- George John Bell
Sir George John Bell KCMG, DSO (
November 29 ,1872 –March 5 ,1944 ) was anAustralia n soldier and politician. Bell was born in Sale in the state of Victoria, and was the eldest son of George Bell and Catherine Bell, née Hussey. He received his education in the outback of Victoria, and worked on his parent's farm, before joining theVictorian Mounted Rifles .cite book|last=Bell|first=William G.|year=1979|title=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=Melbourne University Press|edition=Volume 7|url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/|chapter= Bell, Sir George John (1872 - 1944)| chapterurl=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070252b.htm]Following the outbreak of the
Second Boer War , Bell enlisted in VictorianMounted Infantry as a private. Although traveling back to Australia after the disbandment of the Infantry, he returned to the war, joining the Victorian Mounted Rifles Contingent. He was commissioned as a lieutenant, but became severely injured in a battle in early 1902. He was awarded aDistinguished Service Order for his services in the war.After the war, Bell returned to Australia, settling in the state of
Tasmania . Upon the start ofWorld War I , Bell enlisted for theAustralian Imperial Forces , and was dispatched for training inEgypt . He served in Gallipoli and Sinai, and was promoted from the rank oflieutenant to captain, tomajor and finally, tolieutenant colonel . Given command of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Bell's most successful conquest was the capture ofEs Salt , and the later successful evacuation of British troops from thestronghold . He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in April, 1919.After his return to Australia, Bell married Ellen Rothwell on
November 5 ,1919 . He became the Nationalist Party candidate for theDivision of Darwin , and was elected to theAustralian House of Representatives in the federal election of 1919. He remained in the post for 21 years (1919 – 1922 and 1925 – 1943), representing the Nationalist Party and its successor party, theUnited Australia Party . Bell was appointed theaide-de-camp to theGovernor-General of Australia . Elected as chairman of committees to the House of Representatives, he becameSpeaker of the Australian House of Representatives in 1934. Appointed as Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1941, Bell retired from politics in 1943. Bell died fromcardiovascular disease in Tasmania, and was buried in the BurnieAnglican cemetery, following astate funeral .External links
* [http://au.geocities.com/taslinks/ "My Tasmanian Families"]
Footnotes
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