leon21 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Medal Trio and Plaque, to Alexander James Bell of (9th Service ) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Formed at Newcastle in September 1914 as part of K2. Later sent to Wareham area as part of 52nd Infantry Brigade for 17th ( Northern ) Division landed in France in July 1915. The Division spent it's initial period of trench familiarization and then holding the front lines in the southern area of Ypres. 1916. The Division was involved in fighting at Bluff ( South East of Ypres on the Comines Canal ) part of a number of engagements officially known as the actions of spring 1916. in V Corps ( Fanshawe ) part of 2nd Army ( Plumer ). The Battle of Albert ( in which the Division captured Fricourt ). in XV Corps ( Horne ) part of 4th Army ( Rawlinson ). The Battle for Longueval and Delville Wood. Phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916. 1917. The Division was involved in the following engagements. The first Battle of Scarpe. in VI Corps ( Haidane ) part of 3rd Army ( Allenby ). The Second Battle of Scarpe. The capture of Roeux. in XVII Corps ( Fergusson ) part of 3rd Army ( Allenby ). Phases of the Arras offensive 1917. First Battle of Passchendaele. in XIV Corps ( Earl of Cavan ) part of 5th Army ( Gough ). Second Battle of Passchendaele. in XIX Corps ( Watts ) part of 5th Army ( Gough ) Both actions engaged in taking the Greenland Hill and Passchendaele Ridge. Phases of the Third Battles of Ypres 1917. Joined 103rd Brigade of 34th Division, and on 25th Sept Absorbed the 2/1st Northumberland Yeomanry and became known as the 9th ( Northumberland Hussars ) Battalion. Fighting at Havrincourt . Fighting for the Broenbeek. Phases of the third Battle of Ypres 1917. 1918 The Division was involved in defensive actions in the first Battles of the Somme 1918 German Offensive, all the enemy's attacks upon the Division were successfully repulsed, earning special mention in F.M. Lord Haig's official despatches for its gallant defence. The Battle of St Quentin. in VI Corps ( Haidane ) part of 3rd Army ( Byng ). The Battle of Estaires. in XV Corps ( Du Cane ) part of 1st Army ( Horne ). The Battle of Bailleul. in IX Corps ( Gordon ) part of 2nd Army ( Plumer ). The first Battle for Kemmel Ridge. Actions at the Somme Crossings. The Battle of Rosiers . Phases of the Battles of Lys 1918. Joined 183rd Brigade of 61st ( 2 South Midland ) Division of XI Corps ( Haking ) part of 1st Army ( Horne ). On the La Bassee Canal near Bethune were the Germans launched the Second Phase of their Offensive. The Battle of Hazebrouck. The Battle of Bethune. Phases of the Battles of Lys 1918. After suffering heavy losses during the battles of the Lys the Division was withdrawn from fighting and moved on 21st April to the area west of Poperinge, it was reorganised here while put to work digging a new defensive line Abeele-Watou. On 13th May the infantry moved to near Lumbres and was then reduced to a Cadre employed training American troops. Private Alexander James Bell died on 9th July 1918, and is buried at Terlinchun Cemertry Wimille Pas De Calais which opened in June 1918 chiefly for burials from the near by British base hospitals. Below photo's of Blyth Memorial Ridley Park. photo's of Terlinchun Cemertry. Photo of 14 Crofton St Blyth as it is today. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I recognize those medals Colin excellent you found the monument with his name on it , great piece of research , and to think just a few weeks ago those medals were just sitting in a drawer.Well done 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommewalker Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 I recognize those medals Colin excellent you found the monument with his name on it , great piece of research , and to think just a few weeks ago those medals were just sitting in a drawer.Well done BRILLIANT POST GOOD RESEARCH 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Update on Pte Bell. Pte Bell is listed as dying of disease on 9th July 1918, the most readily caused disease identified with the First World War was the influenza pandemic, which lasted throughout the three years from 1918 to 1920. It infected 500 million people and was more deadly than the war itself claiming anything up to 100 million victims around the world. I've just finished reading the war diaries of a Ward Sister ( Nurse at the Front ) who served from 1914 to 1919, and mentions the outbreak in early 1918 and how it effected the soldiers in the trenches of both sides. Another disease she mentions is trench-fever (Diphtheria) like the influenza outbreak its spread was exacerbated by the cond- itions of war, the spread of flu aided by the movement of men and boys many being undernourished, stressed and run-down and in insanitary, overcrowded and wretched living conditions in the trenches they lived in also infected many soldiers and was just as deadly. Here are 4 more documents related to Pte Bell. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 great you got the extra documents Colin , yes not many people know about the flu pandemic never mind WW1, to think he survived through the entire war only to get hit by that a few months before the end of the war , it is a very sad story indeed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 After further research into the Bell family I've managed to find 3 more documents relating to Pte Alexander James Bell relating to his medals, a lot of his records are missing or were destroyed during the bombings of WW2. Here are the 3 I've found. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 Alexander James Bell born 1894 in Blyth worked as a coal miner for the Cowpen Coal Company at the Mill Pit Colliery Blyth, before joining up in 1914/15. Alexander Bell his father born 1868 in the village of Canobie now ( Canonbie ) Dumfrieshire was a coal miner/stoneman also worked for the Cowpen Coal Company at the Mill Pit mine, his job was working regularly with stone or rock ( not coal ) drilling shot holes or doing development work in stone drivages. Isabella Bell his mother born 1873 in Gateshead Co Durham married his father in 1893. George Bell born 1905 adopted son later in his 20s married Jeannie Chalmers. Alexander died in 1932 and Isabella died in the 1950s. Here is a photo of a Stoneman at work drilling shot holes in 1896. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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