John Richard Bell - military musician

[Guest N Baker]

Can anyone help?

I am looking for any information about my Grandfather who was a musician and played the trombone in world war 1. I am told he only went to France and was at the battle of the somme. However my father remembers seeing a photograph of him wearing shorts and holding his trombone. I assume he left the army after the war, he certainly worked as a musician in the 1930's and I do not know if he took part in WW2.

I have few details, but here they are -

John Richard Bell

Born in Derbyshire in 1894

I am told he was a violinist who learnt to play the trombone for the army.

What regiments had military bands in WW1?

Where could I go to find out more information?

Would I be able to access his service record from somewhere?

Any information gratefully received.

thank you

N. Baker

[squirrel]

Go to the main site and look at the sections on researching a soldier.

Come back with what info you have and I am sure that somebody will be able to help. Welcome to the forum.

[Guest N Baker]

Thank you Squirrel, I had previously looked in the section you mentioned. Unfortunately I have so little factual information, this gave me no leads.

Here is all the information/hearsay that I have.

Facts – John Richard Bell was born in 1894 in Holbrook, Eckington, Derby

He married Evelyn Katrine Lax in 1920 in Redcar.

His family had occupations linked to the coal mining industry, yet he became a professional musician- violinist.

By 1921 he was living in Glasgow.

I have no medals, I have no photos, I only have information gleaned through family.

I never met my grandfather, he and my grandmother separated in 1942 and my father never saw him again.

Hearsay –

He was a violinist who learnt to play the trombone in, or for the army.

He went to France and was at the Battle of the Somme.

He never went anywhere else abroad, but there was a ‘remembered’ photo of him in uniform shorts with his trombone.

He joined the army in 1914.

He left the army in 1920.

He may have been in the Durham Light Infantry (a guess).

He died before 1972, but what year and where I have not yet been able to find out – rumoured to live in London, perhaps Nottinghill.

Research –

On the national archives a search for Bell reveals there are over 500 records, J. Bell shows the following entries for Durham and Derbyshire.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...resultcount=529

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...&resultcount=17

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=6

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=6

Question –

Would there have been a ‘different’ medal which would identify a musician? Hopefully then I could narrow down which medal card may be his?

What role would musicians have in time or war, surely not just playing 'the last post'.

I have no information at all about what he may have done in WWII.

I would appreciate any addresses or sites to go to for further information.

Thanks again

Nicki

[ian turner]

Nicki

There is one John Richard Bell in the MIC's - a corporal in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

No idea if it is your man, but at least the name fits? You will need to check for his army service record at Kew, if it still exists, as the only way to identify him correctly.

Ian

[SteveE]

Hi Nicki and welcome to the forum.

There is one John Richard Bell in the MIC's - a corporal in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

and a further 41 John R Bell and numerous other plain John Bells, any of whom could be your man, talk about a needle in a haystack.

There is no way, with the information you have that you can positively identify any of the MIC's online with your Grandfather, as a musician he would receive exactly the same medals as anyone else.

Unless you can find any other information to narrow down the search your best bet, as I see it, is to see if his service record survives at the NA, Kew. Even then there is only a 30% chance of finding it.

Hope this helps and happy hunting.

Steve

[Guest N Baker]

Thanks Steve and Ian,

I have downloaded a copy of John Richard Bell's MIC and now intend to visit Kew to check this and other leads out.

I do know that this is like searching for a needle in a haystack, but I have had the most success in this particuar haystack. Other information I have found out about him has been very sparse and slow in coming. This feels good, at least I have got some information to check through.

First though I have to decipher the first MIC.

Regards

Nicki

[SteveE]

Nicki

What you have there is a MIC for 22897 Corporal John Richard Bell, 3rd Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. He enlisted 7th July 1915 and was discharged due to sickness on 7th November 1917.

He was entitled to the Victory and British War Medals, Medal Roll Ref. O/1/105 B28 page 6367 refers to this award (this reference can be converted into a WO series number at the NA, Kew which will lead you to his entry in the actual Medal Roll itself).

He was also awarded the Silver War Badge, Roll Ref. O/480/1 refers to this and can again be converted into a WO series number at the NA.

If family hearsay is correct in that he served 1914 to 1920 then this MIC isn't his, but family hearsay can, and often is, wrong. As before your best bet would be to check to see if a service record exists for him.

Additionally you could cross refer the possible MIC's with the CWGC website to see if any of them died. This will at least remove some of the possibles from your searches.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[Guest N Baker]

Thanks for the translation Steve.

It is a good idea to reduce possible Bell's by looking at the CWGC website.

Yes it helped

Thanks again

Nicki

[Kate Wills]

I'm glad you are enjoying the Forum Nikki. Welcome aboard.

Bandsmen often became stretcher-bearers in battle. Otherwise (and I stand to be corrected here) their duties were identical to other infantrymen, and they bore arms.

Where was he and / or his family living up to and including the war years? Local newspapers often carried reports of local men on active service. Visit the British Newspaper Library at Colindale (they have an excellent website) to find the newspaper which covered the relevent area. Additionally, being a musician he had probably featured in news reports of concerts, qualifications etc. Did he play in the local theatre orchestra? Did he have a day job (many held 9-5 jobs by day, and played professional engagements in the evening).

When you know his whereabouts, ring the Local Studies section at the library and County Records Office (such as Derbyshire CRO) and ask if they have any mentions of him in their indexes.

You do however have one definate piece of information which may provide a start. You know when and where he married. You could apply for the marriage certificate, which will show his occupation, and if you are lucky his place of employment. Addionally, the newspaper covering Redcar may well have carried announcement of the engagement and marriage, and a report of the wedding which includes a potted history of the happy couple.