LCpl. Thomas Bullick, MM, Croix de Guerre

Thomas (Tom) Bullick was working for the Tauranga Borough Council as an Electrician when he enlisted for the war. One of nine children, four of whom did not survive past three years of age, Tom was the second son of Thomas and Jessie Bullick. Born 18 March 1882 in Pleasant Point, a small town in Canterbury, his father was a saddler who, no doubt, was kept busy by the many farms which surrounded the township. In the early 1900s Tom moved with his family to Hastings and worked as a baker for a number of years. He was also a member of the Hastings Rifles. However his passion was racing pigeons, and he was secretary of the Hastings Homing Pigeon Club. In 1909 he was given the Homer Cup after winning it three years in a row. (Before leaving for the war Tom gave the cup to his girlfriend as a keepsake. Many years later it was returned to the Bullick family). Living in Tauranga in 1916 Tom enlisted in February and departed for Trentham in March. Initially he was a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Wellington Regiment, along with his older brother William (Bill). In May he embarked on the troopship Whillochra arriving in England in July. At Sling Camp in Wiltshire Tom was posted to the 1st Battalion, Otago Regiment and left for France at the end of October 1916. In March 1917 he rejoined his brother in the Wellington Regiment and in August 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal for acts of gallantry in the field: London Gazette, 16 August 1917, p 8429, Rec No. 940: This man is a Battalion Signaller. During the period 7/9th June he was in charge of a relay post between Battalion Headquarters at Lauwen Molen and the Headquarters of a Battalion in rear. During a hostile counter attack made on the evening of the 8 June and wires were broken several times, and Private Bullick, under heavy shelling, repaired them each time. His conduct throughout the battle was characterised by a fine conception of duty. Later he was promoted to Lance-Corporal and held this rank when he was killed in action in France on 29 September 1918 as part of the attempt to take Welsh Ridge during the Battle of Cambrai. He was buried in the Fifteen Ravine-British Cemetery, Villiers-Plouich. Lance-Corporal Bullick was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre: London Gazette, 5 April 1919, p4528, Rec No. 2841: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Throughout the whole of the operations undertaken by his Battalion between August 24th and September 19th, this N.C.O. showed conspicuous gallantry in carrying out repairs to communications under very heavy shell and machine gun fire. His devotion to duty enabled his Battalion Commander to keep in telephonic communication with advance troops. His work was a splendid example to his men. [His grave is mentioned in a comrade’s diary: http://ketetaupo.peoplesnetworknz.info/share_your_ww1_stories/topic...]. Source: Biography of Thomas Bullick by Fiona Kean (2014). Part of the Tauranga Roll of Honour: World War One project https://debbiemccauleyauthor.wordpress.com/biographies/tauranga-rol....

Sources

1. Cenotaph Record
2. Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record
3. Military Personnel File
4. New Zealand War Graves Record