2nd Lt. C.S. Gell, 1st W.Yorks.

[BottsGreys]

Remembering:

Name: GELL, CHRISTOPHER STOWELL

Initials: C S

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Regiment/Service: West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 18/09/1916

Additional information: Son of the Rev. Canon William and Helen Gell, of The Vicarage, Pontefract, Yorks.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 2 A 2 C and 2 D.

Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

From de Ruvigny's: 2nd Lt. Christopher Stowell Gell, 1st Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorks Regt). Prize cadet at Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Gazetted 2nd Lieut. 10 August 1915. Went to France 25 July 1916, and was killed in action on the Somme front 18 Sept following. Buried in the neighborhood of Combles. "Lieut. Gell had been hit in the shoulder as soon as he and his men had gone over the parapet, and almost directly was again hit in the temple by a bullet, being killed instantaneously. ..."His conduct just before his death, after his arm had been badly messed up, was a splendid example and incitement to his platoon."

Below: Christopher Stowell Gell as a member of D Company, Royal Military College, June 1915

Chris

[BottsGreys]

Just bringing this one back to the top after several years. Lt. Gell is one of cadets in my R.M.C. photo I have been researching. (see previous thread: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...c=55389&hl= )

I was wondering if anyone might have some information about the action in which he died. As always, thanks for reading this.

Chris

[Old Owl]

Hi Chris,

I have just seen your enquiry regarding C.S.Gell. A portrait of him in his West Yorkshires uniform appears in the book 'Oundle Memorials' with a short write up which includes the detail: "He went out to France on July 25, and was killed in an advance on a strong point near the Quadrilateral on September 18, 1916." An officer wrote: "Your son was regarded as one of our best young officers."

From the West Yorkshire Regimental history, pages 264-265: 18th Sept. "Zero hour was fixed for 5-50 a.m., and at that hour D Company began a bombing attack up the trenches towards the Quadrilateral. B and C Companies attacked frontally across the open, but were met by very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, which caused so many casualties that a temporary withdrawal to the starting point was made. At Zero plus 10 minutes, two platoons of A Company advanced to a quarry, 250 yards infront of the Quadrilateral and dug in. By 6-10 a.m. D Company had captured a strong point and bombing up the trench met the 14th D.L.I. At this moment B and C Companies, having been reorganised, again advanced and joined up with the Durhams on the right and A Company on the left. At 6-15 a.m. consilidation began. ------ Thus the whole of the Quadrilateral, which had for some days defied capture, was captured in less than an hour, reflecting great credit on the 1st Bn West Yorkshire Regiment and the 14th D.L.I. The weather was atrocious.

Captains Corp and Trafford-Rawson, Sec.Lts. Gell and Green and 10 o/r's were killed; 4 officers and 93 o/r's were wounded and 38 o/r's were missing.

Hope that this is what you are looking for.

Regards, Robert

[BottsGreys]

Hello Robert:

Fantastic--just what I was hoping for. Thanks and greatly appreciated--you have been a great help with these cadets.

It is nice to chat with you again.

Chris

P.S.--from his pic, Gell looks a mere youngster (which, I guess, he technically was), but from what it says in de Ruvigny's , he was a gamer.

[Old Owl]

Hi Chris,

You are most welcome. If I can help any further, please just ask and I shall do my best. Please let me know if you would like a copy of his photo from the Oundle book?

Yes, he was but a mere boy, yet obviously took his position very seriously and leading from the front, made the ultimate sacrifice. God rest his gallant soul.

As a memorial to another young officer, also age 19, states: " A boy he spent his boy's dear life for England. Be content: No honour of age had been more excellent."

Regards, Robert

[IPT]

UNVEILING OF PONTEFRACT

WAR MEMORIAL

Another universally popular step taken by the committee was the invitation to dedicate the memorial offered to the Rev. canon W. Gell, M.A., now Vicar of Holme-in-Cliviger, near Burnley, who was Vicar of Pontefract for 19 years, and during the latter part of his vicariate himself lost his youngest son, Sec. Lt. C.S. Gell.

http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:pKXrOeu...=clnk&gl=uk

[Chris Noble]

Hi Chris.

Gell is posted to the battalion whilst they are located in Brigade Reserve at Englebelmer, Somme, on the 13th August, 1916.

Kindest regards,

Chris.

[BottsGreys]

Hi Robert:

Yes, I would appreciate a copy of Gell's photo from the book. If you want to post here that woud be fine, but I will PM you

with my email address if it would be easier for you to send it directly to me.

Chris

[BottsGreys]

IPT and Chris N:

Thanks for the additional info about Gell--greatly appreciated! IPT--The account of the memorial dedication is particularly detailed--makes it easy to picture the scene in your mind. Chris, I see that Lt. Gell was with the battalion barely a month when he died.

Chris