References
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Victoria Cross | UK | VIEW SOURCE |
Eric Norman Frankland Bell was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh on the 28th of August 1895. He was one of four children, and his father was an officer in the British army. The family relocated to Liverpool where Bell attended school and University.
When the First World War broke out, Bell volunteered with the Enniskilling Fusiliers. In October 1915 he was sent to the Western Front in France. Bell served in the Battle of the Somme in Juy 1916, by which time he had been promoted to the rank of captain. On the 1st of July 1916, Bell and his regiment were advancing near the village of Thiepval when they were set upon by enemy forces. As the men were under fire from a German machine gun, Bell made a solo attempt to dispatch the gunner. He also rallied troops which had lost their leaders. He lost his life in his attempt to disarm the gunner.
Bell was posthumously awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross for his bravery and selfless action on that day.
His body was never recovered and he has no known grave.
| Additional Information | ||
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| Date of Birth | 28th Aug 1895 | VIEW SOURCE |
| Date of Death | 1st Jul 1916 | VIEW SOURCE |
