[8][5] Gell landed at LeHavre in France on 23 March 1915 with 1st/5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment,[9] he was wounded on the Somme in 1916 and from 3 October 1916 until 28 June 1917 was an acting major, Gell held command of 1st/5th Battalion Royal Warwicks from 23 August 1917, serving in France and Flanders until late 1918 and completing his service in Italy.

[10] Further brave conduct and successful leadership resulted in the award of a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order in June 1919 for his service as Acting lieutenant colonel commanding 1st/5th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in France and Flanders and finally Italy.

[14] On 26 August 1931 Gell, who was then living at the Croft, Blossomfield, Solihull was appointed Deputy Lieutenant (DL) for the County of Warwick.

[17] The RAF List of July 1938 lists him amongst the military members of the "Territorial Army and Air Force Associations" of Warwickshire, recording Gell as honorary colonel of the 45th (Royal Warwicks) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers.

The women officers were all, whatever their ATS status, commissioned as second subalterns, the lowest rank of the new militarised-ATS system.

[25] Once formally commissioned into the reformed ATS, the women could be promoted through the new ranks and Mrs. Gell resumed her career in the new style of senior commander.

By 1944, she was serving in the rank of chief commander and her six years of service to date were recognised with the award of a military OBE.

[26] Following wartime service Gell again returned to legal practice with Johnson and Co. in Birmingham a company he was still associated with in 1965.