Wood at dawn, and when they had advanced well into the Wood they suffered heavily, men were knocked down by like 9 pins. Fred was then laying telephone wires and acting Company Runner, which means running messages from one body of troops to another and going back now and then to report to the Commanding Officer to let him know how things are going on. It is the most dangerous job there is, as you are always in the open, but Fred strolled about as if the Wood belonged to him; he saw no fear. How he got through without being shot by a sniper is a miracle, as men were getting killed right and left, and so you will understand when I say it was a miracle.
They soon lost all their Officers and then they lost their direction in the Wood and they got nearly surrounded by the Germans. It was then that Fred did some deeds that should have won him the V.C. He was seeing three or four times carrying wounded men out of the Wood on his back, and it was almost certain death to show yourself at the time, so you can imagine yourself how brave he was.
Later in the day he volunteered to go and get some water; he went away with another fellow and they did not see him again, but the other fellow got back and this is what he told them.
They got the water and they started to come back to the other fellows, but they lost themselves and walked straight into a lot of Germans. The fellow with Fred at once started to come back, but Fred stop to fight, and the last the other fellow saw of him, he was struggling with two Germans in a shell hole.
That is all I can tell you at the present, but there are sure to be a lot of our men here when they come out of hospital and I will get all the information from them that I can, and if there is any more news I will let you know at once. I hope for your sake that he was taken prisoner. He was a son to be proud of. He was the bravest man I have ever seen and liked by everyone.
Hoping this will lessen your anxiety.
I remain,
Yours very sincerely
George Holland.
P.S. If there is anything else you would like to know, do not be afraid to write and let me know.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, Frederick’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. There is an article about Frederick in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 7 October 1916. Has a entry in the National Roll of the Great War.
Fred was also related through his grandfather George James French to Edward Ewart Grosse J/30003 (P0) born 1898 who was KIA when HMS Defence blew up at the battle of Jutland 31st May 1916.
Edward's younger step brother George James French born 1901 also enlisted into the navy on 29th November 1916 and after training joined HMS Tiger 30th May 1917 however he didn't see any action at sea.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Michael Levett, Jonty Wild
