Bell, GH

Lieutenant Colonel George Henry Bell

George was born on 11^th April 1869, the son of George Coates Bell, a Surgeon Major in the Bombay Medical Department. He started at Dulwich at the same time as his brother, Claude; his sister, Alice, would go on to marry a fellow OA, Walter Orr. From the College he proceeded to Sandhurst and upon passing out in August 1888 took up a commission in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers with whom he saw service during the next two years in the Sudan and as part of the Nile Campaign. In 1890 his unit went to India, and a year later he joined the Indian Army as a Lieutenant, first with the 19^th Punjabis before, in 1893, switching to the 38^th Dogras. During this period he spent much of his service on the North West Frontier, becoming familiar with the small forts that were common there, as well as with the Punjab in general. In 1896 he was appointed Adjutant to the 27^th Punjabis and was later made Captain in 1899. He saw active service in 1901-2 in the Waziristan Campaign, and again in the following two years, as his regiment was sent to the Somaliland (modern day Somalia). In 1906 the 27^th Punjabis returned to the North West Frontier, and George was to serve primarily along the border until the outbreak of war.

In October 1914 he and his regiment were transferred to Europe, albeit along the way they were also involved in repelling an attack on the Suez Canal. Upon reaching France he was second in command of the regiment during the Battle of Loos and was subsequently given command of the 69^th Punjabis, who had suffered heavy losses in the Battle. He subsequently took his new regiment east, serving with them as they fought from the Suez across the Arabian Peninsula. In February 1916 he was ordered to Mesopotamia to take command of the 9^th Bhopals; however shortly after arriving he was taken seriously ill and invalided back to India. “Bell Sahib”, as he was known amongst his Indian troops, died at Srinagar in Kashmir whilst still on sick leave on 3^rd September 1916, his wife, Eva, having joined him from England a week earlier.