[Originally posted in The Royal Corps of Signals From The Times, Saturday, June 22, 1940 ARMY AWARDS GALLANT MEMBERS OF THE B.E.F. BRAVERY IN REARGUARD ACTIONS MILITARY CROSS Sec. Lt. DAVID CLIFFORD JOHNSTON BELL, R. SIGNALS This officer was in command of a detachment of dispatch riders, and worked day and night for two weeks to keep communications open, often carrying important messages himself owing to the scarcity of dispatch riders. On May 20 he made several reconnaisances into the area where one of the brigades had been overrun by tanks, in order to establish communication with the scattered remnants of its battalions, and was largely responsible for collecting a large portion of the brigade. His energy and resource and total disregard of personal danger set a fine example to all ranks. Recommendation for Award for Bell, David Clifford Johnston Rank: Second... | The National Archives Name Bell, David Clifford Johnston Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment: Royal Signals Theatre of Combat or Operation: British Expeditionary Force 1939-40 Award: Military Cross Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 20 December 1940 Date 1940-1942 Catalogue reference WO 373/16 London Gazette : 18 August 1939 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34656/page/5679/data.pdf ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS. Spr. David Clifford Johnston BELL, from R.E., to be 2nd Lt. 16th Aug. 1939. London Gazette : 31 August 1948 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38392/page/4771/data.pdf ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS. The notifn regarding Lt (War Subs Maj), D C J BELL, MC (94668) in Gazette (Supplement) dated 18th June 1948, is cancelled. London Gazette : 31 August 1948 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38392/page/4772/data.pdf UNATTACHED LIST ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS Lt (War Subs Maj ) D C J BELL, MC (94668), from Active List (unposted) to be Capt , 8th July 1948, with seniority, ist May 1947, and is granted the hon rank of Lt.-Col.
I realise this thread is 12 years old but I only stumbled across it. My name is Richard Johnston-Bell and the David in this post was my grandfather. I would love to know more about these events but those links are dead now. I have also had no luck trying to search the London Gazette. I dont suppose yourself, or anyone else would be able to assist me in how to find those newspaper mentions. I think for part of his service he was recorded as Bell, but for other parts he was recorded as Johnston-Bell. Any help appreciated. cheers
Hello and welcome to the forum. I've fixed the TNA link and edited in an image of the original recommendation *Unfortunately I can't locate the broken LG link but have added a couple of others which do include his Number (94668). Usually this makes it easier to search for an individual's Gazette entries but I'm not having a lot of luck with his either. Perhaps other members will give it a go and have more success? The Royal Corps of Signals *Edit - found it and also edited update in original post London Gazette : 18 August 1939 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34656/page/5679/data.pdf ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS. Spr. David Clifford Johnston BELL, from R.E., to be 2nd Lt. 16th Aug. 1939.
rijobe, Welcome aboard. I would recommend you start a separate thread on your grandfather in this section: Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy Put all you know on the new thread, that will avoid duplication etc. The expertise here may be along to help, notably about France 1940 and the recommendation your apply for his service records: Get a copy of military service records Yes, there is a time delay due to COVID etc. Av search did find this, within a synopsis of photos on a 2021 book - with my emphasis in vold: From: The Book Cover Minus any mention of his unit this gives a starting point for the history of the 23rd Division: 23rd (Northumbrian) Division - Wikipedia and little more here: 50th (Northumbrian) Signal Regiment - Wikipedia Plus: 70th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia Using his service number this pops up: From 31/8/1948: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38392/page/4771/data.pdf The 8/6/1948 entry was: From: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38392/page/4772/data.pdf
oh wow, thank you so much for your response. I didnt expect a reply so quickly (in fact I wasnt sure if I would get a reply at all as the thread is so old). I did end up finding one of those Gazette references on my own, but the way they are laid out is hard to read. Its amazing to see that photo of the MC recommendation from the archives. How did you get that, do you have access? Some of the lingo they use is a bit confusing. Not sure what notifn means, and what they mean by cancelled? So I gather he was a sapper in the Royal Engineers then moved to the Royal Signals, or are the signals part of RE. I am in Australia, and have never been in the military so will have to work my way through the language.
Hi, The recommendations are in large files which can be downloaded as part of a National Archives digitisation project. They're very bulky pdfs so most family researchers simply pay to see the one award they're interested in. A few of us here download the whole lot because our own interests include entire regiments, etc. As to the reference to cancellation - It's a matter of finding that one earlier "notification" (from LG date quoted) in order to see to what it referred. I've never served either - you'll pick the jargon up as you go along. Yes, it seems he served first in the ranks with Royal Engineers. He was then commissioned, serving then as an officer in Royal Signals. As already advised, copy service records are the way to go, they are the framework for any further research. Without that knowledge of the units within Signals, you won't be able to properly trace his footsteps. If you want to have a separate thread for your grandfather and researching his service, I can move posts over. Just let me know.
Thank you so much David. I will gather what I have been provided from the help you and DBF have provided, along with any other information I can get from family and start a thread in the Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy section as you recommended. I didnt know he was in the 23rd Northumbrian division so looking forward to looking into that. It would be great to get his service record so will look into getting that. I think I will also buy that book. I am a little gobsmacked at how willing to help you guys have been, and at how all that information was found so quickly. You guys are amazing, thank you
No need to start a new thread, if you want a separate one I can move threads over to create it. Will save you starting from scratch / repeating info.
rijobe, Regarding The London Gazette entries: 1) 'notifn' is notification; 2) Gazette entries are often cancelled, usually as a mistake has been made and after WW2, with demobilization, I expect it took months to catch up; 3) the Royal Signals are separate from the Royal Engineers. The Royal Signals were founded in 1920 and everyone was trained to ride (horses or more likely motorcycles). See: Royal Corps of Signals - Wikipedia The Royal Engineers were founded in 1716 and Wiki refers to: From: Royal Engineers - Wikipedia
oh okay. thanks. In one of the Gazette mentions it said: Spr. David Clifford Johnston BELL, from R.E., to be 2nd Lt. 16th Aug. 1939., so I was curious as to what that meant. Would Spr mean sapper and RE (royal engineers)?
Yes, Sapper (Spr) is shorthand for an Other Rank in the RE. Or try: Sapper - Wikipedia which suggests it applies to all those in the RE.
