Military History

Embarked Fremantle per HMAT ‘Suevic’ A 29 for England 6.6.1916.
Roll Rank Private.
Roll Unit 44th Battalion.
Bull disembarked in England with the 44th Battalion. He was promoted to Corporal 25.10.1916. After an intensive but short period of training, he proceeded overseas to France with 44th Battalion 25.11.1916. During the winter of 1916-17 his Battalion alternated between front line on the Somme and at the rear (Australian War Memorial 44th Battalion). Bull was wounded in action at Messines in Belgium 8.6.1917 with severe gunshot wound injuries to his neck. He was invalided to England per Hospital Ship ‘Warilda’ 20.6.1917 and admitted to the Southern General Hospital in Birmingham 20.6.1917. Bull was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital 21.1.1918 and discharged from there to Weymouth. He was listed for an early return to Australia for a ‘change’ with gunshot wounds to his neck.
Embarked for Australia per ‘Dunnevegan Castle’ 13.3.1918 -for a change. Re-embarked at Durban, South Africa for Australia per ‘Field Marshall’ 28.4.1918.
Returned/Disembarked Fremantle 13.5.1918.
Discharged as permanently unfit 11.11.1918.
Final Rank Private, 44th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
Medical Condition Invalided gunshot wounds to neck and visual problems.
Awards and Medals British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Notes He was admitted to No.8 Australian General Hospital Fremantle with vision problems and gunshot wounds to neck. Bull married Miss Annie Barnes of Railway Terrace, West Guildford, WA (Daily News 9.9.1918).
Photos HMAT 'Suevic'. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM A03216                 
              Frozen, water filled shell crater, Wytschaetes Ridge, Messines 1917. Photograph sourced AWM H17002
              Birmingham University Hospital. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM P00189007

Information Source
AWM A0321. HMAT 'Suevic'. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM H17002. Frozen, water filled shell crater, Wytschaetes Ridge, Messines 1917. Photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM P00189007. Birmingham University Hospital. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
Daily News
Guildford Primary School Honour Roll
NAA: B2455, Bull J R 896
Australian War Memorial Embarkation Roll- John Robert Bull

Railway Terrace, West Guildford, WA.

Associated Images