Colonel Francis Cecil Leonard "Bill" Bell, DSO, MC, TD (25 September 1912 – 20 December 2012), was a British Army officer who was decorated for his service during the Second World War.
[1] He also joined the school's Junior Division of the Officer Training Corps, achieving the rank of Cadet Company Sergeant Major.
In late May/early June, with the fall of France to Nazi Germany, he was evacuated from Dunkirk in a Chinese river gunboat.
[6] He then spent the next two years serving in Britain with the 6th Lincolns, as part of the British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War.
[9] He transferred to the Parachute Regiment (Territorial Army) on 13 February 1950 as a major with seniority from 25 September 1946.
[10] On 28 November 1952, he transferred back to the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.
[11] Having reached the age limit, he retired from the Territorial Army on 2 January 1963, retaining the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.
[12] After leaving full-time military service at the end of the War, Bell returned to his legal career.
Later, he was made a director of the British Bankers' Association and chairman of its European Legal Committee.
[6] On 22 April 1943, he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) 'in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North Africa'.
[7] It was gazetted on 23 September 1943, that he had been further Mentioned in Despatches 'in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North Africa'.