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Auction: 15001 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 8

The Second War 'North West Europe' D.S.O., '1938' M.B.E. Group of Eight to Colonel J. Bell, Royal Engineers
a) Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., silver-gilt and enamel, reverse of suspension bar officially dated '1946', with integral top riband bar, in Garrard, London, case of issue
b) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd type, Military Division, Member's (M.B.E.) breast Badge, silver, in Royal Mint case of issue
c) 1939-1945 Star
d) France and Germany Star
e) Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaf
f) Coronation 1953
g) Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., silver and silver-gilt, reverse officially dated '1945', with two Additional Award Bars, E.II.R., both officially dated '1953', with top 'Territorial' riband bar, the two top riband bars both pierced for sewing onto riband, generally nearly extremely fine, with the recipient's related miniature awards, lacking M.I.D. Oak Leaf; riband bars; various Royal Engineers cap badges, rank insignia, and Lowland Division cloth badges; and the following Bestowal Documents &c., all of which are mounted in glazed display frames:
- Commission appointing James Bell a Second Lieutenant in the Territorial Army, dated 27.12.1929
- Bestowal Document for the D.S.O., named to Major James Bell, M.B.E., T.D., and dated 24.1.1946
- Bestowal Document for the M.B.E., named to Captain James Bell, and dated 9.6.1938
- Bestowal Document for the Coronation Medal 1953, named to Colonel James Bell, D.S.O., M.B.E., T.D.
- The recipient's Mentioned in Despatches Certificate, dated 9.8.1945
- Heraldic Map, showing the Training and Active Service of the 52nd (L) Division during the Campaign in North West Europe 1939-1945
- Second Army Thanksgiving Service booklet, on the Conclusion of the Campaign in North West Europe
- Portrait photograph of the recipient, this mounted but not framed; and a photograph of the recipient inspecting a Guard of Honour in Scotland (lot)

D.S.O. London Gazette 24.1.1946 Major James Bell, M.B.E., T.D., B.Sc., A.R.I.B.A. (44574), Corps of Royal Engineers
'In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe.'
The Recommendation, dated 1.7.1945, states: 'In the South Beveland campaign Major Bell landed in the assault wave and organised the engineer work off the beaches and the clearance of mines. It was his men's first appearance in action as well as his own and he led them cooly and steadied them through the first difficult days.
The mines were particularly troublesome in this campaign, being sown broadcast and with untried troops, casualties from them were severe at first but he encouraged his men in their dangerous task by his own example, and his coolness and foresight kept the casualties to a minimum.
In clearing the Roer pocket, he again was in support of the Infantry Brigade opening the assault, and it was due to his determination that a crossing was in fact made for the armour over the tank obstacle covering Stein though the thaw conditions prevented its exploitation.
He supported his Brigade in the assault on Alpon, where he took his sappers and his bulldozer into the town when the armour was itself held up by fire. He cleared a way through working and encouraging his men under heavy fire. In the crossing of the Rhine, his company was under command of 4 GHQ Transport Engineers and took part in the assault crossing. In the attack on Bremen he was in support of the leading Brigade all the way from Verdun, into the city itself, remaining in the van when the Infantry Brigades relieved each other. Once more he led and encouraged his men as they cleared the road forward under heavy fire and faced new dangers from an unknown and remote controlled aerial bomb used as demolition charge, which destroyed one of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers under his command.
Throughout the campaign Major Bell has been continually under fire and has led his troops superbly through many difficult and dangerous phases, inspiring them by his own personal example of coolness and contempt for danger. He has ably supported the Brigade he was with on every occasion and no call has ever been made on his sappers in vain.'

M.B.E. London Gazette 9.6.1938 Captain James Bell, B.Sc., A.R.I.B.A., 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Engineers, Royal Engineers, Territorial Army.

T.D. London Gazette 12.4.1945 Capt.-(T/Maj.) J. Bell, M.B.E. (44574), Corps of Royal Engineers

T.D. Second Award Bar London Gazette 31.3.1953 Lt-Col. & Bt. Col. J. Bell, D.S.O., M.B.E., T.D., B.Sc., A.R.I.B.A. (44574), Corps of Royal Engineers

T.D. Third Award Bar London Gazette 31.3.1953 Lt-Col. & Bt. Col. J. Bell, D.S.O., M.B.E., T.D., B.Sc., A.R.I.B.A. (44574), Corps of Royal Engineers

M.I.D. London Gazette 9.8.1945 Maj. (temp.) J. Bell, M.B.E., B.Sc., A.R.I.B.A. (44574), Corps of Royal Engineers
'In recognition of gallant and distinguished service in North-West Europe'

Colonel James Bell, D.S.O., M.B.E., T.D., educated at Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow; Commissioned Second Lieutenant, 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Engineers, Royal Engineers (Territorial Army), 1.1.1930; advanced Captain, and served with the 52nd (Lowland) Division during the Second War in North West Europe in the South Beveland campaign, and present at the assault on Alpon, the crossing of the Rhine, and the attack on Bremen (awarded D.S.O. and Mentioned in Despatches); promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, 1.5.1947; Brevet Colonel, 1.5.1950; appointed Honorary Colonel, 124 (Lowland) Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (Territorial Army), 30.12.1950; retired, October 1958.

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