Jonathan BELL Private 74390, 6 th Durham Light Infantry & Private 235619, 1 st /5 th Battalion, Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment. Died 9 th October 1917. Jonathan William Bell was born in Howden-le-Wear in the spring of 1898, the sixth of eight children. By the time of the 1911 Census the family was living at Throckley, Newburn, near Newcastle. Jonathan's father Richard and three of his brothers were miners, and Jonathan was employed as a brick factory labourer. Jonathan enlisted in the army at Bishop Auckland, and served as a Private in the 1 st /5 th Battalion of the Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment. He had previously served with the 6 th Durham Light Infantry. It is not known when he went to France, but he would have seen some fierce fighting. The war diary for the 1 st /5th Battalion of the Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment paints a vivid picture of events of the 7 th to 10 th October 1917, the time of the Battle of Passchendaele, one of the most horrendous battles of the war. Jonathan was killed during the fighting on the 9 th October. He was buried at Zonnebeke, in Belgium.

Remembering Our Fallen

Howden-le-Wear History Society