Edmund William Bullock – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Trawler Longset

Engineman Edmund William Bullock – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Trawler Longset

Family Background and Early Life

 Edmund Bullock and Elizabeth Thomas
marriage certificate
St Mary’s Church, Swansea

Edmund William Bullock was born in 1878 in Swansea, the son of Edmund Bullock and Elizabeth Thomas, who were married in 1877 at St Mary’s Church, Swansea.

1881 Census

At the time of the 1881 Census, the three-year-old Edmund was living at 4 Albert Row, Swansea, in the household of his maternal grandparents. His grandfather, Evan Thomas (55), was employed as a general labourer, and his grandmother Ann (49) managed the household. Also present were their children: William (22), a coal dealer; Mary Ann (20), a domestic servant; Richard (15), a driver; and Francis Ann (11), who was attending school.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, Edmund was living with his parents at 62 Pentreguinea Road, St Thomas, Swansea. His father, Edmund Bullock (40), born in Welshpool, was employed as a marine fireman, while his mother Elizabeth (34) cared for their growing family. Their children were William (13), Richard (11), and Walter (9), all attending school, together with Albert (3) and Harold (10 months). Two lodgers, David Rees (54) and Ada Rees (22), were also resident in the household.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family were still living at 62 Pentreguinea Road. Edmund senior, now 50, was working as an engine driver (railway), with his place of birth recorded as Staffordshire. Elizabeth was 45. Their children were William (23), an engine fitter’s labourer; Richard (21), a stone mason; Walter (19), a railway wagon builder; Albert (13); Harold (10); and George (8).

Marriage

In 1907, Edmund William Bullock married Lily Jenkins.

Naval Service and Death

Edmund William Bullock served with the Royal Naval Reserve, holding the rank of Engineman, and during the First World War was posted to H.M. Trawler Longset. Longset was a British naval trawler of 275 tons, built in 1914 by Cochrane & Sons Ltd. of Selby, and requisitioned by the Royal Navy for service as an auxiliary patrol vessel. Like many civilian trawlers taken up for naval service, she was adapted for minesweeping, coastal patrol, and anti-submarine duties, roles that were vital in protecting Britain’s home waters and shipping lanes from the growing threat posed by German U-boats and naval mines.

Trawlers such as Longset were typically lightly armed and manned by a combination of Royal Naval Reserve personnel and experienced civilian seamen, many of whom had backgrounds in fishing or marine engineering. Their work was extremely hazardous, often carried out in poor weather, narrow coastal waters, and heavily mined areas, with little protection against explosions or enemy attack.

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Edmund William Bullock
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

Edmund William Bullock
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

On 6^th February 1917, H.M. Trawler Longset was sunk by a mine laid by the German submarine UC-46, approximately two miles south-east of the Breaksea lightvessel wreck. The explosion resulted in the loss of eight lives, including that of Engineman Edmund William Bullock. As with many auxiliary patrol losses, the sinking left no known graves, and those who perished are commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

The loss of Longset reflects the dangerous and frequently overlooked service of the Royal Naval Reserve and auxiliary patrol vessels, whose crews played a crucial role in maintaining Britain’s maritime defences throughout the First World War.