Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War ‘Tunneller’s’ M.C. group of four awarded to Captain Fred Bell, 173rd (Tunnelling) Company, Royal Engineers

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. F. Bell); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. F. Bell) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (4) £1200-1500

M.C. London Gazette 2 October 1915.

‘Temporary Second Lieutenant Fred Bell, attached 173rd (Tunnelling) Coy., R.E. For conspicuous gallantry and determination at Cambrin on 6th September 1915. After the Germans had broken through into one of our mining galleries he went down into the working, under fire cleared out the enemy with his revolver in the dark and held the ground until a sandbag revetment could be built. This action contributed greatly to the successful completion of the mining operations.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1916.

The following extract is taken from Tunnellers by Captain W. Grant Grieve & Bernard Newman:

‘September was a busy month for 173rd Company. At 2 a.m. on the morning of the 6th, one of their headings came into contact with the timbers of an enemy gallery. The men at the face behaved with admirable coolness. Placing a sandbag into the hole and remaining in the gallery, they quietly passed out word for the Sergeant. He in turn sent for the officer on shift, and in the meantime commenced to place sandbags in the face. On the arrival of the officer, the sandbags were removed in order to examine the position more freely, taking the greatest care not to disturb the enemy, who could be heard talking. The officer decided to place a charge, first placing 3 feet of tamping in the face and then the charge, through which a hose pipe was laid. Through this Intelligence Officers listened for for nineteen days, the Tunnellers meanwhile awaiting orders to fire the charge. No records appear to have been kept of the results of the listening.

Later the same day, the floor of another gallery collapsed into a German gallery, which it had struck. The enemy had organized a “reception committee” and were awaiting this event, as they immediately opened rapid fire from a safe distance down their gallery. In spite of this, a small charge of 25 lbs. of blastine was placed and fired. This had the effect of clearing the gallery, and by 10 a.m. it was possible to enter the mine, as the fumes had all cleared. Lieutenant F. Bell advanced a considerable distance along the gallery in the direction of the German shaft, and succeeded in building a barricade against which a 200 lb. charge was placed, tamped and fired at 6.30 p.m.’

Fred Bell was from Ackworth Lodge, near Pontefract, Yorkshire. His medal Index Card show service as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, as well as 13th York & Lancaster Regiment and General List, from which last unit his Star was issued.

See also lot 1043 for the D.C.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal S. Meyer for the same incident.