In Beaurains Road Cemetery, Beaurains, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of Lieutenant Henry Stanley Tempest Bullen serving with the “D” Battery 251st Brigade Royal Field Artillery who died 14/04/1917.
Hw was the second son of Edith Bullen, of 27, Hawthorn Road, Gosforth, Northumberland, and the late Tempest C. Bullen.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
One of 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls, Henry Stanley Tempest Bullen was the second son of Tempest Carey Bullen Snr and Mary Wright.
Born at Plymouth, Devon, January 12th 1864, Tempest Carey Bullen Snr, his parents and siblings were living at 62, Up Berkley Street, Maryleborn, London in 1871 but after the death of his father they moved to Everton, Liverpool, until Tempest alone migrated to the north east taking up residence at Westwood Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, working as a manager in 1900.
In 1901 he was living as a lodger at 29, Crown Street, in the suburban district of Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, employed as a shipbroker’s clerk. Tempest was married in the parish of Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland in 1893 where his bride Edith Wright, was born, February 6th 1869. She was the daughter of bank agent Henry Wright and his wife Elizabeth.
The bride wore a gown of Crean bengaline and a veil of embroidered tulle and pearls, a present of the bridegroom. Her sisters Jessie and Elsie Wright wore gowns of crépon trimmed with silk and carried bouquets of red and cream roses, a gift of the bridegroom. The Reverend Canon Brutton officiated.
The young couples daughter Edith Anna was born in 1894, William Ephie, September 8th 1895, Henry Stanley Tempest 1897, Tempest Carey Jnr 1898 and Kathleen in 1901 whilst they were living at 41, Luis Hill Terrace, Tynemouth. Tempest Carey Bullen, still a ship broker’s agent was working from a counting house at 21, Rectory Terrace, Gosforth, and although the majority of his children were of school age they were not listed as such in the census of 1901.The household employed a domestic servant and a nursery maid to attend to the children’s needs.
Tempest Carey Bullen Snr who had been initiated as a Freemason at Gosforth Lodge in April 1890 and ran T. C. & Co, at 42, Sandhill Chambers, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, died, November 6th 1912 at Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia. When the news of his demise reached England, his wife Edith and the children were living at 8, Woodbine Avenue, Gosforth. Edith was supported in a very small way by her son William as he was an apprentice fitter and part time student. After the settlement of her husband’s estate Edith was listed in future census as, “ a woman of means”.
Upon the declaration of war, August 4th 1914, Henry had just turned 17 years of age and was too young to enlist. Had he not volunteered he would have been conscripted once he turned 18 years of age as the Government had passed the Military Service Act in January 1916. The act imposed military service on all single men, 18-41 years of age, in response to the fact that casualties were numerous, the initial rush of men to enlist had dwindled and the war showed no signs of concluding in the short term.
Henry Stanley Tempest Bullen departed to France, June 16th 1916 and joined “D” (Howitzer) Battery, 251st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (50th Divisional Artillery), which had been known until May 1916 as the 1st/2nd Northumbrian Brigade. The 251st Brigade R.F.A. was attached to the 50th (Northumbrian) Division and engaged during the third phase of the Battles of the Somme at Contalmaison, moving to the sector, August 19th 1916. They also participated at Morval, September 1916 and Transloy Ridges, October 1st 1916. November 16th 1916 the field artillery was reorganised and the 251st Brigade continued with 4 Howitzers until January 1917.
In the spring of 1917 they were in the Arras sector under the command of the 56th Division. They received supplies of ammunition and March 25th the 251st Brigade R.F.A. moved up to their positions between Beaurains and Agny. On the opening day of the Arras Offensive, April 9th 1917, they participated during the First Battle of the Scarpe, April 9th-14th 1917.
Lieutenant Henry Stanley Tempest Bullen was killed in action, April 14th 1917, on the final day of the First Battle of the Scarpe and taken for burial to Beaurains Road Cemetery, Beaurains, Pas de Calais, France, grave E. 37. Lieutenant Henry Stanley Tempest Bullen Royal Field Artillery was 20 years of age and single.
All monies due to him from the Army, as per his Will, were divided in equal shares of £16 14 shillings 9 pence between his mother, sisters Edith Anna and Kathleen, brother William Ephie Bullen, who had served with the Royal Naval Air Service and to the Bank of Liverpool credited to his brother serving as 2nd Lieutenant Tempest Carey Bullen, Northumberland Fusiliers. Awards, British War Medal, sent to his mother Edith Bullen, 27, Hawthorn Road, Gosforth.
His mother commissioned at a cost of 14 shillings 7 pence and additional inscription to be added to her late son’s military headstone, it reads, “SECOND SON OF EDITH & THE LATE T.C. BULLEN GOSFORTH N’LAND, “UNTIL”.”
A Royal Field Artillery reunion took place in 1920 when Lieutenant Bullen was among those remembered.
In 1939 Edith, a woman of means, was living at 46, Highfield Road, in the district of Coulsdon and Purley, Surrey, as was her daughter Kathleen who was an Air Raid Precautions Warden and William Ephrie a qualified mechanical engineer.
Edith Bullen nee Wright resident at 42, Highfield Road, Purley, Surrey, died in 1947.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Henry Stanley Tempest Bullen is remembered at Gosforth on G9.06, G9.12 and G9.21, at Jesmond on J1.04 and J1.19 and at Newcastle upon Tyne on NUT043 and NUT052.
