Lance Corporal Robert F Bell

Robert Frederick Bell was born on the 8 January 1907. From Berwick on Tweed, he was married to Margaret Jane, and he was a Driver before he enlisted.

He enlisted into the Royal Army Service Corps on the 1st September 1939, and was posted to the 1st Air Landing Brigade Group Company RASC., as it was then titled (later to become the 250th (Airborne) Light Composite Company), on the 1 June 1942. He initially served with ‘B’ (MT) Platoon, and went on to serve with the Company in North Africa and Italy in 1943.

By 1944 he was a Lance Corporal and serving in ‘D’ Transport Platoon, and was assigned to the Section supporting No 2 Parachute Platoon.

For Operation ‘Market’ he was to on board a Horsa glider, with 3 to 4 other men of ‘D’ Transport Platoon, with a Jeep and two trailers of ammunition and supplies. Their Horsa was flown by glider pilots from 2 Flight, ‘A’ Squadron from RAF. Harwell, and they were towed by 570 Squadron, RAF. They took off on the 2nd Lift, Monday, 18 September 1944, and landed successfully on LZ ‘X’.

After attempting to recover supplies from the SDP. on Tuesday, 19 September, what was left of No 2 Parachute Platoon, whose Commander, Capt. Kavanagh, had been killed, was absorbed into No 1 Parachute Platoon. Together they formed an ad-hoc group and took up defensive positions on the Eastern side of the 1st Airborne Division’s perimeter in Oosterbeek. L/Cpl. Bell and some of his men were defending houses on Jagerskamp on Monday, 25 September, when they were attacked by a strong German force. A  member of No 2 Parachute Platoon, fighting in the same house alongside Robert Bell, was Dvr. John Prime: “On the last day, prior to being told by German Troops on a loudspeaker that the Division had surrendered, myself and other members of the Company, with L/Cpl. Bell in charge, were ordered to take up positions in two houses overlooking the enemy positions to our front. Putting two and two together after all these years, we realise now, we had been placed as a rear-guard action, whilst during the night, the Div. HQ. tried to cross back over the river. During the course of the last day we were continuously attacked by enemy troops, using tanks and SP. guns. Each house in the street was first shelled, and then finished with flame throwers. By the middle of the day we had completely run out of ammunition, and we knew there was no further possibility of holding the enemy up. Led by L/Cpl. Bell, we tried to break out of our house before it was fired by flame throwers. On leaving the house we were faced by a whole platoon of German infantry, who immediately started firing. L/Cpl. Bell was mortally wounded. On seeing the strength of the enemy troops, we were immediately surrounded and disarmed. We were then informed by a German officer that the Division had been completely overrun, and for us the war was over.”

L/Cpl. Robert Bell was taken to a Hospital at Lochem, but died of his wounds on the 2 October 1944.

However, it would be many months before any of his family would know what had happened to him. The local newspaper, ‘The Berwick Advertiser’, printed the following announcement on Thursday, 12 October 1944;

BELIEVED TO BE PRISONER.

“Reported missing, believed a prisoner of war,” this news was received by Mrs RF. Bell, Church Street, Berwick, from the War Office on Monday in connection with her husband, Driver Robert F. Bell, RASC., who was in the fighting at Arnhem.

Driver Bell enlisted at the outbreak of war, and since then has seen service at Dunkirk and the landing at Sicily [Italy]. Prior to enlisting he was employed with his father, Mr. M. Bell, contractor, Chapel Street, Berwick.

Another brother, George, is at present serving with the Royal Artillery in Italy, and a sister, is in the ATS.

Driver Bell married Miss. M. Priestley, daughter of Mrs and the late Mr. J. Priestley, Ord Drive, Tweedmouth, over 16 years ago. They have four of a family, two daughters and two sons.

The son of Matthew Stafford Bell and Mary Ellen Bell, of Berwick-on-Tweed; Husband of Margaret J. Bell, of Berwick-on-tweed, he now lies at rest in Lochem New General Cemetery, Row 1, Grave 1.

His widow was still seeking information, many years after the war was over, and she wrote to the Pegasus Journal, October 1948, page 77.

‘Mrs. Margaret Bell of 22, Dean Drive, Prior Park, Tweedmouth, Berwick-on-Tweed, would be grateful to get in touch with anybody who was in hospital in a school in Lochem with her late husband, L/Cpl. RF. Bell. Her husband died in this hospital after being wounded during the Battle of Arnhem. Please write direct if you can help.

If anybody did write there was no follow-up in subsequent issue of the Pegasus Journal.

One of his sons attempted to find out about his father in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s.

L/Cpl Robert Bell.

Does anyone remember my father L/Cpl Robert (Bob) Bell 250 (Airborne) Light Composite Company RASC? He was wounded during the battle of Arnhem, taken prisoner and died of his wounds en route to Germany. He is buried in Lochem 40 kilometers northeast of Arnhem. I have a letter from a Dutch family in Oosterbeek in whose house he was fighting on 22 - 23 September. I have the impression that he was wounded shortly after that.

Profile picture courtesy of Patric van Alderen.