Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Sergeant William Bell, Royal Artillery, one of the few men of 10th Mountain Battery who evaded capture at Nicholson’s Nek and got back into Ladysmith on 30 October 1899

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (33729 Driv: W. Bell. 2/1. So: Ir: Div: R.A.; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Laing’s Nek, Belfast (33729 Sgt. W. Bell, 10th M.B., R.G.A.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (33729 Serjt. W. Bell, R.G.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (33729 Sjt. W. Bell. R.H.A.) official correction to unit; Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 3rd issue (Sjt. W. Bell. R.A.); Khedive’s Star 1884-6, unnamed, mounted court-style, the Egypt pair with contact pitting, therefore good fine, otherwise very fine and better (6) £400-£500

M.S.M. Army Order 237 of 1936.

William Bell was born at Brighton, Sussex, and attested for the Royal Artillery at Southampton on 17 July 1882, aged 19 years 5 months. He served in Egypt with 2/1st South Irish Division from 2 December 1885 to 11 November 1887, including operations on the Upper Nile in 1885-86 (Medal). Following nearly six years service at Home, he went to South Africa in June 1893 and served there until April 1903. At Ladysmith, on 30 October 1899, afterwards known as ‘Mournful Monday’, he was one of the few men of the 140-strong 10th Mountain Battery who evaded capture at Nicholson’s Nek, when the battery was lost through the stampeding of the mules, and got back into Ladysmith. Close to 1,000 British soldiers, mainly from the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Royal Irish Fusiliers, were taken into captivity after the battle in what was the biggest surrender of British troops since the Napoleonic wars. Sergeant Bell was discharged, time expired, on 16 July 1903. He re-enlisted at Southampton on 2 September 1914 and served in the U.K. throughout the Great War, being invalided out on account of his age on 10 July 1918. Sold with copied research including discharge papers and medal roll extracts.