24459 PTE.C. BELL, 9th and 2nd Battalions, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)
Charles Bell, born in 1885, was from Stockton-on-Tees. He attested his willingness to serve at Stockton on 9 December 1915, aged 20 years two months, under the Derby Scheme. He gave as his next of kin his father, Frederick Bell, of 31 Thompson Street, Stockton. It appears that his father was a butcher by trade, Charles being employed as a stockman.
After a period in the Army Reserve, Charles was mobilised on 21 January 1916, being posted to the Yorkshire Regiment depot at Richmond the same day. Two days afterwards he was posted to the 11th (Reserve) battalion, at that time located at Rugeley Camp in Staffordshire, with whom he would have begun his training. After a short period of training, ending on 20 April 1916, he was posted to France, to join the 9th Green Howards.
He went out to France on 20 April 1916, joining the 9th battalion and remaining there for about five months until returning home via 31st Ambulance Train (entraining St Omer and detraining Boulogne), suffering from an inflammation of the Connective Tissue to his right leg, on 14/15 September. His record notes that he received a slight wound in action in 1916: this could have been during the Battle of Albert, when the 9th Green Howards took Horseshoe Trench on 5 July - a VC action for the battalion - in the successive battles of Contalmaison (6 to 11 July) and Pozieres Ridge (27 July to 8 August), or during any stint in the line between these.
He remained at home, successively being posted to the regimental depot and 3rd Battalion, until 17 May 1917, returning to France the following day. Here he remained until 23 June 1917, being successively with 37th Infantry Base Depot, 9th Green Howards and 2nd Green Howards (the posting between the latter two taking place on 3 June, probably whilst he was still at the aforementioned infantry base depot). After joining the battalion in the field, he was posted to 'B' Company of the 2nd Green Howards and would have spent time with them in the line at Ypres forward of Maple Trench, whence they went on 9 June, undergoing shell-fire and some mining, before the battalion was relieved by the 16th Manchesters on the evening of 15 June. On or about 19 June he was wounded, suffering a severe Gun Shot Wound (Army term for any penetrating wound) to the right foot. At this time the battalion had come out of the line and was in huts/tents at Dickebusch Huts. The War diary for the battalion notes that on this date an enemy aeroplane dropped a bomb near the camp wounding the doctor and one man, and it seems likely that Pte Bell was this man. Although diagnosed initially as a simple flesh contusion or wound, it would seem to have been accompanied by fractured phalanges (toes) and contusion to the skull, for which he was later pensioned. He was admitted to 97 Field Ambulance and then sent on via sick convoy (No.27 Ambulance Train) to No.18 General Hospital at Camiers, being admitted on 20 June. On 24 June he returned to the UK via hospital ship, being admitted to hospital the following day. By 29 August he was well enough to enjoy a furlough at home until 7 September, after which he was supposedly fit to return to duty.
However he was instead discharged shortly afterwards, on 26 October 1917, apparently whilst still on the books of the Yorkshire Regiment depot. He was discharged under Army Order 265 Section II B I, having served overseas and been discharged on account of disablement or ill-health caused otherwise than by misconduct. He was aged 22 at the time. He was pensioned at a rate of 27/6 for four weeks, reducing to 13/9 to be reviewed after 26 weeks. The pension was awarded in consideration of GSW foot fractured phalanges, contusion skull. He continued in receipt of a pension, now at the rate of 8 Shillings a week, until at least May 1923.
For his service he was awarded the Silver War Badge, number 253504, issued 30 October 1917.
31 Thompson Street, Stockton and later 13 Milton Street appear to have been his home addresses after the war.
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