Bell Joseph Russell Cpl 4456672
Personnel Entry
Name Bell Joseph Russell
Army number 4456672
Rank Corporal.
Decorations Mentioned in Despatches.
Date of birth Born County Durham. Birth registered in Auckland District Q4 1915. Mother's maiden surname Roxborough.
Age 28 at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry, Territorial, no exact enlistment date available, but his Regimental Number suggests probably Spring 1939. Posted initially to the 6th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry. Posted 10th Bn DLI, probably 1st September 1939 on the establishment of the Battalion. Served in Northern France with the B.E.F. Taken Prisoner of War - probably on 20/5/1940 - officially notified 12/7/1940. DIED as a Prisoner of War - shot by German guards while attempting to escape from PoW Camp. (Not recorded in Official PoW volume as this appears to exclude deaths in custody).
Company/Battery
Platoon or other sub-unit
Task or role
Joined Brigade 1/9/1939.
Promotions
Wounded
Prisoner of War Yes - 12/7/40
Died/Killed in action Died 24-Jul-43. Initially interred at Thorn PoW Camp reference Q54/J37. Reburied 17/11/1948 in Grave 5. A. 11. Malbork Commonwealth War Cemetery. Headstone inscription reads "IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOSEPH OUR DEAR SON AND BROTHER ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS R.I.P.".
Home address Resident of Evenwood, County Durham. Son of William Moore Bell and Florence Hilda Bell, 15 Manor Street, Evenwood. Probate granted at the Durham Office 11/9/1944 to Cpl Bell's father in the sum of £200.2.5d.
Source table 10DLI
The DLI Roll of Honour shows Cpl Bell - in error - as being with 1st Battalion DLI. His place of death in the War Office list of WW2 deaths is shown as France and Belgium - apparently a convention as that is where he was taken prisoner - whereas he was actually killed in Northern Poland.
A PoW Group photo featuring Corporal Bell is shown here:-
Corporal Bell's CWGC Headstone is shown here:-
Thanks are due to Kevin Richardson for local family history information.
