Donald Simpson Bell
Second Lieutenant, 9th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. (Alexandra, Princess of Wales' Own)
- Register No.
- 76 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant (register: Temp. Second Lieutenant) all Second Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 9th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. (Alexandra, Princess of Wales' Own) (register: Green Howards) all Green Howards VCs →
- Date of action
- 5 July 1916 on this day → all of 1916 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 9th September 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 3rd December 1890 at Harrogate, Yorkshire
- Died
- 10th July 1916 on the Somme, France
- Memorial / grave
- us at Gordon Dump Cemetery, France also look son Paul's Parish Church, Harrogate and the Scarbeck War Memorial
- Medal held by
- the Green Howards Museum
Digest of citation
On 5th July, 1916 at Horse Shoe Trench, Somme, France, a very heavy enfilade fire was opened on the attacking company by an enemy gun. Second Lieutenant Bell immediately, on his own initiative, crept up a communication trench, and then, followed by a corporal and a private, rushed across the open under very heavy fire and attacked the machine gun, shooting the firer and destroying the gun and the personnel with bombs. This officer lost his life five days later performing a very similar act of bravery
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
BELL, Donald Simpson (Reg No. 76).
Second Lieutenant 9th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. (Alexandra, Princess of Wales' Own)
London Gazetted on 9th September 1917.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Green Howards Museum.
Born on 3rd December 1890 at Harrogate, Yorkshire.
Died on 10th July 1916 on the Somme, France.
Memorial us at Gordon Dump Cemetery, France also look son Paul's Parish Church, Harrogate and the Scarbeck War Memorial.
Digest of Citation reads: On 5th July, 1916 at Horse Shoe Trench, Somme, France, a very heavy enfilade fire was opened on the attacking company by an enemy gun. Second Lieutenant Bell immediately, on his own initiative, crept up a communication trench, and then, followed by a corporal and a private, rushed across the open under very heavy fire and attacked the machine gun, shooting the firer and destroying the gun and the personnel with bombs. This officer lost his life five days later performing a very similar act of bravery.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: us at Gordon Dump Cemetery, France also look son Paul's Parish Church, Harrogate and the Scarbeck War Memorial
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
Research this recipient further
Would you like to honour Donald Simpson Bell by sponsoring this page from £1 a month — in memory of someone, in your own name or for your company? Sponsor this page.