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Bert Bell, Prince Alfred's Volunteer Guard 3 years 5 months ago #72882
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....The announcement that the Prince Alfred Guards, an infantry volunteer corps formed in South Africa, have proceeded towards the front, reminds us that Mr. Bert Bell, son of Mr. Thomas Bell, architect, of Burnley, the young gentleman who accompanied Mr. John Barritt to South Africa, is one who has volunteered with the Guards. In a letter home written previous to being called up, Mr. Bert Bell states that the Guards are being very thoroughly drilled.
Burnley Express, Saturday 23rd December 1899
NEWS FROM MR. BELL IN SOUTH AFRICA.
....Mr. Herbert ("Bert") Bell, son of Mr. Thomas Bell, architect, Burnley, has written two letters home which were received in Burnley on Christmas Day. In the last missive he says that his relatives will receive it on Christmas Day, and he wishes all a Merry Christmas, but adds that his dinner will not be like theirs! The first letter is dated Port Elizabeth, November 29, and the writer, who has joined a colonial troop called the "Prince Alfred Guards," says: - "We are off to Kimberley to-day, and I am writing this in camp." He says he can get no stamps, and asks them at home not to worry if they receive letters irregularly, as he is busy in camp. The second letter bears the date "December 4," and comes from Craddock. Mr. Bell says they had a good passage thereto, the worst part being that the weather is so hot. They arrived at Craddock on Sunday and had to work hard pitching tents and bring up the ammunition. The Boers, he writes, were only 20 miles away, and they expected to begin skirmishing any day. He could not say in which direction they would move next. Mr. Bell enclosed a little emblem which the people of Port Elizabeth gave to the Prince Alfred Guards on them commencing their campaign. He asks his mother to take care of it. The souvenir is a piece of silk ribbon, white, which has printed on it, in black and red, the arms of South Africa and the Royal arms of Britain, and the following words: - "Good luck to our Prince Alfred Guards, Port Elizabeth, December 7, 1899." Continuing, Mr. Bell writes to say that the greatest excitement prevails amongst the troop, and says he is just about to begin his portion of 24 hours' duty.
Burnley Express, Wednesday 27th December 1899
LETTERS FROM MR. BERT BELL.
CAPTURE OF A DUTCHMAN CARRYING DYNAMITE.
....Mr. Bell, architect, of Burnley, has received two letters from his son in South Africa, the last one arriving yesterday. The first communication is dated Rosmead Junction, January 14, in which Mr. Bell, junior, who is in the Prince Alfred Guards, a colonial body, says: - "We have had rather a hard week what with drill, guard and fatigue work. The weather has been very unsettled. Last Wednesday we had a terrible storm - rain in buckets full and a very strong wind which blew some of the tents down. All of us were flooded out and had to sleep in wet clothes and blankets, which we did not relish at all. I have been away on a three days' patrol also, and I am knocked up. We captured a Dutchman with some dynamite on him at night time not far from one of the railway bridges, so we brought him to Rosmead with us and he has been forwarded to De Aar for trial. I have been appointed one of the Convoy Guard between Craddock and De Aar. We walk all the way guarding provisions, &c., so expect we shall see some fun. We got orders last Tuesday to pack up and go to Hanover, but it turned out fraud - only wish we could have gone. Remember me to all the boys. I only wish some of them were here. They would find it pretty rough to what they have at home, but then it does one a lot of good. I know I never felt better - out in the fresh air all day and sleeping out every night. I have to clean my gun and bayonet for patrol."
....The second letter is headed Hanover Bridge, 21st January, and the writer says: - "As you will see by the above address we have had another move, and I am glad to say that it is in the right direction. We are stationed 30 miles above Naauwpoort and taking it as the crow flies we are only 10 miles away from Colesberg, which place, as you will see by the papers, General French is at the present time storming. We are now attached to his column and may any day go to him. We arrived here on Tuesday night, and since that time there has been nothing but false alarms. Last night about a dozen of us set off on a ten mile patrol, and I am fairly tired just now because I had been guard patrol for 36 hours before that. Taking things altogether we are pretty healthy. We have had to-day the first church service since we joined. We held it under the bridge, but the preacher was no good. Both Kimberley and Ladysmith are relieved (here the writer is wrong) so we shall have a pretty straight march now. I have just received your letter, and was surprised to see the cutting from the 'Express.' I have received no paper, so judge you are not forwarding them. This morning they have taken names of those who would like to join a mounted corps, but they had to be expert riders, so I could not join. Very few have been chosen." Mr. Bell concludes by stating that his tent has been photographed and he will send a copy home. Burnley Express, Wednesday 14th February 1900
THE CHOCOLATE BOX PRIZED.
THEY MAY BE GOT - FOR £6.
