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Australians
in the Boer War
Oz-Boer Database Project |
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Full Record
Hint: This site is intended as a search aid - not a definitive source. It is essentially an index to documents that seem to relate to this person plus a very brief precis of relevant elements. Sources often conflict and I also flag things with a ? when I am unsure. So if the information below is important to you, then please check the original sources to see what else they contain (and in case I have inadvertantly introduced transcription and/or precising errors). There can be additional information that was not included in the database for both space and copyright reasons.
| Surname | | BELL |
| Given Name(s) or Initial(s) | | Frederick William |
| Regimental Number | | 8 |
| Rank | | Private |
| Unit Name | | 1st West Australia Mounted Infantry |
| State | | WA |
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Wallace1: VC.
Murray: dangerously wounded at Palmeitfontein 19.7.1900, Lieutenant 6WAMI 8.3.1901.
Source:# 139 British Army WW1.
B5165: previously Perth Inf. Vols., severely wounded.
URL3: Aust. Boer War Memorial database record.
URL4: civil servant aged 24 years 4 months from WA, 3 years 4 months Perth Artillery.
URL5: Lt. Colonel FW BELL VC died c5.1954 in Bristol Eng. aged 79.
URL6: It is stated, though not offically, that Lieut. Fred BELL VC, has been given the command 6th the Western Australian section of the First Federal Contingent. The force numbering 68 strong, went out in the ss Manchester Merchant with Lieuts. DAVIS and PRETTY as subalterns. It is also mentioned that the rank of captain has been given BELL. The latter gained his VC for gallantry at Brakpan, when, under a heavy cross fire, he rescued a comrade who had become dismounted. BELL was the first, and so far is the only, West Australian to secure the honour It is worthy of note that he is a native of Western Australia. Since the war began, Captain BELL has been on active service. He served with the First Contingent, with which his chum, Major "Jack" CAMPBELL, was a subaltern. They had a narrow escape one evening during their first campaign. Lying side by side on a rug near the camp fire, they were discussing old days when they were members of the No. 1 Battery. Something prompted both to move from the rug, and they had hardly done so before it was riddled with bullets. Both BELL and CAMPBELL have gone through another campaign with the Sixth Contingent, the one in command, and the other as a subaltern. CAMPBELL has gained his Majority, and Bell a VC. They are both soldiers of whom their old battery comrades are proud.
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| Source References | |
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 397 400
Wallace1: The Australians at the Boer War page(s) 324-5
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 139
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 374
West Australian: West Australian newspaper date(s) 7 & 8.10.1901 & 12.4.1902
B5165: National Archives of Australia series B5165
W. Mail: Western Mail newspaper date(s) 11.11.1899
PortP.Rec: Port Pirie Recorder newspaper date(s) 7.5.1954
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 1602 Darebin's Boer War page 79
| | External Link URL1 | | www.ozemail.com.au/~jcantwel/winners/bell.htm | | External Link URL2 | | carmen.murdoch.edu.au/community/dps/military/bor-wa6.htm#wa6 | | External Link URL3 | | bwm.org.au/site/Frederick_BellDD.php | | External Link URL4 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33178426 | | External Link URL5 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96185834 |
Please email me if you can
contribute any other relevant information about this person (eg any
other military service, where in Australia they came from or when/where
they died). Also, if you find an external link broken.
Apology: For some time now it has been difficult to keep up with the newly available sources (especially the Trove newspaper site) plus the flow of contributions and queries. So I have been forced to prioritise maintenance and data entry over replying to correspondence. Nevertheless, your contributions are being added to the database and acknowledged on the contributions page and, although my replies are many months behind, I will attempt to get to them more often.
The
Oz-Boer Database
is copyright and may not be used for any commercial purpose.
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