Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

British War Medal 1914-20 (3218 2-A.M. F. C. Bell, A.F.C. A.I.F.), good very fine £60-80

Francis Charles Bell was born in Cape Town, South Africa in February 1891 and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Sydney in February 1918, by which date he was living in Goulbourn, New South Wales. Stating on his enlistment papers that he had four years previous service in the Artillery in South Africa, he was posted to the Australian Flying Corps at Laverton and thence, in May 1918, embarked for England. On arrival, he joined No. 7 Squadron, A.F.C., a training unit based at Leighterton, his service record noting that he forfeited a week’s pay for being absent without leave in April 1919. Discharged as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class in July of the same year, it was not until 1940 that he wrote to the authorities to claim his single entitlement - the British War Medal - which award was duly forwarded to him in Sydney; sold with copied service record and correspondence.