Life story shared by Paul Beecroft. With thanks to The Canadian Great War Project.
536261 PRIVATE
J.R. PULLEN
CAN. ARMY MEDICAL CORPS
29TH DECEMBER 1920. AGE 59
James Robert PULLEN is thought to have been born on 7th January 1861 in Reading. He was christened on 3rd March 1861 in St. Mary’s Church, Reading. The census for 1861 was taken on 7th April and James is shown as being three months old. The exact date of 7th January is taken as being correct from his Army record in later years. His father was Thomas PULLEN, born in Reading who worked as a Switchman for Great Western Railway and his mother was Sarah who was born in Essex. He was the youngest of seven children and were living at 12, Trinity Place, Reading.
In 1871 the family are still at Trinity Place and James is shown as a Scholar. In 1881 the family have moved to 175, Great Knollys Street, Reading. James is now 20 years old and is a Blacksmiths Mate with the Great Western Railway.
In 1885 James married Annie PLIM a local girl from Reading. Their daughter Evelyn Daisy was also born in 1885. They would have two more children Bertie (1887) and Violet Marie (1895).
There appears to be no record of James or Annie in the 1891 census.
The 1901 census shows the family living at 44, Hosier Street, Reading. James is shown as a Blacksmith. Evelyn who is 15 years old is employed as a Dyers Dresser and Bertie, aged 14, is a Messenger for the GPO.
In 1911 the children appear to have left home and James and Annie are now at 14, Hosier Street.
At some point after 1911 James and Annie left England and went to Canada. In 1916 they are known to be living in Queen Street, Milltown, New Brunswick.
In August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. Canada, because of its legal status as a British Dominion also declared war on Germany. By now, James was 53 years old and would be exempt by reason of age to join the armed services. He no doubt thought long and hard about it and on 7th August 1916, when he was 55 years old he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps as a Private.
His attestation paper reveals that he lied about his age and gave his date of birth as 7th January 1872, in effect, making him 11 years younger than what he was. This would mean he was 44 years old and just eligible to sign up. He gave his occupation as an Engineer and Blacksmith.
Initially James served in Canada with the 1st Field Ambulance Depot but on 26th January 1917, James embarked on the S.S. Grampian from Halifax, Canada and arrived in Liverpool, England on 6th February.
On arrival in England he spent time working at Canadian Military Hospitals located In Hampshire and Kent.
In December 1917 James was unwell complaining of a cough which occurred mostly at night and in the morning and he had been spitting blood for two weeks. In early February 1918 he was admitted to hospital with Bronchitis. His medical report stated that he was experiencing pain in his chest and back and had a poor appetite. It is at this point that his true age comes to light. On 24th February he was discharged from hospital and placed on light duties. It was also established that he had Tuberculosis.
In March 1918 he was admitted to No.12 Canadian General Hospital and then in April transferred to the Canadian Special Hospital in Lenham, Kent. He remained there until the 6th May and four days later was invalided back to Canada.
On 15th June 1918, James was reviewed by the Medical Board in Canada. The Board recommended:- That Pte. James R. Pullen, #536261, be placed in Category “E” and discharged to the I.S.C.,[Invalid Soldiers’ Commission] his disability being due to military service.
He was finally discharged from Army service on 10th July 1918. James and Annie remained in Canada until 1919 and returned to England on 6th June and are thought to have resided once again at 14, Hosier Street.
James died the following year, 1920, on 29th December and was buried in Reading Old Cemetery. He is also commemorated on page 553 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
Annie remained in Reading for the rest of her life and died in 1935.
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