BELL, Willoughby George
| Service Number: | 334 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 September 1914, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Moonta, South Australia, 9 September 1876 |
| Home Town: | Norwood (SA), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Norwood Public School, Sturt Street Public School, Prince Alfred College, University of Adelaide and School of Mines Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Mining Engineer, Land Agent |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 2 May 1915, aged 38 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Adelaide University of Adelaide WW1 Honour Roll, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kent Town Prince Alfred College 'Nobly Striving, Nobly Fell' Roll of Honour, Kings Park Western Australia State War Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 334, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 334, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 334, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 334, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 334 awm_unit: 16 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1915-05-02 |
Biography
Early Life
Willoughby George Bell was born at Moonta, South Australia on the 9th September 1876, the son of George Bell and Eliza Jarrett Eagle.
His siblings were Florence (1874), twins Horace and Herbert (1879), Reginald (1883) and Daisy 1881).
Schooling
Willoughby attended Norwood Primary School and in September1888 he passed Preliminary Examinations and was awarded an Exhibition.
In 1889 he attended the Sturt Street School and was awarded an Exhibition.
Willoughby attended Prince Alfred College as a day boy. He passed Junior Examinations in English, Latin, Mathematics and Chemistry 1890 and Senior Examinations in English (credit), Latin, Greek and Chemistry in 1891 (aged 15 years).
Career
It is unclear where Willoughby worked after finishing High School but given his later studies it may have been with the mining company.
We do know that he was a member of the Adelaide Rowing Club from at least 1892 to 1898 as he competed in rowing events. In March 1893 he won the Individual Cup and in 1897 he was in the Eight which won the Smith Challenge Shield.
Willoughby was a member of Our Boys’ Institute from at least 1894 to 1902. He was on their General Committee for a number of years and attended their Easter Camps. By 1890 he was one of the adults in charge of a tent at the camps. He also took First Aid classes given by St John’s Ambulance.
From 1894 to 1902 he was involved with Our Boys’ Institute. He was on the General Committee and attended Easter Camps. He also took First Aid Classes with St John’s Ambulance while with the OBI.
He was a member of the Stow Church Literary Society and in 1897 he participated in one of their debates.
University
At the age of 20 Willoughby commenced studying at the School of Mines passing Preliminary Assaying and Chemistry in 1896, Preliminary Assaying Section B, Preliminary Metallurgy and Assaying, Second Year Chemistry in 1897 and Advanced Assaying (First Class), Advanced Metallurgy and Assaying in 1898.
He also studied at the University of Adelaide passing Applied Mathematics, Mathematics Pt I, Physics Part I and Inorganic Chemistry Pt I in 1899, Special Mining Course Physics, Surveying and Leveling, Mechanical Drawing in 1900 and Pure Mathematics I, Chemistry (Final Theoretical), Practical Chemistry and Assaying (Wet Methods) in 1901.
From 1899-1902 he was receiving a yearly scholarship of £10 as an Evening Student.
In December 1901 he graduated from The University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Science.
He passed Metallurgy as part of Diploma of Metallurgy in December 1902 And in December 1903 after completion of six months practical work he was awarded in absentee a Diploma of Mining Engineering and Metallurgy from School of Mines.
In September 1903 Willoughby was the Timekeeper at Kyre College’s first annual athletic sports.
Family Life
It is unclear when Willoughby left South Australia but by 1907 he was working in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
On the 25th May 1907 he married Emma Gertrude, youngest daughter of G. T. Hodgkins, Fernhurst Grove, Kew, Victoria at the residence of bride's parents.
On the 8th April 1908 the couple had twin daughters at the Glandore Private Hospital, Macdonald St, Kalgoorlie. The girls were named Ellie Winnifred and Muriel Gertrude. Tragically Ellie Winnifred passed away aged just 3 weeks. The funeral left the couples residence, Croesus South G.M, on the 2nd May 1980 for the Methodist portion of the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.
In November 1909 Willoughby joined the Australian Institute of Mining Engineers and he later became a Life Member of the Institute. He was for some time the manager of the Croesus South G.M. Co., Kalgoorlie.
In about 1910/11 Willoughby’s marriage broke down due to possible infidelity and his wife and remaining daughter moved to Victoria. In a later letter Willoughby’s brother stated that Willoughby’s had a nervous breakdown around this time.
In July 1911 Willoughby George' Bell, metallurgist, of Paddington (north of Kalgoorlie) was in court as a result of non payment for goods sold and delivered. He was ordered to pay the sum of £238 to Hoskins & Co.
By 1912 Willoughby had moved to Perth, Western Australia and he was an Estate Agent at Surrey Chambers, George St, Perth.
World War I
Willoughby enlisted on the 13th October 1914 at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia. He was 38 years old. 5’5½“, 164 lbs, with a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair. He gave his occupation as mining engineer (SN 334). He became a Corporal with the 16th Battalion on the 23rd December 1914.
After training in Victoria he embarked at Melbourne onboard A40 “Ceramic ” on the 22nd December 1914. The 16th Bn arrived in Egypt in February 1915 and were at the staging ground on Lemnos in early April 1915.
Willoughby proceeded to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli Peninsula on the 12th April 1915.
There was a lot of confusion regarding Willoughby fate at Gallipoli partly due to their being two men with the surname Bell in the 16th Bn. Some thought that he was wounded, returned to ANZAC Cove and took ship to Malta while others believed he was killed.
On the 2nd May 1915 he was reported wounded and then wounded and missing.
The general consensus was that he had been part of the assault on Dead Man’s Ridge between Pope’s post and Quinn’s post on the 2nd May 1915 and that he was killed in action.
It wasn’t until a Court of Enquiry on the 6th April 1916 that Willoughby was declared to be killed in action on the 2nd May 1915.
He has no known grave and is commemorated Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Aftermath
The delays in determining Willoughby fate and the fact that he was separated from his wife and child, resulted in considerable correspondence on his Service Record.
Sources
AWM
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1257134
National Archives of Australia
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3008564
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3009228
GenealogySA https://www.genealogysa.org.au/
National Library of Australia Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87313299/8617133
Trove articles tagged Willoughby George Bell
Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files 1914/18 1DLR/0428 (SLSA)
Author: EE (Beth) Filmer, Adelaide, South Australia
Submitted 30 May 2025 by Eleanor Filmer
Biography
Willoughby George BELL (1876-1915)
Son of George BELL and Eliza Jarrett nee EAGLE
Prince Alfred College 1890-1891
"A MISSING CORPORAL.
From R. C. Bell, Parade, Norwood:— "Regarding the report in the biographical column of The Register of No. 334 Cpl. W. G. Bell, D Company, 16th Infantry, 4th Brigade, who was reported as being wounded on May 2 - the reports concerning my brother have been very conflicting, and I thought there was a possibility that some of the returned 16th would be able to enlighten us, as they were with the Western Australians. The latest information we have received is from a Miss Elliott, of Perth, and formerly of Norwood. She wrote to her brother, who was in the same company. His reply was that my brother was wounded, and that they were at the beach waiting to go aboard the hospital ships; also that my brother was sent to Malta, and he expected to see him when he returned to duty, but had since lost all trace of him. As I understand that there are many Australians in England suffering from nerves, there is a possibility of something like that having occurred to my brother, as he had a nervous breakdown in Kalgoorlie about five years ago. We. have written to the defence authorities several times, and it seems as though they cannot trace him." - from the Adelaide Register 31 Dec 1915 (nla.gov.au)
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