The East End Villain they couldn’t kill!
Bullets, Blood & Broken Bodies
The extraordinary criminal career of ‘Buller’ Ward.
Sample Chapter from book
Introduction – 1967:
‘You’ll have to do better than that, Reggie boy!’
When Buller saw the Kray twins walk into the Regency Club he knew with an absolute certainty that he would be made to pay a painful price for allying himself with Tony Maffia. He also knew that the value he placed upon friendship demanded that he not stand idly by and allow his friend to suffer a possibly deadly fate at the hands of the increasingly unhinged Kray twins.
Ever since Reggie’s wife Frances had committed suicide Reg had become as unpredictable and prone to depression as his heavily-medicated brother and it was common knowledge in London’s underworld that the Krays were now totally out of control; using ever more extreme forms of violence and murder, in order to solidify their stranglehold on the capital’s more vulnerable and impressionable criminals. In their bid to become all-powerful, the Krays were shedding the last fragile remnants of morality and leaving a trail of broken and bloodied victims in their wake.
‘I said to Tony; “We could be in dead trouble here!”
Reggie called me over and asked; “What you doing with Maffia, Buller?”
I said; “He’s a pal of mine, you know he is.”’
“Well, we’re going to fucking hurt him! He’s going to fucking pay now for not giving us that money and telling us to ‘fuck off’.’
“Can’t you leave him out, for my sake, Reggie?’ I asked. ‘After all, we’re supposed to be friends, aren’t we?”
“You’re no friend of ours, if you’re with him”, Kray responded. “You choose; him or us!”
“Fuck it then. I choose him!” I said and straight away I felt my adrenalin rising, as I knew the enormity of my decision.
I turned and walked over to Maffia and said; ‘Right, we’d best have it away on our toes fast.’
He said he needed to use the toilet first but as I turned and looked behind me I could see the Krays and their cohorts moving across the club towards us and so I shouted; ‘For fuck’s sake Tone, don’t hang about’ and he ran out the club.
With that Reggie came up to me and snarled; ‘You marked his card, Buller’.
“Course I did. What would you have done, Reg?”
If I’d expected a reasoned debate well, those days were long gone. No longer was I the older villain who they respected and sought an alliance with. They’d outgrown the need for my protection or help. They feared no-one now.
Reggie lashed out with a right-hander to my jaw but I saw the punch coming and rode it. I smiled derisively and said; “You’ll have to do a lot better than that, Reggie boy!”
Then Ronnie stepped forward and threw a punch at me, followed by a quick cluster of blows from Reggie.
To be honest, the twins couldn’t fight and I could’ve smacked the fuck out of both of them in a straightener but they were nasty bastards and didn’t fight fair, as I found out when one of their crew cracked me from behind with a cosh.
The pain in my head from that blow, from a cowardly little mug named Ginger, dropped me to my knees and I looked up and saw Harry Abrahams handing the twins some tools.
Although he didn’t actually take part in the beating, I held Abrahams just as responsible as the other bastards who were beginning to kick lumps out of me. Cowardly fuckers, all of them!
I lay on the floor and tried to cover up but then I felt something sharp stabbing into my thigh and I saw something glistening in Reggie Kray’s hand. He kneeled over me with a crazed look and began slicing away at my face like a maniacal butcher hacking at some tough meat.
I could see my blood pooling around me, as the Krays and their henchmen battered away at me and then Reggie stood up, panting and regarded his handiwork.
‘You should’ve done him with a shooter’, observed Ronnie impassively and then the twins walked away, leaving me lying there trying to retain consciousness.
It was only later that I found out one of the bastards had shot me!”
quotes
"I've known Buller for over 50 years and can highly recommend his book. He's been a good friend and I'd advise anyone to read Buller's book and find out first-hand the true behind-the-scenes story of London's underworld."
Johnny Nash
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"I met Buller Ward many years ago. He’s a generation above me, but I always admired him. I knew Buller to be one of the best street fighters that ever lived: also he was a man who is deeply respected by everyone. He worked and knew all the major villains in London where he hailed from. The Richardson gang, Georgie and Jimmy Woods, Jack Spot and in my opinion the all time ‘Guvnor’ Billy Hill; all thought and spoke very highly of Buller.
When I was in prison with Reggie Kray, Reg said to me “I’ve done many things in my life and I don’t regret much. But I do regret falling out with Buller Ward. He is a good man.”
I know Buller to be an exceptional fighting man and a man of honour and courage who never grassed anyone, and took his bird like a man, in fact ‘a great man’ "
Danny Woollard
Author - We Dared & Wild Cats
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"I was only a kid when I met Buller and I know that both my parent were very fond of him. My dad Peter was always robbing places with Buller and coming home with sacks full of gold etc from Jewellers. There were many different villains and Herbert’s coming to our house in those days and one thing my dad said, which always stuck with me was.
‘The only one that you can ever trust 100% is your uncle Buller, his word is his bond and he will always put you right if I get my collar felt’. "
Jamie O’Keefe – Author – Thugs Mugs & Violence
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“Buller was a very tough & commanding character. Basically, you did whatever he wanted you to do & that went down through the Firm. Ronnie Kray, was probably the one person that really done his own thing, even if Buller was against it. Reg though, used to listen to Buller & had a lot of respect for him. I hope the publication does well for Buller....good luck"
Eric Mason
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I have always had respect for Buller and his name was always held in high regards. He was a man you could trust and never took liberties with anyone also he was a man that not many fell out with. Reg Kray set about him one day at the Regency Club, firm handed, because Buller wouldn’t dessert his mate Tony Maffia. Buller could have taken out either of the Twins in a straighter and they knew it. Reg and co cut Buller to shreds. It was undeserved and cowardly and I told Reg so. Buller didn’t warrant that and it goes to show the type of man Buller was. He would stand by his friends regardless of the consequences to himself. Buller will always have my respect.
Freddie Foreman
Krays enforcer and Author
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“Buller was a big lump & very much his own man, he was a decent man. He was from Hoxton & would drink in a pub called ‘The Standard’ with his great pal called Tommy the Talker!
He was not on any firm; he was his own man & a very hard man for sure. Even the Kray’s needed weapons to subdue him, he could really have a row & even the Twins were a bit wary of him. The main thing about Buller was that he was a real grafter, one of the best... What we used to call them were ‘Money Getters’ & Buller was one of, if not THE best money getters I ever met! I would think there will be mixed emotion about Buller as he was either loved or hated but no bully. He knew Tommy ‘The Bear’ Brown well, the REAL tough guys! I think of Buller as a very decent & underrated man.
Regards
Chris Lambrianou
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“He was an OK bloke”,
Charlie Richardson
