Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son or nephew of William Bell of Box 903 Irma, Alberta, Canada, formerly of Raggiewhat, Lockerbie, Scotland. The Army pension records record William as both Robert’s father, and in a further entry his uncle, the ledger of Soldiers Effects records Robert’s sole legatee as his uncle, William. There is no information to link Robert to having resided in Melton Mowbray, but given that he was recorded on the Leicestershire Yeomanry Memorial inside Oakham Castle, there could quite possibly be a connection to the town, given that it was his place of enlistment. However at present there is no family background available for Robert, no trace having been found in the census returns for Scotland, it therefore remains an open record awaiting further information. (MD 2021-05-18).
Robert’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire into the Leicestershire Yeomanry, and was allotted the service number 2221, and posted as a Private to that Regiment’s Depot for training, subsequently being posted to the 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry. And it was to join this unit, that he first entered the theatre of war in France on the 16th February 1915. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was admitted to the 3rd Cavalry Camp Field Ambulance, where he subsequently died on the 26th January 1916 from wounds received in action. He was buried in Vermelles British Cemetery, France. Robert was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.