Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Bell was born 1899 at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, the eldest of 10 children of whom only 8 survived, 4 sons and 4 daughters. His father Robert Bell born 1847 and mother Esther Bell born 1851 were both natives of Felling, they were married November 17th 1897 at Gateshead Registry Office. They settled at 41, Coxon Street, Heworth where Thomas worked as a shifter at the colliery, by 1911 a timberer, now living at 59, Ridley Terrace, Heworth, Gateshead. Two of their surviving children including Thomas were living elsewhere.
On the outbreak of war Thomas was 15 years old, too young to enlist, he did so at Gateshead once tuned 18 in 1917. Thomas was firstly assigned as Private 51879 3rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, formed of experienced soldiers too old to serve overseas and wounded soldiers no longer suitable for front line duty, to train new recruits and later transferred as Private 79578 to the 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers also known as the City of London Regiment, attached to the 36th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. His overseas service began when he was 19 years old in 1918 sent to the battlefields of the Somme.
Private 79578 Thomas Bell Royal Fusiliers was killed during the capture of the village of Hardecourt-au-Bois, August 28th 1918 and initially buried on the battlefield map reference 62c.A.18.b.1.9 where after Armistice his remains were found, along with that of 8 others, exhumed and brought into Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont, Somme, France for reburial, grave II. B. 5. He was 19 years old.
His mother received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 59, Ridley Street, Felling. She paid the sum of 7 shillings to have an additional inscription added to his military headstone, it reads, “He Lived And Died A Christian.”
Esther Bell nee Bell died in 1946 aged 65 years, Robert Bell died aged 79 years in 1957, both at Heworth and registered in the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Bell is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
