| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edward Inkerman Jordan Bell | ||
| Date of birth | 1886 | ||
| Place of birth | Gibraltar | ||
| Date of death | 24 March 1918 (Age 32) | ||
| Place of death | Somme, France | ||
| Playing position | Outside-forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| South Farnborough | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1907 | Crystal Palace | 0 | (0) |
| 1907–1908 | Southampton | 4 | (0) |
| 1908–1911 | South Farnborough | ||
| 1911–1912 | Portsmouth | 4 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Edward Inkerman Jordan Bell MC (1886 – 24 March 1918) was a British professional footballer who played for Southampton and Portsmouth in the early 20th century. He later was a soldier who was twice awarded for gallantry in the First World War but died in the Battle of the Somme in March 1918.[1]
Bell was born in Gibraltar, the son of Maj. E. I. Bell (Royal Fusiliers), and Minnie Bell[2] and given the middle name "Inkerman", presumably a reference to his father's military service. His father was later stationed at Aldershot and Bell played his early football for South Farnborough.[3]
After a short period with Crystal Palace as an amateur in February 1907, when he made a small number of appearances in the reserve team in the London and Western League,[4] and a trial with Portsmouth, Bell was signed by Southampton of the Southern League in March 1907. He went straight into the team, making two appearances at outside-right in April as a replacement for Victor Norbury; both matches, against Queens Park Rangers and Fulham, ended in 3–0 defeats.[5] Bell made two more appearances in the 1907–08 season, as a replacement for John Bainbridge and was released at the end of the season.[6]
After three years back at South Farnborough, Bell was signed by Portsmouth in February 1911, making four Southern League appearances at the end of the 1911–12 season.[3]
During the First World War, he joined the 17th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment (the "Footballers' Battalion"), achieving the rank of captain. In October 1916, he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry during operations: the citation stated:
Finding himself in command of the battalion he repelled a counter-attack with great determination. On another occasion he rescued several men from a blown-in dugout.[7]
In 1918, he received a "bar" to his Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. The citation read:
While holding a section of the front line he located and supervised the formation of forward dumps of ammunition and material. He carried out the work in daylight close to the enemy, and often under very heavy shell and machine-gun fire.[8]
He was killed on 24 March 1918 in the Battle of the Somme and buried at the Albert Communal Cemetery.[2] He left a widow, Edith Anne Bell.[2]