No. 18966, Private, Benjamin BULLMAN
Aged 26
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Benjamin Bullman was born in 1890 in Kenny Hill (Mildenhall Q1-1890 4A:769), son of Charles and Anna Maria BULLMAN (née DORKINS).
1891 census...Aged 1, he was at Block Farm, Fordham with his grandfather Henry DORKINS [61] farm steward born Wicken; his grandmother Eliza [60] born Wicken; his mother Anna M. BULLMAN, born Wicken. His father Charles BULLMAN [34] a mole catcher, was at Stock Corner, Kenny Hill with Charles H [13] farm labourer and Martha [11] both born in Wicken; Nora [8] Thomas [6] and Ezra [4] born in Mildenhall. 1901 census...Aged 11 he was at Kenny Hill with his parents; brothers Charles (mole catcher), Ezra (farm servant); sisters Margaret [9], Esther [7] and Kathleen [4]. These sisters were all born in Mildenhall (Kenny Hill) 1911 census...Aged 21, a farm labourer, single, he was at Stretham with his brother Charles Henry (molecatcher), sister in law, Mildenhall born, Sarah and their children, William Charles [5] and Horace Benjamin [5 months]. His parents were still in Kenny Hill with his sister Kathleen and grandmother Eliza Dawkins. |
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Benjamin enlisted in Cambridge. From Lt Col Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment we learn:- After a fortnight's rest at Mericourt the battalion moved up to to line south west of Trones Wood, near Malz Horn Farm. Trenches too narrow to move in or pass along, the only communications trench to the rear used by two brigades and the French 418th Regiment..They were ordered to carry out an attack on the 16th in co-operation with the French. Zero hour was fixed to the unusual time of 5:30 pm. After a heavy bombardment the battalion moved forward on the heels of the barrage....On the right the attack was successful ,some 250 yards of Cochrane Alley, together with a party of men from the German 124th Regiment being captured. ; but on the left it was brought to a standstill by heavy machine gun fire, and at night the battalion withdrew to its original line. The effort had cost the battalion 38 killed, of which only 7 have identified graves.
and on the war memorial in Mildenhall click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