....Mr. Bert. Bell, who joined the Prince Alfred Guards, a Colonial troop, has written home to his parents in Ormerod-road, Burnley. It would appear that the Guards have been drafted into "E" Company of the Midland Field Force. Writing from Hanover Bridge on February 10, Mr. Bell says: - "We received our box of chocolates last Tuesday, and forward it to you. I am very proud of it, for nobody only the soldiers can get them. I could have sold mine for £6 quite easily. I think it very nice, and it has quite come up to my expectations. If you know anybody who wants one I daresay I could manage to get one for £6, although I expect the price will go up. They are sought after by all civilians - but the best time is at the month end, when all their money is done. There is no fresh news about the war. Everything seems to be at a standstill as regards the fighting, but, my word, they are rushing troops up to Modder River. They must intend to make a big advance towards the relief of Kimberley very shortly, and my opinion is that as soon as it is relieved there will be no more battles until either Johannesburg or Pretoria are reached, because the country between these places is pretty flat, and the Boers do not like that because they have to expose themselves too much. We have nearly all got our horses, but have not tried them yet. We got measured for new suits last Tuesday, and our officer told us that in three weeks' time he expected that we should be on our way to the front, but you never know when to believe him. He tells us such fibs just to put a little excitement into us and to vary the monotony. I am not at all anxious to be shot, but then it will seem better if one can say that he has been in action and under fire. I was talking to some of the wounded soldiers a short time back, and they said it was awful the fire they were exposed to. Half their company (which was the Suffolks) were either killed or wounded, and they were going back to Port Elizabeth because they had lost nearly all their officers. I think last Tuesday was the hottest day that I ever experienced, but since then we have had a fair amount of thunder and rain. I should be pleased if you would forward the mid-weekly "Express" regularly."
....12th February. - "We are busy all day riding our horses and I can hardly walk I am so sore. We had Major Stuart inspecting us yesterday, and he told us that in a fortnight we were for the front. We should go to Craddock this week to be fit up. Everybody in camp is tired out. We have been up night and day lately. Last Wednesday we had a false alarm. One of the outposts fired a shot. The alarm bugle went, and then you should have seen what a rush there was. Our officer was as excited as anything. It turned out nothing after all, but we were at our posts till daybreak. Last night he came from Hanover with a telegram which said that a Boer patrol were near us, which meant that nearly every man in camp had to go on duty. News has just come that Buller has had another reverse, but full particulars have not arrived yet. We have a lot more work to do now looking after our horses, but we do not mind that as it is better than 'foot slogging.' We are the first company of Volunteers in South Africa to be mounted and our officer says we ought to be proud of it." Burnley Express, Wednesday 7th March 1900
A FALSE ALARM.
....Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Bell, of Ormerod-road, Burnley, on Saturday received a letter from their son, Mr. Bert. Bell, in the Prince Alfred Guards. The letter is written from Hanover Road, between Colesberg and De Aar, and is dated 19th February. In it the writer says: "I received your letter and parcel yesterday, and was very pleased with the sleeping helmet; it will be very useful indeed. I have had a most exciting time this week, and I thought we were going to be in action. A lot of the Boers, so we had news, had escaped from Colesberg and were going to blow up the bridge we were guarding. The bridge is over 100 yards long, in three spans, and is the most important on the line to De Aar. We got the alarm from the Australian scouts at nine o'clock on Saturday night, and then it was everybody to their place. Three of us, along with a sergeant, had to go 300 yards up the river and lie in wait for them, the others being all round. We were reinforced by the Victorian Volunteers, and also the 3rd division of the South Lancashire Militia. Altogether there would be 1,500 of us, the furthest picket being about four miles away. It turned out to be a false alarm, the reason being this. A first City Volunteer scouting party came in contact with the Australians, whom they challenged. The Australians mistook what they saw, and came galloping back to camp, thinking they were the Boers. We were out at our posts till 12 o'clock at night, when the 'retreat' sounded, and after that the colonel of the Militia sent us orders to be in full marching order by four o'clock in the morning. We were all ready, and leaving kits, blankets, etc., behind us, we marched up to Hanover, where we found the Militia, Australians, Tasmanians, 1st City Volunteers of Grahamstown, and the Uightenage Volunteers, in full marching and fighting order. We got orders to keep in our places, and there we were till nearly 10 o'clock, in a burning sun, with no breakfast." Mr. Bell goes on to say that after that they were marched back to camp, but no sooner were they there than all the available men went on fatigue duty, digging trenches, and they were at it all night, without a morsel of food for 24 hours. He states that they have six guns and several maxims.
Burnley Express, Wednesday 14th March 1900 Extract from a letter home to Burnley from Private H. C. Heaton, 2nd Grenadier Guards: - ". . . At Middleburg Rosmead Junction I came across Bert Bell, a Burnley young fellow, of the Prince Albert's Guards." Burnley Express, Saturday 23rd June 1900
RETURN OF MR. BERT BELL.
....On Thursday Mr. Herbert Bell, eldest son of Mr. Thomas Bell, architect, Ormerod-road, Burnley, returned from South Africa, attired in khaki. Mr. Bert Bell went out to the colony about three years ago with Mr. J. W. Barritt, who returned when the war broke out, but who has since gone out and joined the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles. On the outbreak of hostilities, the unsettled state of the country rendered work impossible, and so Mr. Bell joined the Colonial Corps, known as the Prince Alfred Volunteer Guards. This body rendered good service in the war, guarding the railway, the railway bridges, and various communications. It never took part in any of the severe battles, but several times behaved with gallantry in brushes with the enemy. Mr. Bell signed for twelve months, but served a little longer. He then obtained his discharge, and on account of not being able to get work he came home. Otherwise he would have stayed. Mr. Bell seems in excellent health, and is much bronzed. From time to time his letters home were published in the "Express," so that the public are acquainted with the story he has to tell, and to which he does not desire to add anything now.
Burnley Express, Saturday 26th January 1901 The John Barritt who was mentioned a couple of times died tragically on Table Mountain after the war. |
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