Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William John BELL, (Service Number 53) was born at Dalwellington in Ayrshire, Scotland on 28 May 1888 and arrived in Australia in 1911. On 6 June 1912 he joined the NSWGR&T as a porter (temporary) in the Metropolitan District of the Railways Traffic Branch. The status of his position changed to permanent on 30 September 1912. On 17 August 1914 he was granted leave to join the AIF.
He joined the AIF on 22 August 1914 with the rank of Private (Service No. 53) and he was assigned to the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance. He nominated his sister, Mary Brown Bell of Paisley, Scotland, as his next of kin.
He embarked in Sydney for Egypt aboard HMAT A27 ‘Southern’ on 18 October 1914. He left Egypt for Gallipoli on 6 November 1915 and returned from there on 20 December 1915. After his return from Gallipoli he continued his duties with the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance at various locations in Egypt and Palestine until 11 April 1918. During this period, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 1 January 1916 and to the rank of Sergeant on 13 July 1917.
However, he also started to suffer physical and mental illnesses. Starting on 25 September 1917 he was off duty for two days with gastritis. On 11 April 1918 he was sent to hospital, initially in Jericho, suffering from debility and neurasthenia (the term used in WW I for ‘shell shock’). From Jericho, he was transferred from one Casualty Clearing Station to another until he reached hospital in Port Said on 16 April 1918. From there he was sent to Rest Camp on 6 May 1918, where he spent just a few days before returning to duty at Moascar on 15 May 1918. He died at Moascar on 25 May 1918, of self-inflicted wounds, and is recorded as having suicided. He was buried in Grave 1182, Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, Ismailia, Egypt.
(NAA B2455-3009191)