Bulford Camp

4th Aug 1914 40th Brigade RFA mobilise  40th Brigade Royal Field Artillery were at Bulford Camp and at once began to mobilise for war.

17th Aug 1914 40th Brigade RFA sail for France  40th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, comprising 6th, 23rd and 49th Batteries, marched from Bulford Camp to Amesbury Station and entrained for Southampton. for the crossing to Le Havre, France. They were attached to 3rd Infantry Division with the BEF

18th Aug 1914 30th (Howitzer) Brigade RFA proceed to France.  30th (Howitzer) Brigade RFA consisting of Battery’s 128th, 129th and 130th Batteries left Bulford Camp and embarked from Southampton as part of 11 Corps, 3rd Division, BEF.

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There are:16 items tagged Bulford Camp available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have trained at
Bulford Camp
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Beattie MM.. Thomas Leonard. Bmdr.
Hindmarsh Hector Pretoria. Pte. (d.8th Jun 1917)
Hunt George Edwin. Pte.
Marland Peter. Dvr. (d.25th May 1915)

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254562

Dvr. Peter Marland B Battery, 89th Brigade Royal Field Artillery (d.25th May 1915)

Peter Marland was a driver in the Royal Field Artillery. When he was born in October 1886 in Astley, Lancashire, his father, Ebeneezer, was 28 and his mother, Elizabeth, was 22. He married Phoebe Emma on 3rd of February 1906 in Leigh, Lancashire. They had three children during their marriage. He died as a young father on 25th of May 1915 in Bulford, Wiltshire at the age of 28.
Janet Grundy

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244571

Pte. George Edwin Hunt 101st Field Ambulance, X Coy. Royal Army Medical Corps

George Hunt was a Salvation Army Bandsman at Reading Citadel and worked as a gardener at Langley Park before WW1. He served with 101st Field Ambulance, X Coy. training at Bulford Camp. He proceeded to France on the 16th of November 1915. He was posted to No2. Stationary Hospital at Abbeyville on 24th of March 1919 and demobed at the end of June. George went on to marry and have one daughter named Vera who still survives, he died in 1981. Four grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren are descended. After the war he moved back to Reading and worked as a caretaker at a hospital and continued his mission in the SA. He lived out his days with his daughter and son in law in Cockfosters. There are not any stories relayed from WW1. However, his daughter was not allowed to become a nurse because of the things that he witnessed in WW1.
Claire Borlase

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243033

Bmdr. Thomas Leonard Beattie MM. 35th Siege Battery

My father, Thomas Beattie, was a professional soldier enlisting at Gosport, Hants in 1911. At the outbreak of WW1 he was a trumpeter at Gibraltar in a company of the RGA. Later mustered in the 35th Battery RGA and posted to France as Acting bombardier in 1915. He served in the Ypres Sector where it is believed he won his Military Medal. Later transferred to the Somme 1917.
On return to UK he was at Bulford Camp as a Sergeant married at St Leonard's Church in 1923. He then served in Egypt, India, Afghan frontier and held the GSM with Waziristan clasp. Promoted to Battery Sergeant Major serving at RA Headquarters Woolwich early 1920s, later RSM and commissioned as Lt (QM) 6th Regt. RA at Deepcut Frimly Hants.
Sent to France with the BEF at HQ Arras he later became a Dunkirk Veteran (holds the Dunkirk Veteran medal) after being knocked out on a beach and stripped of his uniform whilst unconscious! He returned with reminisce of the 6th Regiment to Aldershot to be part of the HAA for London at Bromley Kent (Sundridge battery). After service at Wolverhampton he was presented his MBE by King George at Buckingham Palace 1940 in attendance with myself and his wife.
He embarked at Liverpool for the Middle East but arrived at Singapore just before its surrender. Then off to Sumatra to destroy oil fields and on to Java after the loss of the regimental guns. Served as infantry to protect RAF airfields and captured by Japs in March 1942.
Then shipped to Japan as POW to Fukuoka Camps 1/12 and others. Liberated by Americans in September 1945 in poor physical shape but was rehabilitated by them and sent to Vancouver, Canada for transfer over land to New York, USA. He was then Capt. Beattie passenger on troopship as was the liner Queen Mary. The QM arrived at Southampton, Hants in November 1945 where she was met on the dock by my mother and I. Then back to Aldershot for debrief and to help his recuperation posted to Royal Artillery 457 Regt. TA as their Major QM at Portsmouth Hants (we were living over the ferry in Gosport!). This was interesting as it turned out that a few of the CCF officers/schoolmasters of my school in Portsmouth also were TA officers of the 457!
The family left Gosport in 1949 as father had been promoted again earlier to become Lt._Col (QM) at HQ RA Woolwich where he was RSM prior to WW2. After retiring there in 1953 father and us lived in our permanent retirement house at Kidbrooke, Blackheath, London. Unfortunately dying there in 1965. So a veteran of WW1,WW2, Dunkirk and Jap POW thus serving all of 42 years as a typical professional holding two gallantry medals giving a total of 13 plus his Dunkirk French Corporation commemorative medal.
Peter D Beattie

