Pte 24318 Alfred James Bellis

“WE SHALL MEET AGAIN DEAR ALF”

The Voormizeele Enclosures (at one time there were a total of four, but now reduced to three) were originally regimental groups of graves, begun very early in the First World War and gradually increased until the village and the cemeteries were captured by the Germans after very heavy fighting on 29 April 1918.

Voormezeele Enclosure No.3, the largest of these burial grounds, was begun by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in February 1915. Their graves are in Plot III, the other Plots from I to IX are the work of other units, or pairs of units, and include a few graves of October 1918. Plots X and XII are of a more general character. Plots XIII to XVI were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated sites and smaller cemeteries to replace the French graves (of April and September 1918) that were removed to a French cemetery. These concentrated graves cover the months from January 1915 to October 1918, and they include those of many men of the 15th Hampshires and other units who recaptured this ground early in September 1918.

There are now 1,611 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Voormezeele Enclosure No.3. 609 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 15 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of five casualties whose graves in PHEASANT WOOD CEMETERY could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Alf's death was reported in the Liverpool Echo 23rd May 1918

ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed In Action

BELLIS - April 29, killed in action, aged 24 years, Private ALFRED BELLIS, K.L.R., dearly beloved son of Alfred and Martha Bellis, 17 Brighton Road, Waterloo. 

Surprisingly, his father, Alfred, joined the Territorials and his service records have survived, although he didnt serve overseas.

On the 5th July 1915 he attested as No. 26894 with 2/5 KLR , then with 315 Protection Coy, Royal Defence Corps. He was absent from duty on 6th Jan 1916 in Birkenhead so he may have been guarding the Docks or even the Manchester Ship Canal. He was discharged in May 1916 and re-attested in Birkenhead on the 18th May 1916 with F Coy, 16th Battn. Yorks and Lancs Regt, stating he had previous service with the 7th King's and had a wife Martha, 17 Brighton Rd, Waterloo. Discharged with disability on the 12th March 1919.

Alf was remembered by his family in the Liverpool Echo on 29th April 1920: 

BELLIS - In loving memory of Private ALFRED BELLIS, Liverpool Pals, killed in action, April 29th 1918; Also JOSEPHINE who died April, 1917, the beloved son and daughter of Martha and Alf Bellis, 17 Brighton Road, Waterloo. R.I.P.  

His mother, Martha, died in 1937, aged 64 and his father, Alfred, died in the September quarter of 1958, aged 93. 

We currently have no further information on Alfred James Bellis, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.