1885 - 1916
CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916
Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916
Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916
Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918
Pte 53077 Walter Bullimore
- Age: 27
- From: Melton Mowbray, Leics
- Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
- K.I.A Thursday 19th October 1916
- Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.
Walter was born in the second quarter of 1889 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He was the son of Richard Coverley Bullimore and his wife Isabella (nee Gunby), of 13, Temperance Terrace, Melton Mowbray. Richard Bullimore a labourer, born 1857 in Exton, Rutland and his wife Isabella born in Scalford, Leicestershire in 1861 were married in the 4th quarter of 1876 in the Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire district.
In the 1901 Census the family home was at 17 Thorpe End, Melton Mowbray. Both parents are resident at the property, his father is aged 44, and a council road labourer, his mother is aged 40. Walter is 12 and has two siblings in the household; George b. 1892 and Annie b. 1894. Walter had older siblings, John Thomas, born 1878 ,Mary Elizabeth, born 1881 and Richard b.1883 all were born in Melton Mowbray but were not recorded on the Census in 1901..
In the April 1911 Census Walter, aged 22, was employed as a railway platelayer and was residing in the family home at Roseberry Avenue, Melton Mowbray, together with his father, aged 57, a general labourer and his mother, aged 53. They advised that they had been married for 33 years, and have had 7 children, 6 of whom have survived. There are no other siblings are present in the home.
Walter was a member of the National Union Of Railwaymen.
He enlisted in Melton Mowbray in September 1914 and originally served as Private 12117 in the 8th Battalion of the Leicester Regiment, following a transfer he was serving in the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 53077 when he was killed in action on the 19th October 1916, aged 27, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.
20th Battalion War Diary
Near GUEUDECOURT.
19.10.16 5.10 p.m. - Two companies in FLERS support moved up to front line to relieve two companies 19th Battn. K.L.R. Battalion H.Q. moved to FACTORY CORNER with advanced H.Q. at GIRD TRENCH. Owing to the bad state of the trenches due to heavy rain, a most difficult relief was carried out by 5 a.m. During the relief enemy heavily bombarded FACTORY TRENCH and approaches to front line numbers 3 and 4 companies in FACTORY TRENCH sustained following casualties during relief:- Killed O.R. 7, Wounded O.R. 9. Whilst 4 teams of Lewis gunners were proceeding up AEROPLANE TRENCH to relieve front line they were caught in enemy barrage, 4 men were killed and 11 wounded out of 25 Lewis gunners, and all communications were ruined. Sergeant Milton, in charge of these sections, acted with commendable coolness and courage, and, after returning to the wounded, salved all the buried guns. All trenches where rendered impassable, relief was carried out “over the top”. Telephone communications between front line and Battn. H.Q. was rendered impossible by frequency of enemy barrages; consequently communication was kept up by runners between advanced H.Q. and O.C. FACTORY CORNER.
On Friday November 03rd 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article:
“Melton And The War.”
– PTE. WALTER BULLIMORE. –
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bullimore, 41, Rosebery Avenue, Melton Mowbray, received a letter on Wednesday morning from a soldier in the King’s Liverpool Regiment, informing them that their son, Pte. Walter Bullimore, was killed in action on the 19th inst. Deceased was a platelayer on the Midland railway. Another brother, George, of the Garrison Artillery, who has been invalided home, visited his parents this week after spending six months in Chelsea Hospital, and returned yesterday afternoon to the headquarters of his regiment to undertake light duty. Two other brothers are at the front, John Thomas serving with the Garrison Artillery, and Richard with the Sherwood Foresters. Three of the deceased’s cousins have recently been killed".
Hus death was also reported in the Grantham Journal on Saturday 11 November 1916:
Pte. Walter Bullimore King’s, Liverpool Regiment,
Of Melton Mowbray, Killed In Action.
As briefly noted last week, Pte. Walter Bullimore, King’s Liverpool Regiment (transferred from the Leicestershire Regiment), third son of Mr and Mrs Rd Bullimore, 41 Rosebery Avenue, Melton Mowbray, has been killed in action. The sad intelligence being sent home in the following letters received from a comrade and also the Regimental Chaplain: “25th of October 1916. Dear Madam, it is with the deepest of regret that I have to inform you of the death of your son, Walter, which occurred whilst the Battalion was in action on the 19th inst., at about six o'clock in the evening. I was a great friend of his, and he was a favourite amongst the boys of the platoon. On behalf of myself and the men of the platoon, please accept our deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement, and may It be a comfort to you to know that he died doing his duty. If there is any further information I can give you I shall be glad to do so, yours very sincerely J. E. Bolton.” “Dear Mrs Bullimore, - You will have had the sad news by now that your son, Pte. W. Bullimore, was killed in action, and I want just to say how deeply I sympathize with you in your great loss. I think it will help you to know that he made his Communion two days before he went into action, and that his poor body has been buried by his comrades where he fell. Will you try to remember that he died the noblest death a man can die, fighting for his country and the right, and also that it is only his body that lies here, while his soul the dear self you know and love, has gone back to the God Who loves him, too. I am sorry that I cannot give you any more details. May God, Who in His great love gave his only son to die for you, comfort you now in your hour of sorrow. Yours very sincerely, A. L. Preston (Chaplain). ‘On the Resurrection morning. All the graves their dead restore. Father, sister, son and mother, Meet once more.”
