Edward Bellew: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox military person |
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| name = Edward Donald Bellew |
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| birth_date = 28 October 1882 |
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| death_date = 1 February 1961 |
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| birth_place =[[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[British India]] |
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| death_place =[[Kamloops, British Columbia]], Canada |
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| placeofburial = Hillside Cemetery, Kamloops |
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| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> |
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| nickname = |
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| birth_name = |
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| allegiance = {{UK}}<br>[[File:Canadian Red Ensign 1868-1921.svg|20px]] [[Canada]] |
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| branch = [[British Army]]<br>[[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] |
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| serviceyears = 1901 - 1903 (UK)<br>1914 - 1919 (Canada) |
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| rank = [[Captain (land and air)|Captain]] |
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| servicenumber = |
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| unit = [[Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)|Royal Irish Regiment]]<br>[[7th Battalion, CEF|7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion]], [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] |
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| commands = |
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| battles = [[World War I]] |
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| awards = [[File:Victoria Cross (UK) ribbon.png|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]] |
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| relations =[[Robert Bellew Adams]] VC (second cousin) |
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| laterwork = |
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| signature = |
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}} |
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'''Edward Donald Bellew''', [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (28 October 1882, [[Mumbai|Bombay]] – 1 February 1961,<ref>http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/gal/vcg-gcv/bio/bellew-ed-eng.asp</ref> [[Kamloops, British Columbia]]), Captain of the 7th Bn British Columbia Regiment, CEF was a [[Canada|Canadian]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces. |
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Bellew began his education at [[Blundell's School]], but left to attend [[Clifton College]] (1897–1900) to gain entry to [[Sandhurst Military Academy]]. He joined the [[Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)|Royal Irish Regiment]] in 1901. He emigrated to Canada in 1903 and worked as a construction engineer. He enlisted in the British Columbia Regiment in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the [[First World War]]. |
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Edward Donald Bellew was born in Bombay, India on 28 October 1882, and came to Canada after serving in the British Army for several years. |
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==Action== |
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Lieutenant Bellew received the Victoria Cross for his actions on 24 April 1915 near Keerselaere in Belgium while serving as battalion machine gun officer with the 7th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. During a major German attack, he had two machine guns in action on a high feature overlooking the ground across which the enemy was advancing. When the German infantry were less than a hundred meters away, and with his rear also threatened, Bellew and his sergeant resolved to fight it out. Although the sergeant was killed and Bellew had been wounded, he managed to continue firing until the supply of ammunition was exhausted. Before the enemy occupied his position and took him prisoner, Lieutenant Bellew seized a rifle and smashed his machine gun, thus denying its use to the enemy. |
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He was 32 years old, and a [[lieutenant]] in the 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion, [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] during the [[World War I|First World War]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. |
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It was during the [[Second Battle of Ypres]] that a mass attack on the Canadian line developed on the morning of Saturday 24 April 1915 near [[Kerselaere]], [[Belgium]]. The Canadians were suffering heavy casualties. The advance of the enemy was temporarily stayed by Lieutenant Bellew, the battalion machine-gun officer, who had two guns in action on high ground when the enemy's attack broke in full force. The reinforcements sent forward having been destroyed, and with the enemy less than {{convert|100|yd}} away and no further assistance in sight, Lieutenant Bellew and a Sergeant Peerless decided to fight it out. The sergeant was killed and Lieutenant Bellew wounded, nevertheless, he maintained his fire until his ammunition failed, when he seized a rifle, smashed his machine-gun and, fighting to the last, was taken prisoner. |
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Bellew died in Kamloops, British Columbia on 1 February 1961. |
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==Further information== |
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Citation |
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He remained a [[Prisoner of war]] (latterly in [[Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp]]) until 1919 and achieved the rank of [[Captain (land and air)|Captain]]. Bellew subsequently returned to Canada and became a dredging inspector. He died in 1961 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery, Kamloops, British Columbia<ref>[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ggcanbrc.htm Known Graves of recipients of the Victoria Cross in British Columbia] |
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</ref> Edward Bellew's Victoria Cross is believed to have been stolen from the Royal Canadian Military Institute, [[Toronto]], between January 1975 and 22 July 1977. The VC has never been recovered.<ref>[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/aastolen.htm Victoria Crosses reported stolen]</ref> He was the second cousin of [[Robert Bellew Adams]] VC. |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2004/07/the-class-of-1915/ Legion Magazine article on Edward Donald Bellew] |
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* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7768642 Find-A-Grave profile for Edward Donald Bellew] |
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==References== |
