Willington Cemetery

St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth

Christopher Bell served as
33 Private
R. Millward
Seaforth Highlanders
30th November 1918 Age 28

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

Christopher Bell was born during the 3rd quarter of 1890 at Willington, County Durham, the youngest of 4 brothers, son of Forster Bell born 1856 at Oakenshaw, County Durham who married in the district of Durham in 1882 to Sarah Millward of Willington, County Durham, born 1852. Their son Jack was born in 1884 at Willington as was Ralph Weighell Bell in 1886 and Albert in 1888.

In 1891 the family was living at 39, Commercial Street, Willington, Forster Bell supported his wife and children working as a coal miner however by 1901 they had moved to the adjacent 1, Rutter’s Yard, Forster now employed as a coke yard labourer.

Both Forster and Sarah Bell seem to have died by 1911 as Albert Bell is living at 66, Railway Street with his paternal aunt Mary Richardson, her husband Edward and cousins Ralph (19), John (17) and Florence (10), all the males were employed as coal miners.

Christopher Bell on the outbreak of war, for reasons unknown, enlisted at Bewick-upon-Tweed under the alias of Robert Millward declaring that he was born at St. Stephen’s Gateshead. He was assigned as Private 33 to the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders joining them at the front in France where they remained until December 1915 before being moved to Mesopotamia, landing at Basra in January 1916. The battalion formed part of the 21st Brigade, 7th Indian Division.

February 4th 1916 due to heavy casualties the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders was amalgamated with 2nd Battalion, the Black Watch to form the Highland Battalion, however, July 12th 1916 it reverted to its former title. The Seaforth Highlanders remained in Mesopotamia until being moved in January 1918 to Palestine arriving at Suez, January 13th 1918.

Either wounded or suffering from disease Private Millward was repatriated to England and eventually admitted to St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, a former asylum converted on the outbreak of war as a hospital and renamed the Northumberland War Hospital. It was here that Private 33 Robert Millward Seaforth Highlanders died, November 30th 1918, he was 28 years old and single. His body was transported to Willington Cemetery where he is at rest. His military headstone lists both his birth name of Christopher Bell as well as his alias of Private R. Millward. Recipient of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Christopher’s uncle, Edward Richardson, despite being beyond the maximum age to enlist also served his county, he enlisted aged 44 years 1 month at Bishop Auckland. Assigned firstly as Private 3032 then transferred as Private 121133 he joined the Army Service Corp at Aldershot, September 27th 1915 and departed with the British Expeditionary Force to France, October 20th 1915 until September 2nd 1918 as part of the Mechanical Transport unit. The Mechanical Transport Companies were part of the lines of communication and although not under the orders of any Division were attached to a given Division working closely with it. They had various roles either being attached to the heavy artillery as Ammunition Columns or `Parks, Omnibus Companies, Motor Ambulance Convoys or Bridging and Pontoon units.

September 3rd 1918 he returned to England on 15 days leave before returning to France where he served until January 9th 1919. Shipped home to England and transferred to Class Z, 9th GHQ Reserve M.T. Coy, February 8th 1919, he was free to return to his civil employment although under the obligation to return to his unit should hostilities with Germany resume. With the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, June 28th 1919, which officially brought WW1to an end, this obligation ceased to exist. Recipient of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Christopher Bell is remembered at Willington on W120.02 and W120.03