William Nevin BELL

Regimental number12712
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationSurvey cadet
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation18
Height5' 8"
Weight140 lbs
Next of kinFather, H A Bell, Cambridge
Previous military serviceServed in G Battery, New Zealand Field Artillery, Territorial Army; still serving at time of NZEF enlistment.
Enlistment date5 September 1915
Place of enlistmentTrentham
Rank on embarkationBombardier
Unit nameNew Zealand Expeditionary Force, 13th Reinforcements, New Zealand Field Artillery
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Wellington on board Willochra on 27 May 1916
The Nominal Roll gives the date of embarkation as 27 May 1916; harbour records show that the actual date of embarkation was 31 May 1916.
Final rankGunner
Final unitNew Zealand Field Artillery
FateKilled in Action 31 July 1917
Age at death from cemetery records19
Place of burialCoxyde Military Cemetery (Plot III, Row A, Grave No 13), Belgium
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Henry Alan and Alice Bell, Cambridge, Waikato
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked Wellington, 31 May 1916; reverted to ranks on board troopship, 6 July 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 26 July 1916, and marched in to Sling Camp.

Proceeded overseas to France, 17 October 1917; taken on strength, 5th Battery, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade, in the field, 25 October 1916.

Admitted to No 2 NZ Field Ambulance, 6 April 1917 (German measles), and transferred same day to 1/1 North Midlands Casualty Clearing Station; to No 7 General Hospital, St Omer, 7 April 1917; discharged to duty, 15 April 1917; rejoined unit, in the field, 16 April 1917.

Killed in action, 31 July 1917.

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNominal Roll Vol. 2: Roll 33, p. 17
Archives New Zealand (Wellington), Agency AABK, Series 18805