L/Cpl 21928 Robert Armour Bell

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Robert Armour Bell was born in November 1895, the son of Thomas Bell and Agnes Torrance Armour who had been married on the 3rd Aug 1891 at St Mary, Kirkdale

The 1901 census shows the family living at 15 Seville Street, Everton.

The father Thomas, who had been born in Scotland, is 33 and is an engine driver in the electricity supply works, his wife Agnes is also 33. Robert aged 5 has three siblings – Alexander aged 6, Catherine aged 3 and Mary aged 1. Thomas’s widowed mother, brother and two sisters live next door but one.

They had a son Thomas, who was born in 1905 but died at seven months.

By the time of the 1911 census the family are living at 4 York Terrace. 

The Father Thomas aged 43 is still employed as an engine driver, mother Agnes aged 43, they have been married 19 years, and have had 6 children 5 still alive. Alexander is aged 16 working as a clerk for a warehousing company, Robert is aged 15 at secondary school, Catherine aged 13 is at schfor ool, Mary G. 11 is at school, 8 year old Henry who was born after the last census is also at school.

Robert enlisted in Liverpool on the 14th November 1914 in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21928. His attestation record shows he was 5ft 5¼ tall, weighed 116lbs and had grey eyes and dark brown hair, and gave his religion as religion Church of England. His NOK was his mother Agnes, 14 Rutland St, Everton.

Robert embarked with the Battalion for France in November 1915. His records show he was awarded a good conduct badge in Nov 1916, attended the Lewis Gun School in April and June 1917 and was appointed Lance Corporal in June 1917. He was on leave in the UK for three weeks in May 1917 and was not back long when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 21 during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

Robert has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Robert’s older brother Alexander also served, as Private 357234 in the 2^nd/10^th Battalion King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. He was killed on the 5^th November 1917, just a few months after Robert. He lies in the Bedford House Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Liverpool Echo 16th Nov 1917

BELL - November 5, killed in action in France, Private A. Bell (Alek) K.L.R., the dearly-beloved eldest son of Agnes and Thomas Bell, also Robert (Bob), second son reported missing since July 31.

We know not why clouds instead of sun

Are over many cherished plan;

Why songs have ceased when scarce begun.

In heaven someday we'll understand.

Deeply mourned by Mother, Father, Sisters and Brother, and Jennie, 14 Rutland Street.

BELL - November 5, killed in action in France aged 23 years, Private A. Bell K.L.R. (Alex.) Deeply mourned by his loving fiancee Nellie and all at 3 Havelock Street, Everton.

Somewhere in France in a soldiers grave,

Lies the one I loved amongst the brave.

Oh God how mysterious of thy ways

To take him, my all, in the best of his days.

His parents put the following notice into the Liverpool Echo on the 31^st July 1918, in memory of their sons:  

Bell – in loving memory of our dear sons Lance Corporal Robert Armour Bell (Bob) K.L.R. reported missing July 31^st 1917 now presumed killed on that date, also Private Alexander Bell (Alick) K.L.R., eldest son, killed in action November 5^th 1917. Some time, some day, our eyes shall see those faces, kept in memory -  Father, Mother, sisters, brother and Jennie, 14 Rutland Street , Everton.

The father died in 1927, aged 58. Mother Agnes, dob 4th July 1867, widowed, appears on the 1939 register with daughters Catherine and Mary G. at 14 Rutland St.

She died aged 74 on the 27th Nov 1941.

BELL - Agnes Torrance of 242 Anfield Road Liverpool 4 widow died 27 November 1941 Administration Liverpool 31 December to Henry Maxwell Bell warehouseman. Effects £1813 5s 6d.

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