Photo: Brian Chandler

Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History,

In Gosforth (Hollywood Avenue) Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:

In loving memory of
Ivy Bell
died 14 June 1946 aged 63
Also her husband
John Bell
lost at sea Oct. 1940 aged 54
Also their son Brian
killed near Arras France May 1940
aged 20
And the dear sisters of the above
Gertrude Longshaw
died 19 April 1954 aged 56
Winifred Longshaw
died 6 Aug. 1956 aged 77.

At 18.55 hours on the 6th October 1940 the unescorted British General (Master Frank Oswald Armstrong), dispersed from convoy OA-222, was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-37 commanded by Fregattenkapitänabout Victor Oehrn, 550 miles west of Valentia Island. The hit had not much effect but the tanker stopped after being hit aft by a second torpedo at 23.10 hours. The U-boat stayed nearby during the night to wait for the ship to sink, but the disabled British General remained afloat. U-37 could not finish her off with the deck gun because she was armed and around noon the tanker crew even tried to communicate with the U-boat by Morse signals. The tanker finally sank in 51°42N/24°50W at 20.00 hours on the 7th October, after being hit by two coups de grâce. The master, 45 crew members and one gunner were lost.

John Turnbull Bell is remembered in Gosforth on G9.17 and on our List of Ships’ crews.

S.S. British General
The CWGC entry for Chief Engineer Officer Bell