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“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Keerselaere on 24th April, 1915, during the German attack on the Ypres salient. Capt. (then Lieut.) Bellew, as Battalion Machine Gun Officer, had two guns in action on the high ground overlooking Keerselaere. The enemy’s attack broke in full force on the morning of the 24th against the front and right flank of the Battalion – the latter being exposed owing to a gap in the line. The right Company was soon put out of action, but the advance was temporarily stayed by Capt. Bellew, who had sited his guns on the left of the right Company. Reinforcements were sent forward but they in turn were surrounded and destroyed. With the enemy in strength less than 100 yards from him, with no further assistance in sight, and with his rear threatened, Capt. Bellew and Serjt. Peerless, each operating a gun, decided to stay where they were and fight it out. Serjt. Peerless was killed and Capt. Bellew was wounded and fell. Nevertheless, he got up and maintained his fire till ammunition failed and the enemy rushed the position. Capt. Bellew then seized a rifle, smashed his machine gun, and fighting to the last, was taken prisoner.” |
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{{reflist}} |
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*[[Monuments to Courage]] (David Harvey, 1999) |
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*[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]] (This England, 1997) |
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*[[VCs of the First World War - The Western Front 1915]] (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999) |
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*"On the Battlefields", From the archives of "Maclean's Magazine", Edited by Michael Benedict, Penguin Canada, 2002 ISBN 0-14-301341-6, page 96 |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Bellew, Edward Donald |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Recipient of the Victoria Cross |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 28 October 1882 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[British India]] |
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| DATE OF DEATH = 1 February 1961 |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Kamloops, British Columbia]], Canada |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellew, Edward Donald}} |
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[[Category:Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross]] |
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[[Category:1882 births]] |
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[[Category:1961 deaths]] |
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[[Category:People educated at Clifton College]] |
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[[Category:People educated at Blundell's School]] |
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[[Category:People from Mumbai]] |
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[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]] |
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[[Category:Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922) officers]] |
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[[Category:British emigrants to Canada]] |
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[[Category:Canadian prisoners of war]] |
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[[Category:World War I prisoners of war held by Germany]] |
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[[Category:Canadian Expeditionary Force officers]] |
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Revision as of 19:27, 20 October 2014
Edward Donald Bellew | |
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 | |
| Born | 28 October 1882 Bombay, British India |
| Died | 1 February 1961 Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada |
| Buried | Hillside Cemetery, Kamloops |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom.svg){kind=small} Canada |
| Service | British Army Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Years of service | 1901 - 1903 (UK) 1914 - 1919 (Canada) |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Royal Irish Regiment 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards | _ribbon.png){kind=small} Victoria Cross |
| Relations | Robert Bellew Adams VC (second cousin) |
Edward Donald Bellew, VC (28 October 1882, Bombay – 1 February 1961,[1] Kamloops, British Columbia), Captain of the 7th Bn British Columbia Regiment, CEF was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Bellew began his education at Blundell's School, but left to attend Clifton College (1897–1900) to gain entry to Sandhurst Military Academy. He joined the Royal Irish Regiment in 1901. He emigrated to Canada in 1903 and worked as a construction engineer. He enlisted in the British Columbia Regiment in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War.
Action
He was 32 years old, and a lieutenant in the 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
It was during the Second Battle of Ypres that a mass attack on the Canadian line developed on the morning of Saturday 24 April 1915 near Kerselaere, Belgium. The Canadians were suffering heavy casualties. The advance of the enemy was temporarily stayed by Lieutenant Bellew, the battalion machine-gun officer, who had two guns in action on high ground when the enemy's attack broke in full force. The reinforcements sent forward having been destroyed, and with the enemy less than 100 yards (91 m) away and no further assistance in sight, Lieutenant Bellew and a Sergeant Peerless decided to fight it out. The sergeant was killed and Lieutenant Bellew wounded, nevertheless, he maintained his fire until his ammunition failed, when he seized a rifle, smashed his machine-gun and, fighting to the last, was taken prisoner.
Further information
He remained a Prisoner of war (latterly in Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp) until 1919 and achieved the rank of Captain. Bellew subsequently returned to Canada and became a dredging inspector. He died in 1961 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery, Kamloops, British Columbia[2] Edward Bellew's Victoria Cross is believed to have been stolen from the Royal Canadian Military Institute, Toronto, between January 1975 and 22 July 1977. The VC has never been recovered.[3] He was the second cousin of Robert Bellew Adams VC.
External links
References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- VCs of the First World War - The Western Front 1915 (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999)
- "On the Battlefields", From the archives of "Maclean's Magazine", Edited by Michael Benedict, Penguin Canada, 2002 ISBN 0-14-301341-6, page 96
Categories:
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
- 1882 births
- 1961 deaths
- People educated at Clifton College
- People educated at Blundell's School
- People from Mumbai
- Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
- Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922) officers
- British emigrants to Canada
- Canadian prisoners of war
- World War I prisoners of war held by Germany
- Canadian Expeditionary Force officers