BELL, John
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps |
| Born: | Shelford, Victoria, Australia, 7 October 1885 |
| Home Town: | Shelford, Golden Plains, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Geelong Grammar School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Grazier |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, Tincourt, France, 27 December 1917, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: |
Tincourt New British Cemetery Plot IV, Row C, Grave No. 8 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bairnsdale Wuk Wuk School Great War Roll of Honor, Beeac War Memorial, Geelong Football Club Honour Roll, Geelong Grammar School Community Members Who Served, Shelford Presbyterian Church Honour Roll, Shelford Presbyterian Church Members Who Fell |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Officer, 1st Light Horse Brigade HQ | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Officer, 1st Light Horse Brigade HQ, TRANSPORT A3 'Orvieto' from Melbourne, Vic. | |
| 21 Oct 1914: | Involvement Lieutenant, 1st Light Horse Brigade HQ, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Orvieto embarkation_ship_number: A3 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Oct 1914: | Embarked Lieutenant, 1st Light Horse Brigade HQ, HMAT Orvieto, Melbourne | |
| 9 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 1st Light Horse Brigade HQ, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 28 Oct 1917: | Transferred No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, Appointed Captain in No.68 Squadron RFC (No.2 Squadron AFC) after having previously been in RFC since 14 March 1916. | |
| 20 Nov 1917: | Wounded No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, GSW to chest and shoulder received in flying action over Cambrai. Evacuated to 55th CCS (Tincourt) where he died of his wounds on 27 December 1917. | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Captain, Officer |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of John and Annie Carstairs BELL, Geelong, Victoria
He was a star student, prefect, and athlete at Geelong Grammar, representing the school at football, cricket and rowing. After leaving school he went to work at Dalgety's and joined the Geelong Football Club. He made his VFL debut in Round 8 against Collingwood. Bell played four games in 1906, and then left football to concentrate on polo. In 1908 he played another 13 games for Geelong. He died in France of wounds (tended by his sister who was serving as a nurse) after crashing his plane as a captain in the Australian Flying Corps. He is buried at the Tincourt New British Cemetery, France.