Cornelius Bell was born in July 1897, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. FreeBMD shows his birth register entry. He was also recorded in the 1911 census as living at the Quarry Burn address in Hunwick.
The Medal Index Card (WO 372/2/82052) at the National Archives shows several Cornelius Bells with northern regiments but I eventually narrowed it down to his record at the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was attested on 22nd January 1916 and assigned to the army reserve as Private Bell with Serial number 5453, later changed to 241768.
He was mobilized on 11th May 1916 and posted to Ireland with the 2/5th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment (the 2 denotes a second-line territorial or part-time battalion) which was attached to the 177th Brigade of the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. This was just after the six-day Easter Rising.
The Division was hurriedly ordered to help quell the troubles. Troops of the 176th Brigade, including the 2/4th and 2/5th Lincolns, were ordered to close in on Sackville Street from east and west and to carry out a house-to-house searches. The 2/4 Lincolns formed a cordon along the Grand Canal to enclose the southern part of the city on the afternoon of 28th April. On 28th and 29th April the 2/5th Lincolns were part of the cordon established to contain Eamon De Valera's men.
The regiment returned to England in January 1917 and arrived in France on 23rd February. This is where their War Diary (WO 95/3023/4) starts.
Summary of the rest of his war
Suffered gunshot wound on left side 16th March 1917 and a gunshot wound losing 1/3rd finger on left hand 10th April 1917 (?). The battalion were at Hargicourt (near St. Quentin on the Somme) on 10th April. This post on the Lincolnshire Regiment's web site describes some of the action at Hargicourt.
Left France on 13th April 1917
First furlough 13-23 July 1917, in Hunwick with 2/5 Lincs but based at the time at the army's Command Depot (normally used for recuperating troops)
Posted 4th Res on 14th Sep 1917
Posted to 7th (Service) Bn on 25th Oct 1917
Second furlough 2-19 March 1918, granted by Central Hospital Chatham, considered as not fit for duty or command depot at the time. Was in B Coy of 7th Lincs at start of furlough but posted to 4th Reserve Bn on 12th March 1918?
Attended medical board in Ripon on 26th September 1918 and was released for coal mining employment at Rough Lea Colliery in Hunwick.
In 4th Reserve Bn in October 1918 then 7th Bn again in November 1918
Discharged on 14th December 1918 as *surplus to military requirements (having suffered impairment since entry into the service)* (Para 392 of the King's Regulations, XVIa)
According to the family, he served with the so-called "Black and Tans" in Ireland, a special reserve of the Royal Irish Constabulary which was formed in 1919 to assist the RIC but disbanded in 1922. It was made up of many former veterans of WW1. A search of the list of RIC officers and other ranks at the Imperial War Museum did not turn up any Cornelius Bell although there was a James C. Bell. James was the name of Redford's father so it's possible he joined up under a slightly altered name.
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