Sir Edward Stanislaus Bulfin

Edward Stanislaus Bulfin was the second son of Patrick Bulfin JP, Woodtown Park, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin. He was commissioned into the Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire) Regiment on 12 November 1884 at the age of 22 after militia service with the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers. His military career was not only rather late in beginning but also slow to develop. Its turning point came with the outbreak of the South African War. By November 1899 Bulfin had been appointed Brigade Major 1st (Guards) Brigade, under Lord Methuen. He saw action at Belmont, Enslin, Modder River and Magersfontein. Later, he was promoted DAAG and given command of a mobile column.

His subsequent career, however, took the Staff path. From 1902 until 1904 he was DAAG I Corps; from 1906 until 1910 Assistant-Adjutant and Quartermaster-General, Cape Colony. On his return to England he was given command of the Essex Infantry Brigade, Territorial Force, despite never having commanded a battalion. In June 1913 he was promoted GOC 2nd Infantry Brigade. He took 2nd Brigade to war in August 1914 with the original British Expeditionary Force and commanded it during the Retreat and at First Ypres.

It was at Ypres that Bulfin established a reputation as an outstanding fighting soldier. At the critical moment, on 31 October, he displayed courage and leadership of a high order by organising a makeshift force of six weak battalions, known as ‘Bulfin’s force’, and leading a counter-attack which drove back the German line half a mile. He was wounded the following day. Haig paid tribute in his diary to Bulfin’s fine soldierly qualities during this period and considered him a ‘tower of strength at all times’.[1]

After his recovery he was promoted GOC 28th Division. He commanded this Regular unit during the German gas attack at Ypres in April 1915 and again towards the end of the battle of Loos in October. On 11 October he went home sick and did not return to France until June 1916 as GOC 60th (2nd/2nd London) Division, a second-line Territorial unit. After six months of trench holding, 60th Division was transferred to Salonika and then, in June 1917, to Egypt.

On 2 August 1917 Bulfin was promoted GOC XXI Corps, which he commanded with distinction during Allenby’s Palestine campaigns of 1917 and 1918.

References:

[1] NLS: Haig Diary, 20, 27 September 1914 and 1 November 1914.