Disregarded soldier finally rests in peace

“You’ve got to give people dignity in death,” Rutherglen RSL secretary David Martin said.

On Wednesday, December 6, the family stood beside his new gravesite, one befitting a soldier, as the Rutherglen RSL performed a memorial service alongside the military’s guard of honour.

“The family were very grateful,” Mr Martin said.

“It was a great success for us to have that approved; as you can imagine, going back 83 years, it’s difficult to approve such things.”

The application process for the gravesite had its complications, specifically when proving a soldier’s cause of death was war-related.

Private Bull enlisted in the Australian Army on March 22, 1916, during World War I, and was sent to Europe, serving in France before being severely injured.

He returned to Australia in 1919 and soon after was discharged from the army, but by then, the traumas of warfare were well and truly prevalent.

“When he came back, he had suffered shell shock, now known as PTSD,” Mr Martin said.

“He was married and had a couple of daughters but was away from home a lot.

“He spent time in a psychiatric hospital in Melbourne, suffering from distress and mental issues from his service.”

Last week’s commemoration was significant for Private Bull’s family, as they could officially recognise their family’s historical sacrifice.

Family members laid a wreath on the new grave, and grandson Noel McLarty was presented with the Australian flag by Mr Martin.

Mr Martin said the day presented a moment for reflection, remembrance and a reminder that more work still needed to be done.

“We encourage people, if they know of other returned soldiers lying in unmarked graves, to let their local RSL know,” he said.

“We’ll take action and try to get a war grave approved.”