Pte. Bullimore, who was 26 years of age, was an old British School boy, and also attended the Wesleyan Sunday School, and he was employed on the Midland Railway for several years prior to the outbreak of war. He enlisted in the 8th Leicester’s (Kitchener's Army) in September 1914, and was transferred to the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was well respected by all he knew him in Melton. Mr and Mrs Bullimore have three more sons in the Army - Gunner John Thos. Bullimore R.G.A., who had previously served eight years in the Army (Artillery), five of them at Malta, being called up at the commencement of the war, and is in France; Sergt.-Major Richard Bullimore, formerly of the Northumberland Fusiliers, after which he was in the Derbyshire Police Force, volunteering for active service again when war began, and is now Co.-Sergt.-Major in the Sherwood Foresters. Gunner Geo. Bullimore of the R.G.A., who was out in Singapore for three years and three months, coming home at the beginning of the war when he had leave for seven days, and then went out to France immediately, taking part in the Battle of Mons. He was subsequently invalided home with asthma, and is now doing light duties at Farnham. He was at home on short leave when the news of the death of his brother Walter was received. Mrs Bullimore, in addition to her four sons, has seven other near relatives in the Army, three of whom have been recently killed, and Mr Bullimore also has a number of kinsman serving.
His brother Richard, referred to in the Melton Mowbray Times article also fell in action in. He was killed in action serving with the Sherwood Foresters as Company Sergeant Major 26733 on 26th April 1918. Richard, like Walter, has no known grave and is featured on the Pozieres Memorial in France.
Richard's death was reported in the Grantham Journal on Saturday 18 May 1918:
Co.-Sergt.-Major RD, BULLIMORE, D.C.M., Killed.
Mr. and Mrs. Rd, Bullimore, of 41, Rosebery-avenue, Melton Mowbray, have lost a second son in the war, Co. Sergt.-Major Rd. Bullimore, D.C.M., Sherwood Foresters, being killed on the 27th(sic) April. His wife lives at Long Eaton, where Sergt.-Major Bullimore was on the Police Force before joining up, and she first heard of her husband's death on Saturday, through a comrade writing to his brother, also a policeman at Long Eaton. This has since been officially confirmed, Sergi.-Major parents receiving definite news from his wife on Wednesday morning. The deceased soldier was 37 years of age, and leaves no family. Sergt.-Major Bullimore won the Distinguished Conduct Medal on August 16th, when his Company had just taken over an advanced position south-east of Ypres. Before having consolidated it, the Germans advanced with great force, and Sergt.-Major Bullimore assisted to rally the men, who opened a rapid fire which practically demolished the attackers. The remainder fled, and Sergt.-Major Bullimore and a Corporal at once jumped the parapet and sniped the retreating Germans. He was home on leave in January, deceased soldier was publicly presented with the medal at Long Eaton by Captain Cursley, and Mr. Tucker, the Chairman of the Long Eaton Council, presented the hero with a gold watch - the town's appreciation. Private Walter Bullimore, King’s Liverpool Regiment (formerly of the Leicesters), was killed a year ago last October; the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Bullimore, Gunner Geo. Bullimore, R.G.A., who came from China to France, and after being in hospital in Birmingham for eleven months, has been sent to Egypt, while their eldest son, Gunner Tom Bullimore, R.G.A., who fought in France a long time until invalided to England and has been working on a farm at Pickwell, but has been again called to the Colours this week.
Walter's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.
The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.
On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”
His Soldiers Effects, Army pay of over £15 and a War Gratuity of £9 went to his father Richard. The pensions of Walter and Richard were received by mother Isabella, 41 Rosebery Ave, and 13 Temperance Terrace, Melton.
His father died, aged 69, in 1925
His death was reported in the Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette on Friday 26 June 1925:
BULLIMORE – On June 10th, Richard Coverley Bullimore, aged 69 years.
His mother died, aged 79, in 1938.
Both Walter and Richard are commemorated on the War Memorial, Melton Mowbray.
We currently have no further information on Walter Bullimore, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.
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