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222906

Pte. Hector Pretoria Hindmarsh 37th Btn. (d.8th Jun 1917)

Hector Pretoria Hindmarsh was born on March 18th 1900 at 24 Rectory Road, Fulham, London and was baptised on May 6th 1900 at St. Dionis Church, Parsons Green, Fulham. He was the fourth son and seventh sibling of Thomas Henry Hindmarsh (Snr.) and Elizabeth Adelaide (nee Clarke). Hector was named Pretoria because his uncle, George Ralph Hindmarsh, was in the British Army fighting in the Boer War in South Africa and Pretoria.On September 1st 1911, Thomas Henry and Elizabeth Adelaide Hindmarsh sailed from Tilbury Docks with most of their young family, for re-settlement in South Australia. Hector was aged 11. The family sailed on the R.M.S. Orsova steamship in Third Class. The steamer arrived at Port Adelaide on November 7th 1911.

On 18th June 1916, aged 16 Â½, Hector Pretoria Hindmarsh enlisted in the Army. He enlisted at Adelaide, and falsified his age at enlistment stating that he was aged 18 years and 4 months. Hector probably joined to experience more of the world and escape the boring life of a labourer.Hector was 5 feet 7 Â½ inches tall and weighed 126 lbs. He had brown eyes and brown hair. He had no scars and he was of Church of England religion.

At first, Private Hindmarsh served with the 2nd Depot Battalion, â€˜Câ€™ Company, at Mitcham, in Adelaide. He stated that he had served in the Cadets (this is unsubstantiated). On August 28th 1916, Private Hindmarsh sailed on the A68 HMAT Anchises to England, arriving in Plymouth on September 11th. He was mustered with 3/43rd Infantry Battalion from 10th August for three months service.
Hector briefly joined the 43rd Battalion at Lark Hill, on the Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge. There Hector commenced training in trench warfare, at nearby Bustard and Durrington. While there, Private Hector Hindmarsh also completed route marches and regular Sunday church Parades. He also received equipment and clothing up-grades.

On September 27, the 43rd Battalion was reviewed by King George V, at Bulford. After the next three days, Divisional matches were held in sports like â€˜Aussie Rulesâ€™ football, cricket, athletics and tug of war. When weekend leave was granted, Hector may have visited Stonehenge or the villages of Bulford and Durrington. One month later, on November 11th 1916, Hector was re-mustered to the 37th Infantry Battalion and this meant he relocated at Lark Hill, to the 37th Battalion, sited nearby. Hector had little time in getting to know his new troop of soldiers. Shortly afterwards, on November 22nd, he was embarked by ship to France with the Infantry Battalion to the Western Front. The 37th Battalion was next moved to Ypres area, in Belgium.
On June 8th 1917 Hector Hindmarsh was killed in action at Messines, Belgium. Private Hector was a 3rd Reinforcement for the 37th Battalion. He was aged 17 Â¼ years old and he had served just over one year of service in the 3rd Division 1st A.I.F, and had been on the front line for just over 6 months. An artillery shell burst alongside him and the shock and concussion from the explosion killed him outright. His body did not show the slightest sign of injury, as mentioned in a letter received from Lieutenant Colonel E. Thregold.

Private Hector Pretoria Hindmarsh was buried at the Strand Military Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, in Belgium, ANZAC Section, 3rd Echelon: Plot 5, Row A, Grave 12. He is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, on the â€˜Wall of Rememberanceâ€™. His father received his war service medals: A British War Medal and Victory Medal. His death had a sobering effect upon his family.
Bob Hindmarsh