BULLOCK, Frank Melville
| Service Number: | 5646 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 February 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wilmington, South Australia, 11 December 1895 |
| Home Town: | Balaklava, Wakefield, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Clare |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 6 May 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy, France Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National Australia Bank WW1 Honour Board, Adelaide National War Memorial, Angaston District WW1 Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Balaklava District WW1 Roll of Honour, Balaklava WW1 & WW2 Honour Roll, Balaklava WW1 & WW2 Memorial, Clare Original Clare School WW1 Memorial, Clare Schools Old Scholars who Fell WW1 Memorial, Nuriootpa Honor Board WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5646, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5646, 10th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Frank Melville Bullock was born in Wilmington, South Australia on the 11th of December 1895. He attended school at both Clare Public School and Unley High School. Bullock was a great athlete and popular amongst his peers. After completing his education, he then went on to work as a Bank Clerk at the National Bank in Clare and served in the branches at Kadina, Jamestown, Terowie, and Nuriootpa. He was a prominent member of the local cricket club and was an esteemed townsman. No fewer than seven clerks from the local branch of the National Bank had enlisted at the time he did.
His mother, Mrs Charlotte Bullock (whom he listed as his next of kin on his enlistment forms and will), was married to his father Reverend F.M. Bullock of the Methodist Parsonage. He was an only child. Both resided at Angas Street, Alberton, South Australia by 1919, but it is unclear if they lived somewhere else prior to that. As stated on his description upon enlistment, he had blue eyes, a fresh complexion, dark hair and was of average weight and build, standing at around 5,7.
Bullock enlisted on the 22nd of February 1916 in the A.I.F, aged 20. He entered the N.C.O.'s school at Mitcham and secured his Sergeant's certificate with very high marks. His service number was 5646. He embarked from Adelaide on June 27th, 1916 with the rank of Corporal and arrived in Melbourne. Almost two months later on 25/8/16, he disembarked from Melbourne and arrived in Plymouth, England aboard the HMAT Barambah.
Around two weeks later on 9/9/16, Bullock went to hospital. He was A.W.L from 8am 6/11/16 until he was arrested by Civil Police in London at 6:30am on 10/11/16 and received 168 hours of detention.
On December 4th, 1916, he left England and proceeded to France. At this time, he was a Private as he had decided not to wait for commission before departing. A day later (5/12/16), he arrived at Étaples base camp, France. Étaples was the principal depôt and transit camp for the British Expeditionary Force and was also a point that the wounded were transported to during the war.
He celebrated his 21st birthday in France. Private Bullock then marched out to the 10th battalion on 29/12/16 and was taken on strength by the 10th battalion on 5/1/17. The 10th battalion, also known as the "The Adelaide Rifles" was part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, AIF.
On March 23rd, 1917, Bullock was admitted to hospital with Laryngitis, an inflammation of the voice box from overuse, irritation, or infection. Eight days later 31/3/17 he was discharged back into duty and re-joined his battalion on 1/4/17.
Just over a month later May 6th, 1917, fighting in the Battle of Arras (9/4/17 - 16/5/17), Private Frank Melville Bullock was killed in action on the Western Front, France.
He was buried in France in the Queant Road British Cemetery, 12 miles northeast of Queant, 8¾ miles west north of Cambrai. All his possessions including: 2 identity discs, photos, wallet, pocketbook, book of poems, notebook and 2 military certificates were left to his mother as stated in his will. She also got the Victory Medal he was awarded in 1923, years after his passing.
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