LEONARD BELL

Leonard Bell had a short and colourful military career. He had been born in Belfast in 1893, and attended the local primary school there. Prior to his enlistment, he had worked as a labourer at the Borthwick's Freezing Works at Waitara in Taranaki. He enlisted on 7 February 1916 and immediately ran foul of the military authorities, being given 7 days CB ("Confined to Barracks" - undertaking a variety of tedious tasks) for "creating a disturbance after lights out". Within two weeks he was given a further 7 days CB for "disobeying orders". On 2 May 1916, he was awarded 14 days CB for "refusing arrest" and two days' later, rather curiously, only one day's CB for "refusing to obey an order". It is possible that there was a clash of personality between Leonard Bell and one of the training NCOs, as he caused no further trouble once on active service.

He was posted to D Company, the 1st Battalion of the newly formed New Zealand Rifle Brigade (nicknamed the "Dinks" – a reference to them being “reasoned volunteers” in 1915, or “Dinkum” soldiers, as opposed to Main Body enthusiasts of 1914). He left New Zealand at the end of May 1916, and after more training at the New Zealand Base camp in England called Sling, he embarked for active service in France on 12 August 1916. He joined his battalion in the front line two weeks later. He was reported wounded in the thigh and abdomen on 15 September, the first day of the battle of Flers-Courcellete on the Somme. Leonard Bell died of these wounds at the No 45 Casualty Clearing Station on 20 September 1916 and is buried at the Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension.

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