BULLOCK, THOMAS WILLIAM, Lieut. Col., 1st Battn. (39th Foot) The Dorsetshire Regt., eldest s. of Samuel Bullock, I.S.O., of Holly Nook, Walton-on-Thames, late Superintendent for Wrecks, etc., Board of Trade, by his wife, Fanny Sarah, dau. of the late Edmund Hartley, of Banbury; b. London, 5 July, 1874; educ. privately; at Wilson Grammar School, and King’s College; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 1st West India Regt. 6 Oct. 1900; promoted Lieut. 19 June, 1901: appointed Adjutant 13 June, 1904; promoted Capt. 25 May. 1910, Major 11 Dec. 1915, and Lieut. Col. 28 July, 1917: served with his regiment in Bermuda, Barbadoes and Jamaica, and superintended its transfer to the West Coast of Africa, where he did useful work in the fight with malaria; was attached as Adjutant to the 23rd London Regt. (T.F.) 23 Aug. 1908, transferring to the 1st Dorsetshire Regt. in 1910: he was subsequently appointed Recruiting Officer for Dorset, and Adjutant of the Special Reserve, 2 April, 1912. On the outbreak of war, in Aug. 1914, he was attached to the Wyke Regis Training Camp: served (on the General Staff) with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 5 Feb 1016; was lnvalided home the following June; on recovery was appointed Brigade-Major to the 223rd Provincial Brigade: returned to France 15 June, 1917. and was appointed Lient. Col. in command of the 12th Manchester Regt. 28 July following; was transferred to the 5th Leicestershire Regt. 7 Jan. 1918, and to the 1st Dorsetshire Regt. as Lieut. Col. in command on the 21st of the same month, and was killed in action by the bursting of a shell at Donchy-les-Ayette, between Arras and Albert. 11 April following. Buried in Bienvillers Churchyard.
The Brigadier-General of the brigade to which the 1st Dorsetshire Regt, belonged was killed in action at this time, but the Brigadier-General of the ist Manchester Regt. wrote expressing his appreciation of the sterling good work Col. Bullock did while in command of that battalion, and his deep regret that he had not received a reward for all he had done. The Adjutant (of the 1st Dorsetshire Regt.) wrote: “The men are all very cut up about the loss of the colonel. Their letters are full of it, and in several cases I have read: He was the best Commanding Officer we have ever had. He was always so considerate, and looked after the welfare of the men,” and the Doctor also wrote: “He was the finest colonel I have had. without a doubt, and always his first care was for his officers and men, and he used to be most careful to see that they were as comfortable as possible, and was continually asking me whether anything more could be done for their comfort and health. It was a big loss to us.” During his connection with the training camp at Wyke Regis Col. Bullock, in collaboration with another officer, published a booklet entitled: “An Aid to All Instructors.” eight editions of which have since been issued. Prior to the war he also prepared a scheme of mobilization which won distinct approval, and has been extensively used. He m. (1st) at Barbadoes, 12 May. 1003, Constance Lade (who died Nov. 1914), dau. of the late G. H. Snape. M.R.C.S., and had two sons: Reginald Thomas Sinclair, b. 24 Dec. 1904, and Brian Otley. b. 2 Nov. 1910 and (2ndly) at Taunton, 26 Sept. 1916, Millicent Mary, dau. of Samuel White. of Highlands. Taunton; s.p.
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5