The Wimpole and Arrington War Memorial.
A local history and genealogy page for the Parish of Wimpole.
In memory of
William Randall Bullen
Private 5835462. 11th Battalion,
Suffolk Regiment
(Wimpole)
Died: Thursday 21st October 1943, aged 34.
A Prisoner of War on the Burma-Siam Railway.
- Lest We Forget -
Born: 20 July 1909 Whaddon, Cambridgeshire. Married: Winifred Marguerite Wilkin (1906-2000) in Cambridge,
during the last quarter of 1940, no known children. Died: Thursday 21st October 1943, aged 34. How Died: Prisoner of War on the Burma-Siam Railway. Theatre of War: Far East.
Medals: 1939-1945 Star and the Pacific Star.
William Randall Bullen also appears on the Roll of Honour
for the Parish of
St Lukes, Cambridge
Family Information:
William Randall Bullen
was the seventh child of George Bullen (born in Wimpole) (1864-1933)
and Ellen Bullen, nee Munns, (born in Orwell) (1874-1955), and husband
to Winifred Marguerite Wilkin (1906-2000)(married 1940) of Cambridge. He was brother to Leonard,
Olive, Victoria May, Edgar George, Alfred, Sidney, Marjorie and
Ruby.
In the 1891 Census, William's father George was Head
of Household at South[ern] Lodge in Wimpole and his profession was
listed as 'Agricultural Labourer'. In the 1911 Census, the family
was living at 13 Bridge Street, Whaddon and William Randall Bullen was one year old.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register, 30-year-old William was living at 18 High Street, Chesterton, giving his occupation as Goods Receiving Clerk.
Military History:
The 11th Battalion
was lost during the fall of Singapore [February 1942] so it can be assumed William
Randall Bullen was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner of War at this time. Approximately 620 of the Cambridge Battalions were taken prisoner and many died later working on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway.
Sale of Medals:
William's medals were auctioned by Lockdales Ltd on the 23 January 2016. The catalogue entry for Lot 708 read: "WW2 Casualty group 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal to 5835462 Pte William Randall Bullen 11th Bn Suffolk Regt. Died 21/10/1943, Buried Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Lived Gilbert Street, Cambridge. Lot also includes original named Casualty Medal Slip and named box of issue". The auctioneer's suggested value was between £160.00 to £170.00 and the group was sold at £180.00.
The Burma-Siam Railway (Death Railway)
"The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by British, Australian, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project inspired by the need for improved communications to maintain the large Japanese Army in Burma. During its construction more than 16,000 prisoners of war died - mainly of sickness, malnutrition and exhaustion - and were buried along the railway.
An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the
course of the project. Two labour forces, one based in Siam
and the other in Burma worked from opposite ends of the
line towards the centre. The Japanese aimed at completing
the railway in 14 months and work began in October 1942.
The line, 424 kilometres long, was completed by December
1943."
At the end of World War II, 111 Japanese military officials were tried for war crimes for their brutality during the construction of the railway. Thirty-two of them were sentenced to death.
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery is 129 kilometres west-north-west
of Bangkok in Thailand. It is only a short distance
from the site of the former 'Kanburi', the prisoner of war base
camp through which most of the prisoners passed on their way to
other camps. The Cemetery was created by the Army Graves Service and the graves of those who died during the construction and maintenance of the Burma-Siam railway (except Americans, who were repatriated) have been transferred from the camp burial grounds and solitary sites along the railway into three war cemeteries. There are now 5,084 Commonwealth casualties of the Second
World War buried or commemorated in Kanchanaburi.
