Death: Direct hit on an air raid shelter at 3 Exeter Road, Welling
Address / Local links: 5 Exeter Road, Welling
Family / Relatives: Husband of Lena Oliver Bulgin
Other Information: A retired police constable.
The 11th of November 1940 was Armistice Day, when throughout the nation Britain would have been remembering the awful years of WW1, but another war was about to claim the lives of two local civilians, William and Lena Bulgin, who would have already lived through the 1914-18 war…
William James Bulgin was born in March 1881 to John (a metal machinist) and Emma. He grew up in Plumstead , and attended Bloomfield Road School.
In 1906 he was married at All Saints Church Rotherhithe to Lena Oliver Bridger – they lived at 53 Riverdale Road, Plumstead. The 1921 Census lists him as living at 1 Goldsmith Street in Plumstead, and being “an out of work carpenter”…Subsequently he must have joined the police, and must have moved to Welling in the following years…
It was here, in an air raid shelter at 3 Exeter Road, next door to their home, that they died when a direct hit from an enemy bomber killed them both.
William, a retired police constable, was 59 years old.
His body was identified by his daughter, Doris Lena Stroudley, of 27 Little Heath Road.
Poignantly, the Civilian Deaths Register lists some final details about him;
RECORD OF CIVILIAN DEATHS (From Bexley Archives)
PARTICULARS PENDING IDENTIFICATION – 5ft 11ins tall, well built – hair straight, dark turning grey…
INVENTORY OF PERSONAL EFFECTS – Grey socks, grey pullover, light blue striped shirt, iron grey trousers, white vest, blue braces…
Pair of horn rimmed glasses, a bunch of keys, two pocket knives, and a police travel pass issued to PC 306B –Bulgin…
BURIED BY LOCAL AUTHORITY –. Buried in East Wickham Churchyard on 18th November 1940
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If anyone is able to add any extra information, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
Commemorated
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to William James Bulgin, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.