THE VICTORIA CROSS AND WWI TRIO AWARDED TO T/SECOND LIEUTENANT DONALD BELL, OF THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT, HAVE BEEN SOLD AT AUCTION BY SPINK OF LONDON. |
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25 November 2010 |
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Medal entitlement of T / Second Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell, 9th Bn, The Yorkshire Regiment
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The Victoria Cross and First World War campaign medals awarded to T / Second Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell, 9th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, have been sold at auction by Spink of London on 25th November 2010. The group realised a sale hammer price of £210,000. Donald Bell's Victoria Cross group was purchased by the Professional Footballer's Association and will go on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
Donald Bell was the only professional footballer to have earned the Victoria Cross. After training to be a teacher at Westminster College in London, he was appointed assistant master at Starbeck Council School near Harrogate, Yorkshire, but decided to supplement his income by becoming a professional footballer with Bradford Park Avenue. He had already played for Crystal Palace and Newcastle United as an amateur and made his debut for Bradford against Wolverhampton Wanderers at full back on 13 April 1913. He made five appearances for the club before the war broke out in August the following year. Having been released from his professional contract, Bell signed up as a volunteer with the West Yorkshire Regiment in November 1914 at the age of twenty-four. He soon became an NCO and was promoted sergeant in 1915. He was then recommended for a commission and by June was a second lieutenant in the Yorkshire Regiment. For the award of the Victoria Cross [ London Gazette, 9 September 1916 ], La Boiselle, Somme, France, 5 July 1916, T / Second Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell, 9th Bn, The Yorkshire Regiment.
For most conspicuous bravery ( Horseshoe Trench, France ). During an attack a very headvy enfilade fire was opened on the attacking company by a hostile machine-gun. Lieutenant Bell immediately, and on his own initiative, crept up a communication trench and then, followed by Corporal Colwill and Private Batey, rushed across the open under heavy fire and attacked the machine gun, shooting the firer with his revolver, and destroying gun and personnel with bombs.
Donald Bell's Victoria Cross and campaign medals had been on a long loan to the Green Howards Museum in Richmond, Yorkshire.
Donald Bell was killed in action on the 10th July 1916, aged 25, South East of Contalmaison, Somme, performing a similar deed to his VC action. He was first buried where he fell, and later interred in the Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-la-Boiselle, France, 4 miles N.E. of Albert. |
Iain Stewart, 25 November 2010