Orders, Decorations and Medals

China 1900, no clasp (Midsn. A. L. Bell, R.N. H.M.S. Bonaventure) very fine. £140-180

342 no clasp medals issued to this ship.
Arthur Lawrell Bell was born in Avranches, France, on 21 May 1883, and joined the Royal Navy in May 1899 as Midshipman. He served in China aboard Bonaventure (Medal), and was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in May 1902, and to Lieutenant in September 1904. He was tried by Court Martial in May 1907 for disobedience of orders in exceeding the limit placed on his mess bill, and resigned in 1908. In February 1916, he was restored to the Emergency List and served aboard Hyacinth, additional for duty as Transport Officer on Lake Victoria Nyanza from February 1916 to March 1917; and at Zanzibar for Rufiji River Delta Transport as Assistant to Commander Trimmer, and was mentioned in despatches by General Smuts for meritorious services in the field (London Gazette 8 February 1917). He subsequently carried out transport duties at Durban and was at Beira from October 1917 to May 1919. He was promoted to Commander (Emergency List) for War Services on 11 November 1918. Sold with copy service record.