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Hugh Reginald Bell - Tank Corps


delta

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Grateful for any info from ODGA and other sources please.

Info I have to date is

Lt Hugh Reginald Bell. Poss DOB Apr /Jun 1879 in Hannover square London. Initially commissioned into Trent Contingent of the OTC, ceased to serve in Jan 1915. T/Lt MGC 1 Jul 1916 (LG 7486 dated 28 Jul 1916) During action on 15th Sep, Bell was injured by artillery fire splinters. T/Capt 12 Apr 1917 (LG 26 Jul 17) A/Maj 20 Apr 1918 whilst comding a coy (LG 26 Jun 1918).

The Tank Corps Roll of Honour lists 2Lt HR Bell of Bickley but CWGC website lists “Maj Hugh Reginald Bell of 11th Bn Tank Corps died 3 Sep 1918, aged 39 years, and buried at Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery at Souchez."

Stephen :)

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Fast ! - have you got a jet engine fitted in yorr wagon or what

Many thanks indeed :)

Stephen

PS any more info from other sources would be gratefully appreciated

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Bored, avoiding doing any work, etc....

The details you have already, London Gazette, obviously, but the injury, is this from his papers? I can only find two HR Bell in WO 374: -

WO 374/5510 BELL, Lieut H R 1900-1921

WO 374/5511 BELL, 2/Lieut H R 1910-1919

and 19 Bell H in WO 339: -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...&image1.y=0

I suppose there are always the War Diaries also.

Regards

Farmer

(ex Armoured Engineer crewman and commander)

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Times of 18-9-1918 gives:

Killed in Action

BELL - Killed in action on 3rd Sep. HUGH REGINALD BELL, Major, Tank Corps, youngest son of the late Rev. Samuel Bell and Mrs Bell, of 1 Moreton Road, Oxford, age 39 years.

Can't see him on 1901 Census, but 1891 has Hugh R Bell, born Pimlico, London, about 1880, son of Samuel & Elizabeth Bell. This Samuel is a "Clerk in Holy Orders" so a good bet. Address ..... Leigh, Frome (?) Road, Stockwell/Lambeth.

1881 Census Lists him as born Westminster, about 1880, Address 15 Bessboro Street, Samuel = Army Tutor Curate of S. Saviours.

Ah, on the 1901 Census he is an Undergraduate at Magdelen College, Oxford.

Steve.

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Steve

You are the master; I had assumed that (from his service with the OTC) that he was a school master and your info obviously supports this. I will also try the list of Magdelen students for further news!

Farmer

The details of the injuries are from Trevor Pidgeon's magnum opus - if he says Bell was injured, I will not argue

On.......... on............

Stephen

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Stephen,

I wasn't questioning the detail, I just wondered where it came from. That sort of thing is often in a set of service papers and I didn't want to tell you about a document you already had.

Regards

Farmer

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Farmer - sorry if I sounded sharp; wasn't my intention

Thanx for your help

Stephen

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  • 5 years later...

I thought Pals might be interested in seeing this picture of Hugh Bell.

The CWGC and Sphere state he was MID but sadly i can't find the date - I assume it was in late 1916

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  • 5 years later...

Just found this touching tribute to Hugh Bell in the St Paul's Cathedral Choristers' Magazine

 

Hugh Reginald Bell came to the school in 1888, and left in 1894. He was a Major in the Tank Corps and was killed in action on September 3 (1918) aged 39.
“Going into action for the second time that day, he was hit in the chest by shrapnel, and death was painless and instantaneous.… He was killed while carrying out a maxim of his – never to let his men go anywhere or do anything that he would not do himself.”

 

 http://www.thegreatsilence.co.uk/the-great-silence-blog/choristers#comments

Bell studio portrait.png

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38 minutes ago, delta said:

Going into action for the second time that day, he was hit in the chest by shrapnel, and death was painless and instantaneous.…


I have my doubts about that.

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Latest news on Hugh Bell.

 

He was killed on 2 September 1918 and not the Third as published on the CWGC website/

This is confirmed in the War History of 11th Tank Battalion and the records of the grave concentration which are attached to the CWGC site

 

 

Bell death 11th  Bn War History.jpg

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Stephen

 

It is a common problem with reporting of deaths. My view is that it occurred  because the report of a death received at higher formation was received the day following and  it appears that this was actually recorded as the date of death.

 

TR

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  • 6 months later...

The CWGC haveamended their database - his date of death is now correctly recorded as 2 Sep 18.

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