GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 148
A Second War 1944 ‘immediate’ attack on the Gustav Line M.M. awarded to Fusilier J. Devine, The Royal Fusiliers, who despite receiving a bullet wound to the face, 13 May 1944, volunteered to carry messages over bullet-swept open ground on five separate occasions
MILITARY MEDAL,
G.VI.R. (6475418 Fsr. J. Devine. R. Fus.) mounted on investiture brooch, darkly toned, good very fine
£700-900 M.M. London Gazette 26 October 1944:
‘During the Company advance from the area of the banks of the R. Gari on 13 May ‘44 to the German posns at the top of the hill overlooking the Gari, the Coy. came under heavy cross MG fire and suffered 75% casualties; all the officers in the Coy. were casualties. CSM Smith then took command of the Coy, and, having no other communication, called for a volunteer to get across the flat ground to the leading pls. Fusilier Devine, although wounded in the arm the day previously, volunteered and went across the stretch of 70 yds to the right hand pl. This ground was bullet swept and Fusilier Devine was wounded over the right eye by a bullet when fired at whilst returning to Coy HQ. The Sgt Major again called for a volunteer and Fusilier Devine again offered to get a message fwd; in all he went fwd 5 times to the leading elements of the Coy, on each occasion he was fired at. Eventually he had to be ordered back to the RAP for evacuation.
James Devine was a native of Dundee, and served during the Second War with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers in the Italian theatre of War.
149
A good Second World War North-West Europe operations Immediate M.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant F. K. Bell, Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was decorated for his gallantry in the 6th Battalion’s advance on Liesel, Belgium in October 1944 - buried in a slit trench by heavy calibre shell, he dug himself out and ended the day with a score of two enemy soldiers
MILITARY MEDAL,
G.VI.R. (3606648 A. Cpl. F. K. Bell, R.S. Fus.); 1939-45 STAR; FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR; WAR MEDAL, mounted as worn, good very fine (5)
£1200-1500 M.M. London Gazette 1 March 1945. The original recommendation states:
‘On 30 October 1944, “D” Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, was advancing on Liesel. Lance-Corporal Bell, who was 2nd- in-command of the rear section of No. 18 Platoon, came under heavy unlocated M.G. fire. He immediately got his Bren gun into action, firing in the general direction of the M.G. post. This fire effectively neutralised the enemy post for a long enough period to enable the Platoon to get to cover.
Lance-Corporal Bell then made a quick recce for a better position for his Bren, being himself now under resumed fire. Having re- positioned his Bren, he moved round to the left in order to locate the enemy post, which he successfully did. He killed at least two of the enemy with his own rifle fire. He continued to engage the enemy post with his rifle despite M.G. fire directed against him from another enemy post on the left. He was then ordered to withdraw.
Later in the same day a very heavy shell buried him and his Bren gunner in their slit trench. He managed to dig himself and his Bren gunner out and although badly shaken continued to display the highest courage and coolness throughout the remainder of the action.
Lance-Corporal Bell throughout this day was an example and inspiration to his platoon both by his personal courage and the quality of his leadership and dash he displayed, which have constantly been of the highest standard.’
Frank Kershaw Bell, a native of Stockport, first saw action with the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers during the Madagascar operations in 1942, and had a close call while manning a position with No. 5 Platoon, “C” Company, a grenade landing between himself and a comrade - the latter managed to pick it up but it detonated as he threw it, seriously wounding him in the side and blowing off a foot.
Following his gallantry at Liesel, Bell was invested with the riband of his M.M. by Montgomery in a parade held at Zomeron, and went on to see further action at the crossing of the Rhine on 26 March 1945, an accompanying regimental museum letter stating that he was wounded on the same occasion.
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