Sgt
Harry Reid Bell
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 28/04/1882 |
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Place of birth: Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada |
General information
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Profession: Cabinet Maker |
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Religion: Presbyterian |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Sergeant |
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Service number: 431086 |
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Enlistment date: 01/06/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 7th Bn. (1st British Columbia) (Last known unit) — Canadian Infantry, 18th Bn. (Western Ontario) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 10/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Anvil Wood, Molenaarselst, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 35 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXVI Row: H Grave: 16 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Harry Reid Bell, a former cabinet maker, was born on April 28th, 1882, in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, the son of Mary Bell. On June 1st, 1915, he enlisted at Victoria, Ontario, as a young, recently widowed father, and served as a Sergeant in the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion, part of the 2nd Canadian Brigade within the 1st Canadian Division.
On November 10th, 1917, the 1st Canadian Division launched an attack with the 2nd Canadian Brigade from Mosselmarkt. The objective was to advance the frontline by another 450 meters and take Venture Farm and the Vindictive Crossroads. At 6:05 a.m., the 7th and 8th Battalions began their advance and reached their objective by 7:30 a.m., despite heavy and accurate enemy shelling. Nearby, German machine guns were firing from a trench, and the 7th Battalion pushed forward another 270 meters to silence them. This allowed the 2nd Brigade to hold and strengthen their position.
Harry, aged 35, was struck in the head by an enemy sniper that day. He left behind his young daughter, Luella Elizabeth Bell, who was living with her grandparents. Sergeant Harry Reid Bell is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot XXXVI, Row H, Grave 16.
On November 10th, 1917, the 1st Canadian Division launched an attack with the 2nd Canadian Brigade from Mosselmarkt. The objective was to advance the frontline by another 450 meters and take Venture Farm and the Vindictive Crossroads. At 6:05 a.m., the 7th and 8th Battalions began their advance and reached their objective by 7:30 a.m., despite heavy and accurate enemy shelling. Nearby, German machine guns were firing from a trench, and the 7th Battalion pushed forward another 270 meters to silence them. This allowed the 2nd Brigade to hold and strengthen their position.
Harry, aged 35, was struck in the head by an enemy sniper that day. He left behind his young daughter, Luella Elizabeth Bell, who was living with her grandparents. Sergeant Harry Reid Bell is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot XXXVI, Row H, Grave 16.
Sources 5
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2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, 4872, T-10669--T-10670, 208). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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7th Canadian Infantry Battalion. (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, 4917, T-10709--T-10710, 367). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-93/314, 145-238). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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Commonwealth War Graves Registers, First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-93/314, 39-144). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 161. Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461904 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=29835ba0-b649-483e-b821-bb80a428dc57 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5570163 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/461904 |