BELL, William Blakey
| Service Number: | 33252 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 October 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | Field Artillery Brigades |
| Born: | Glenmaggie, Victoria, Australia, 1880 |
| Home Town: | Mirboo North, Latrobe - Victoria, Australia, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Norong Central School, via Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | School Teacher |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 12 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery Plot 4, Row H, Grave 4, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mardan State School No 2516 Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 33252 | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1917: | Involvement Driver, 33252, Field Artillery Brigades, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
| 11 May 1917: | Embarked Driver, 33252, Field Artillery Brigades, HMAT Shropshire, Melbourne | |
| 12 Oct 1917: | Involvement Gunner, 33252, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 33252 awm_unit: 11th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1917-10-12 |
Help us honour William Blakey Bell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Dale Mckenzie
William Bell was a good mate of my Great Uncle Percy Mckenzie while he was labouring at Mirboo North, they signed up for the AIF together but were separated during training and left for UK on different ships. William was assigned as a driver but on reaching UK requested to be transferred to Larkhill Camp as a gunner where Percy was training. William and Percy fought the 3rd battle of Ypres, Percy fell on October 4 and William a few days later on October 12 1917 on what the Generals considered the turning point of the war.
Biography contributed by Andreena Hockley
Gunner William Blakey Bell was killed in action in France on the 12th of October, 1917. He was the second son of Mr. F. J. Bell, of Mirboo North.
He was born on the 22nd of August, 1880, became junior teacher at Outtrim in 1897, and at Korumburra in 1900; assistant at Macarthur Street, Ballarat, in 1901; head teacher at Berry's Creek in 1905, at Mardan in 1910, and at Norong in 1913. He ceased duty on the 31st of July, 1916, leaving a record as an energetic teacher, thoughtful and definite.
Mr. Bell was well known in athletic circles, having won foot-races on almost every track in Gippsland, and shown considerable prowess as a cricketer and footballer. Once at a sports meeting over Narracan way, he won every event on the program (including the high and long jumps), except the old buffers' race. He was the winner in a first-class handicap at Stawell, and won the Ballarat Gift from a back mark, beating most of the cracks of Australia.
He enlisted on the 26th of October, 1916, and embarked with the 11th Reinforcements to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade on the transport Shropshire on the 11th of May, 1917. After training in England, he went to France and joined the 11th Light Trench Mortar Battery on the 21st September, and was with it till his death.
Source: The Education Department's Record of War Service, Victoria, 1914-1919.
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