John Lawrence Bell

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher and David Robinson, 2nd cousin twice removed. Gravestone photo: Scottsheat, FindAGrave.com

John Lawrence Bell was born in Shanghai, China, on the 2nd November 1918, the son of Alexander Dunlop Bell and Nora Bell (née Sunderland), who had married in the Chorlton Registration District on the 24th of June quarter 1903. The Sunderland family were from Ashton under Lyne and well known in the Congregational church community and the Bell family were quite renowned as medics in earlier generations. In fact, John Bell's Great Uncle, Joseph Bell, is reputed to be the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes! They had had three children before they moved there: Nora Grace; Roger Cecil; and Alexander Benjamin. A fifth child, Douglas Maurice, would complete the family when he was also born in Shanghai.

Alexander Dunlop moved to Shanghai in 1907 and joined Barlow and Co, importers as a manager of the firm until he retired from executive duties in 1930. He was a member of the board of directors of the Shanghai Gas Company, Shanghai Water Works and Gordon & Co and he served as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Council from 1924, becoming its Chairman from 1932 to 1934.

Nora Bell stayed in the UK when the children were young. The 1911 census records that they were living in her mother's house at 27 Alan Road, Withington with her siblings. But the Bell family made numerous sailings to and from China over the years until the family moved out there in February 1921. But when Alexander Dunlop died in Shanghai in 1937 the family moved back to the UK.

John was educated at the Edinburgh Academy between 1925-1936 where he won the Clyde and Millar Greek Prize, the Balfour French Prize and numerous Class Prizes. He was Dux of the School in 1936, in other words the highest academic achiever, and he was also a member of the Athletic Team. He later won two scholarships for Corpus Christi College, Oxford which he attended from 1936–1939, and he was awarded the Haigh Prize for best performance in Classics in 1937. He was a member of the College athletic team but gave up his last year at university to enlist in September 1939. He was later awarded a Bachelor of Arts (BA) war degree in 1942.

In the 1939 Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939, we see some of the family, Douglas, Nora and John, living at Flat No 1, Hilton Hall, Hilton Park, Prestwich. John was recorded as being an Officer Cadet in the Regular Army. After a time in the Officer Cadet Training Unit, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Somerset Light Infantry in 1940, and promoted to captain in 1941. On being sent to the Middle East in 1942, he reverted to the rank of Lieutenant and was attached to the 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. He saw action in North Africa and was wounded at the Battle of Mareth, Tunisia. He rejoined in time to take part in the landings in Sicily, after which he returned with his regiment to England. He took part in the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

John Bell was serving as a Platoon Commander in A Company, 6th Battlion, Durham Light Infantry. On the 13th June, the battalion was ordered to attack the high ground north-west of Tilly-sur-Seulles. The battalion war diary records the fact that John was wounded as his company was advancing towards its final objective that day, the Hottot - Juvigny main road. When they left the main road at Pont de Guillette they were heavily engaged by mortars and machine guns. A Company was pinned down but John Bell and his platoon had advanced almost to the area of the farm buildings when he was hit and wounded. The rest of the platoon was unable to move. Under cover of fire from the two leading companies and a tank, the battalion stretcher bearers began to evacuate the casualties. They found John 50 yards from the farmhouse and due to the severity of his wounds he was evacuated on the tank. He was evacuated back to the UK but died of his wounds on the 19th June 1944.

He was buried in Mill Hill (St. Paul) Churchyard, Middlesex and his family had this personal inscription added to his gravestone:

SCHOLARSHIP WAS HIS LOVE
BUT WAR HIS DUTY
AFRICA, SICILY, NORMANDY