Pte. H. Bell

FIRST NAMES: Harry

UNIT: 2/5th North Staffordshire Regiment

NUMBER: 202131

STATUS: Killed in Action

DATE OF DEATH: 21st March 1918

CEMETERY OR MEMORIAL: Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez

AGE: Unknown

Harry Bell was born in Bedale and he enlisted in Bedale, though he was living in Northallerton at the time. He originally enlisted in the Yorkshire Regiment (No. 2997) but was later posted to the North Staffordshire Regiment.

On 21st March 1918 the Germans launched the first assault of their final offensive of the War. Their stormtroopers, helped by the misty conditions, broke right through the British line and into the open country beyond. Harry Bell was in the front line near the village of Bullecourt. This area saw some of the most vicious fighting of the day when the Germans attacked at 9.00am. At the end of the day the North Staffordshires had lost, 22 officers, including their Commanding Officer, and 539 men.

Harry is buried in Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, in which many graves from over 100 different cemeteries in the surrounding area were concentrated after the War and which now contains almost 8,000 graves.