GeneralSir Edward Stanislaus Bulfin,KCB,CVO (6 November 1862 − 20 August 1939) was aBritish Armygeneral during theFirst World War, where he established a reputation as an excellent commander at thebrigade,divisional andcorps levels. He was most noted for his actions during theFirst Battle of Ypres, when he organized impromptu forces to slow down the German assault. In 1917–18 he commanded theXXI Corps in theSinai and Palestine campaign.

Sir Edward Bulfin
Born	(1862-11-06)6 November 1862 Rathfarnham, Ireland
Died	20 August 1939(1939-08-20) (aged 76) Boscombe,Bournemouth, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/ branch	British Army
Years of service	1884–1926
Rank	General
Unit	Royal Irish Fusiliers Green Howards
Commands	XXI Corps 60th (2/2nd London) Division 28th Division 2nd Brigade Essex Brigade
Battles / wars	Second Boer War First World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy See)

Bulfin was born Woodtown Park,Rathfarnham, County Dublin, the second son of Patrick Bulfin and Teresa Clare Carroll.^[1] His father was a son of Edward Bulfin from Derrinlough, King's County (nowCounty Offaly), and was electedLord Mayor of Dublin in 1870.^[2] He was educated atStonyhurst College, and then at Kensington Catholic Public School^[1] Although he attendedTrinity College, Dublin, he did not take a degree, choosing a military career instead.^[1]

From Dublin University he entered the Armagh Militia from where he was commissioned into thePrincess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) in November 1884,^[3][4][5] following militia service with theRoyal Irish Fusiliers.^[6][7][8] He was dispatched toIndia on 31 December 1889, and first saw active service in Burma in that year.^[9] He was promoted tocaptain on 30 January 1895.^[10][11] In 1898, after returning to England, he was appointed Garrison Adjutant at Dover, and in November embarked for South Africa with his fellow Irishman GeneralSir William Butler, as Assistant Military Secretary.

When theSecond Boer War broke out, in 1899 he was appointedbrigade major to the 9th Brigade.^[12] He saw action at several skirmishes in South Africa, and was promoted to abrevetmajor in November 1900. He was present at several battles includingBelmont andGraspan,Modder River,Magersfontein, Rhenoster and Lindley.He returned to the regular rank of captain in his regiment on 12 December 1901,^[13] and served inSouth Africa until the end of the war, when he leftCape Town on board theSS Walmer Castle in late June 1902,^[14] arriving atSouthampton the following month.

On his return to England he received abrevet promotion tolieutenant colonel in the South Africa honours list published on 26 June 1902,^[15] and abandoned regimental soldiering in favour of a staff career.^[16][6] From October 1902 to 1904, he served as deputy assistant adjutant-general (DAAG) with the2nd Division,1st Army Corps,^[17] and on 28 November 1903 he received the substantive rank ofmajor. From November 1906 he served as assistant adjutant and quartermaster general (AA&QMG) forCape Colony, in succession to ColonelNevil Macready, and for which he was promoted to brevet colonel.^[1][18] While serving in this assignment he was promoted to colonel in July 1908.^[19][20][21]

After returning to England "his career took a major step forward",^[22] as he was given command of theEssex Infantry Brigade, an unusual appointment as Bulfin had never commanded a battalion.^[1] In June 1913 he was appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the1913 Birthday Honours, "proof that he was well established".^[23][24] In late June he was promoted again, this time to the temporary rank of brigadier general, and appointed to the prestigious command of the2nd Infantry Brigade,^[1][25][20] taking over from Major GeneralThomas Morland.^[26]

From 1914 to 1939 he was regimental colonel of Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment).^[27]

On the outbreak of theFirst World War in August 1914, Bulfin and the 2nd Brigade were transported to theWestern Front as part of the originalBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF).^[1] During thefighting around Ypres at the end of October 1914, he organized an impromptu force of six battalions (known as "Bulfin's force") and led a counterattack to stem the German advance.^[1] This action won him considerable praise from thegeneral officer commanding (GOC) ofI Corps, Lieutenant GeneralSir Douglas Haig, as well as the commander of the BEF, Field MarshalSir John French.^[28] It was during this time that Bulfin was appointed colonel of his old regiment, the Green Howards, taking over from Lieutenant GeneralSir William Franklyn.^[29][30]

In December, Bulfin, promoted to major general in October,^[31] was made GOC of the newly formed28th Division, and led this formation through the heavy Germangas attacks at theSecond Battle of Ypres, and also at theBattle of Loos in the latter part of the year.^[1] Bulfin fell ill in October 1915, and was relieved of his command byHubert Gough, and spent the first half of 1916 recuperating in England, thus avoiding a transfer toSalonika, a fate which befell his division, now commanded by Major GeneralCharles James Briggs, just weeks after Bulfin returned home.^[1]

He returned to the Western Front in June 1916, six months after having become GOC of the60th (2/2nd London) Division during theBattle of the Somme, although the division did not play a significant role in the offensive.^[28]

In December 1916, the 60th Division was transferred to Salonika, although they remained for only six months and took part in no serious fighting.^[1]

Moving toPalestine in June 1917, Bulfin was promoted in August to temporary lieutenant general^[32] and given command ofXXI Corps.^[28] He proved a capable corps commander, leading his formation through Ottoman defenses at theThird Battle of Gaza, opening the way for the capture ofJerusalem.^[1] He later commanded the corps in the overwhelming victory at theBattle of Megiddo in the waning days of the war.^[1]

After the armistice, Bulfin, promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant general on 1 January 1919,^[33] remained in the army in a variety of staff positions, gaining a promotion to full general in May 1925^[34][35] and finally retiring in January 1926.^[1][36] His first position was to remain in the Middle East and Egypt in particular. During theEgyptian revolution of 1919 he was known to be a very effective military leader in putting down the unrest especially through organising 'flying columns'.^[37] In the summer of 1920 he was offered the job of Chief of Police and Head of Secret Intelligence in Ireland based on his loyalty to the Crown, his Irish origins and his swift handling of the nationalist unrest in Egypt in 1919. Bulfin refused the appointment on the grounds that as a Catholic and an Irishman it would be distasteful to him to do any work which was not of a purely military character.^[38][39]

Bufin wrote the foreword toPhilip Hugh Dalbiac'sHistory of the 60th Division (2/2nd London Division).^[40]

He died of heart failure at the age of 76 at his home inBoscombe,Bournemouth,Dorset, on 20 August 1939, shortly before the beginning of theSecond World War.^[1][41][42] He was buried "in an easily missed corner" atWimborne Road Cemetery, Bournemouth, close to the graves of two of his sisters. On the unpretentious headstone, above his name and decorations, is inscribed 'Here sleepeth until the great reveille sounds'."^[43]

Bulfin married Mary Frances Lonergan in 1898 (immediately prior to posting to South Africa), with whom he had two children.^[1]

• Edward Bulfin at First World War.com
• Edward Bulfin at the Birmingham Centre for First World War StudiesArchived 16 March 2009 at theWayback Machine
• Dictionary of National Biography online edition, accessed 19 Aug 2007
• Colour stamp of Edward Bulfin, 1920s