A Birmingham man who has spent more than 35 years taking relatives to war graves across northern Europe has been honoured with an MBE.
Alex Bulloch, of Kings Norton, founded the War Research Society together with police force colleagues in 1972.
Since then, the 75 year-old has performed a unique service by transporting people to the last resting place of loved ones who fell during both world wars, mainly in France and Belgium.
Mr Bulloch, who receives his award for services to the Birmingham War Research Society, was born in April, 1932 in East Lothian, Scotland. After national service in the British Army, he joined the Merchant Navy and was for five years an assistant cook on the Queen Mary. He subsequently served on sister ship the Queen Elizabeth and later aboard the Caronia, which regularly undertook world cruises.
In 1957, Mr Bulloch joined City of Birmingham Police, going on to found the force’s pipe band. He served as a police constable for ten years, later winning promotion to sergeant, and attended the Birmingham bomb outrages in November, 1974. Mr Bulloch retired in 1988.
Mr Bulloch said: "I first became interested in war research after travelling to Paris with my wife. I visited a cemetery over there, and on returning to Britain, my colleagues and I decided to set up trips to the former battlefields. This started to grow and we were soon regularly taking coachloads of relatives to the last resting places of their loved ones.
"This became a unique group, because although many travel companies now run battlefield tours, the War Research Society – which has charitable status – is the only organisation that performs such a personal service. I am deeply honoured by this award."
He has been a Freemason for 49 years and is a life member of Dunbar Castle No 75 Lodge. He is on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and also the Lodge of St Andrew Province of Warwickshire.
Mr Bulloch is married to Jessie and the couple have two sons, Keith and Ian.
