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Tom was born in Kadina on the 29th September, 1912 to Michael and Ellen Evelyne Bell. Michael’s family had come from Ireland, but Michael was born at Marrabel before the family moved to Newtown. The three sons, Michael, Tom and Harry all initially working in the Kadina area and played football for their Wallaroo Mining team. Michael worked for the Wallaroo and Moonta Mining Company as a platelayer, laying and maintaining plates used to haul copper over rails. Michael and Ellen had three children including Tom (probably named after his uncle), Gertrude and Kathleen.
The Yorke Peninsula town of Kadina was central to the copper mining industry and part of the historic “Little Cornwall” towns which included Moonta and Wallaroo. It is also an important farming area.
Tom followed in his father’s and uncle’s footsteps in playing football for Kadina and being a reliable player. He attended the Sisters of St. Joseph’s school in Kadina where he gained his Qualifying Certificate in ’25 also passing in book-keeping. The previous year his 17-year-old sister, Gertrude married Oswald Gilbert Baker who later worked as an attendant in the time checker’s office in the Mile End Loco yard. The couple enjoyed their young children until 1926, an horrific year. Their 3-month-old baby son, Brian Ernest died in April. Just six months later, 22-year-old Oswald was knocked down by a rail engine in an area used for shunting purposes near the coal gantries. His left arm had been severed but as the accident was not witnessed, it was some time before he was found, having died of his injuries. Gertrude did receive some compensation from the Railways for his death and for the longer-term benefit of the children, Kelvin and Lance.
Two years later Gertrude re-married Harry Raymond, a baker and lived in Kadina. In February ’39 aged 31, she fell ill and died suddenly, leaving Harry to care for the three boys, Kelvin, Lance and Neil.
Post school, Tom gained employment as a baker in Snowtown where he was highly respected. Tom was 23 when his father died in May ‘36. A moving tribute was placed in the Kadina and Wallaroo Times. ‘In the sudden passing out of a very old friend, in the person of Mick Bell, quite a flood of recollections pours in upon the mind. Mick was better known to us as a miner, and in this capacity we make our study. He was one of the most popular chaps you would come across. I often used to meet Mick, and then he would put over a good-humored incident or discuss some topic relating to the times. In the pre-depression days of the mines Mick was in demand often in helping the men get on with their work by doing something to the train line, either at Taylor's or Young's end. One thing I always liked about Mick, and that was, although he was a follower of the Roman Catholic church, he never allowed his religious beliefs to interfere with his friendships. He kept the first as his duty and made the second one a plank in his social life.
‘The Bell family was well known, Tommy and Harry as good footballers. Newtown was the quiet sanctuary of their abode, and here Mick lived out an acceptable and neighborly life. It is with men of this type that we find it hard to part, for they entwine themselves into our lives, and in a sense, as a business man said of Mick this week, "he was one of us." I thought a lot of this tribute, for Mick has gone over, leaving behind something that we have learned to respect, the congenial radiance of his personality.’
With the outbreak of WWII Tom enlisted in Clare on the 6th July ’40. He was allocated the number SX8265 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. His early days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before he and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. Tom’s pre-embarkation leave coincided with his birthday, so he travelled home for that precious time with family. His mother organised a social party at his home with over 50 family and friends attending. The Kadina and Wallaroo Times reported that ‘The evening was spent in community singing, songs and recitations, and passed off very, pleasantly.’, Tom's former employer, Mr J. Stevens, of Snowtown made him a presentation on behalf of Mrs Stevens and himself. Similarly, Mr Syd Taylor represented the Kadina Sub-branch R.S.A. Tom was roundly congratulated for his decision to enlist and on having joined the 2/48th A.I.F. To round off the evening, a typical country supper was enjoyed.
A further farewell was also organised on the 21st October, when a huge gathering of locals filled the Kadina Town Hall to wish good luck and Godspeed to their seven young enlistees. Of these, five were allocated to the 2/48th Battalion and besides Tom, were Clarrie Stewart SX7508, George Gulley SX7264, Len Loveridge SX7743, and Louis Samuel SX7367. George, who had enlisted just days before Tom was to die of wounds in Egypt on 2nd May ’41. The others were to survive and return home at the conclusion of the war.
Organised by the Kadina District Council, The Kadina and Wallaroo Times reported that the meeting opened with the National Anthem before the chairman, Cr Pedler gave an emotive speech outlining that the Community was seeking “to do honor to the men who were going to serve their King, the Empire and their Country in this hour of stress and trial. The men were shouldering a great responsibility, and we could not do too much for them. He was delighted with the fine attendance, which thus showed its appreciation of the noble decision made by the young men, who were in every way worthy of all commendation.” Mayor Measday spoke in a similar vein saying that “he regretted conscription had been introduced in England, for the men would have offered themselves without it. And this is what our boys had done and were doing. On behalf of the town, and in all sincerity, I say that we are proud of you, we thank you, and when you come back again we will welcome you even more heartily and do whatever we possibly can for you, and all that is in our power; I wish you all Godspeed and a safe return."
Other speeches followed before the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund presented each man with the customary parcel of comforts. Each soldier responded briefly and in characteristic style. “It was one thing to join up, and another, and harder thing to say goodbye to good friends, said one of them, while another, with a touch of humour, said they were like the man with the wheelbarrow, with their job in front of them." Parents or their representatives then spoke before the final singing of Auld Langsyne and personal farewells to each of the seven men.
