Seeking info on Bell William P., Pte Royal Irish Regiment

[Pere]

Seeking any information on Bell, William P., Service No: 6256, 1^st Batt. Royal Irish Regiment, Date of Death 25^th November 1914, buried in COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY.

Pere

[archangel9]

Do you have access to Ancestry?

Medal Index Card and Service records for Bell, William P., Service No: 6256 are there.

John

[sotonmate]

Pere

The Long Long Trail,at top left of this page,gives the 2nd Battalion as being in Theatre from 14 August 1914,the date on his Service Record. The 1st Battalion didn't arrive in France until Nov 1914.

His service record shows that he was missing at some time between 19 and 21 October 1914. This was when the Battle of La Bassee was under way and the 2 RIR as part of 8 Brigade of 3 Division were engaged there. The Battalion lost many troops as POWs at that time.

His papers later say that he died in a Hospital in Dortmund of a GSW and pneumonia.

Sotonmate

[archangel9]

Pere,

He also appears in a casualty list in the Times of 15th Feb. 1915 along with 200+ men of the Royal Irish Regiment reported missing.

John

[Pere]

John, Sotonmate,

Many thanks for the details. I'm slowly working through dozens of names and units but very little else. I'm fairly new to this type of research and greatly appreciate all the help I'm receiving from members of the Forum.

Best regards

Pere