L/Cpl 49138 Harry Bull

• Age: 20
• From: Macclesfield, Ches
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 1st August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Harry Bull was born in 1897 in Macclesfield and was baptised on 18th April 1897 at St John's Church, Macclesfield. He was the son of George Henry Bull and his wife Annie (nee Clowes). His parents married at St John's Church, Macclesfield in 1893.

By the time of the 1901 Census Harry's father had died and four-year-old Harry was living with his mother and seven-year-old sister Nellie at 19 Park Street, Macclesfield, and his grandparents Alice and Samuel Bull and their three children.

The 1911 Census shows Harry living with his widowed mother Annie aged 41, born 1870 and his sister Nellie aged 16, born 1895 at 7 Hope Street, Macclesfield, and employed as a lithographer.

He enlisted in Macclesfield and was formerly 4078, Cheshire Regiment and serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance Corporal No 49138 when he was killed in action on the 1st August, 1917 aged 20 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

Harry had initially been reported as missing and this was conveyed in the Macclesfield Advertiser on 09th November 1917:

LANCE-CORPL H BULL (MISSING)

Lance-Corpl Harry Bull, King's Liverpool Regiment, son of the late Mr G H Bull, Park Street, Macclesfield, and grandson of Mr Samuel Bull, builder and contractor, has been missing since August 1st.  The lance-corporal was in his 21st year and was educated at Lord Street School. He enlisted two years ago, and had been in France about 12 months. He was connected with park Street Chapel and Sunday School, and prior to joining the army assisted his grandfather in the business. 

Harry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Annie, 21 Park Street, Macclesfield

Harry is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Macclesfield War Memorial

St Michael’s C. of E. Church

Park Street Methodist Church War Memorial

St John's Church Roll of Honour.

Grateful thanks are extended to Stephen Benson of Chehire Roll of Honour for permission to use the photograph of Harry. 

We currently have no further information on Harry Bull, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.