Tom and his fellow 2/48th Battalion, embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and disembarked on the 17th December. He was then unfortunate to be one of the group of men who contracted mumps and had to be hospitalised at the start of January before being able to re-join his 2/48th Battalion to complete a few months training in Cyrenaica. This was followed by Tobruk at the start of April 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. Tom was to become one of the famed Rats of Tobruk.
The battalion had just arrived when in May ‘41 Tom was listed as one of 29 wounded in action as was Leonard James Rodda SX7327 from neighbouring Moonta. Tom sustained a gunshot wound in his right arm and was evacuated to hospital. His injury occurred in the fierce fighting for Hill 209 which also claimed the lives of seven others. John Glenn in his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ described conditions that day at Dimra :“At 3:50 am on 1st May the men of the 2/48th stood-to to await the outcome of the battle which had raged all through the night. In thick mist, darkness, and bitter cold they snatched a quick breakfast of bully beef and hard biscuits.” In an attempt to take Hill 209 in the heavy dust storm marked by overhead enemy aircraft targeting their carrying vehicles, ‘D Company moved out steadily with two platoons forward- 18 Platoon under Lieutenant Larkins on the right and 17 Platoon with Sergeant Tonkin in command on the left.’ ‘The company then moved well forward under control, and came under small arms fire, but continued until they came under very heavy machine-gun fire from the direction of the Water Point and Post S4.’
The remainder of that day was chaotic, information scant, the men weary and under heavy fire and a sandstorm raged. The next morning there was a terrific dust storm but a foot patrol set out to find their soldiers who had not returned. For a few of those missing men it was some time before their fate was confirmed. An appalling day for the close knit 2/48th.
While his arm was healing, Tom undertook extra training courses with the Infantry Trig Battalion, for which he attained a distinction. By March ’42 Tom was again back in hospital for treatment of a further bullet wound and injury to his right median nerve. Later that year Tom was appointed Lance Corporal before finally leaving the Middle East and heading back to Melbourne in February ’43. Whilst on the ship he developed several illnesses including a chancre requiring another bout of hospitalisation. Jaundice and hepatitis followed soon after and Tom was again hospitalised.
Before the war, Tom knew of Thelma May McMahon who also lived in Kadina. She was a talented basketball (netball) player and also hockey, representing the town in the latter sport for the prestigious Country Carnival held in Adelaide in ’38. Back home on leave, Tom married Thelma on October 2nd ’43 at Scots Church, North Terrace in Adelaide. This was the same church where Thelma had been bridesmaid for her youngest sister, Enid in May ‘41.
Tom was eventually discharged in June ’44. In December the following year he was one of 67 returned service personnel feted at the Kadina Town Hall, hosted by the Mayor and Mayoress. A huge ‘Welcome’ banner was displayed in the front while in the evening this was brilliantly illuminated with colored lights. The local band played outside while the interior was described by the local paper as ‘nicely arranged with Allied flags displayed around the hall, and on the stage, pot plants in bloom, with hydrangeas and begonias interwoven with fern, made a delightful scene, and with the happy feelings, a cheerful atmosphere prevailed the whole evening. The seating accommodated about 500 people in the hall, which still left a large area for dancing, while the dress circle was taxed to its capacity, and the only standing room available was soon taken up. At 8 o'clock Girl Guides and Boy Scouts formed a guard of honor from the hall entrance to the stage and the guests moved slowly through headed by two diggers of World War I.’ Allied flags were displayed around the hall, and the stage featured colourful, flowering pot plants, with hydrangeas and begonias interwoven with fern. The National Anthem was enthusiastically sung before the returned men and women were introduced and ‘welcomed them back to Kadina, all receiving the gratitude of the audience with applause. A summary of the role of the local men included ‘we fought on, our men never yielding or giving away until they had to. Then Tobruk and the Middle East and at last, a glimmer of hope when word came through "We stopped them,"' and the turning point was reached in Europe. The Jap treachery at Pearl Harbour, North of Australia, and then their menace to Australia when so many of our noble boys gave their best and all, to save us, and now we are a free country and people for which we thank them. We are here to pay a tribute to the boys who came home and to those who gave their lives that we live in freedom." The assemblage then stood in silence for those who paid the supreme sacrifice’ The evening concluded with all present singing "For they are jolly good fellows."
Tom’s mother, Ellen lived to see him return home and peace declared. She died in the Wallaroo Hospital in October ’46 and was interred with her husband, Michael in the Kadina Cemetery.
As did many young couples post war, Tom and Thelma moved to the booming Whyalla area where work was plentiful with B.H.P. and the Shipyards. Tom gained employment as a meter reader with B.H.P. Just two years after his mother’s death and 4 days prior to his 37th birthday on the 25th October, ’48 Tom died suddenly. A report to the coroner recorded that he had been in good health but had recently complained of back pains and been told he had high blood pressure which was causing heart trouble. That night he collapsed and despite efforts from Thelma and their neighbour who was a nurse, he died.
He was buried in the Kadina Cemetery near his parents. The following year a thoughtful In Memorial was published in the Whyalla News. ‘ln loving memory of our friend, Tom, passed away October, 1948. Your memory is our keepsake. Ever remembered by Allen and Lina.’
Eileen died in December ’76 and was buried at Enfield.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.