Colonel Arthur S Bell - WW1 and WW2 in the Pacific

[meganbutel]

I have a collection of photographs from Colonel Arthur S Bell which were sent to my grandfather by him after WW2. They must have become friends as both were in New Guinea during WW2. I don't particularly need them and would love to return them to his family if possible. I did contact a lady via FamilySearch who had put his details on the site but she is a distant relative and wasn't interested in the photos.

My limited results on Google tell me that he fought in both WW1 and WW2. One photo shows him with two friends from WW1 that I know of - Major General Henry G. Nutton (or Nulton) and Alex Campbell.
Colonel Bell was in the 29th Division.

Colonel Bell also fought in WW2 and was in New Guinea in the Pacific. He became a Sherriff and a Prison Warden after WW2. He was in Union County, Elizabeth, New Jersey in the early 1950s. The address on the envelope gives an address of Paul's Cross Roads, Essex County, Virginia.

If I can't find a relative - do you think the US National Archives would be interested in the photographs at all ?
 
Grateful for any advice.

Kind regards
Megan

[*Sandra*]

FIND A GRAVE

Col Arthur S Bell 9 September 1894 - 5 February 1983

burial - Oakwood Cemetery. Richmond, Richmond City, Virginia.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/200118080

Burnice Marie White - 1897 -1968

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/200118100/burnice-marie-white

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Virginia Death Record - Arthur Samuel Bell - Birth Date 9 Sep 1894 - 5 February 1983 Tappahannock, Essex, Virginia - aged 88 years.
Father Henry Clay Bell - Mother Alexna Caroline Moody - Spouse Burnice Marie Bell
Military Status yes - Retd Col - US Army/.

Father Henry Clay Bell - Richmond Times - 08 Oct 1937, Fri   Page 24

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43462455/henry_clay_bell_8_october_1937/


07 Nov 1945, Wed   Page 12

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43462330/lt_col_arthur_s_bell/

The Times Despatch - 12 Jan 1962, Fri    Page 2

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43462552/fire_damages_home_of_col_and_mrs_arthur/

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

1920 census - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJFF-9DT

1930 census Hanes Avenue Richmond, Richmond (Independent City), Virginia.

Arther S Bell   34
Bernice M Bell   32
Dorothy M Bell   12 Virginia L Bell   9
Shirley M Bell   7 Arthur S Bell   0
Joel W White   62 father-in-law
Virginia L White   57 mother-in-law

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CCFK-X3Z

1940 census Ward 1, Woodbridge, Woodbridge Township, Middlesex, New Jersey,

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4T4-NWM

Sandra

[meganbutel]

Thanks Sandra - so he and Bernice did have children - I guess given their ages in 1930 they are not likely to still be alive - however there may be grandchildren. Will hope that someone might know of them or they stumble across this further down the track.

[*Sandra*]

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 - Son - Arthur S Bell Jnr - 7 July 1929 Richmond Virginia  - 8 November 2001 - father Arthur S Bell Mother Burnice M White

SSDI -    Arthur S. Bell 7 Jul 1929 - 8 November 2001   Last Residence 78155, Seguin, Guadalupe, Texas.  Issued before 1951 New Jersey.

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Dorothy Ardell Bell
Dorothy Ardell Midgley  - Dorothy Midgley  - 8 May 1918 Richmond Virginia - May 1992
Father Arthur S Bell - Mother Burnice M White

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

SSDI - Dorothy A. Midgley - Birth Date 8 May 1918 - May 1992
Last Residence:   22560, Tappahannock, Essex, Virginia.
Issued before 1951 New Jersey



Sandra

[*Sandra*]

SSDI -Shirley B. Robinson - Birth Date 13 Oct 1922 - 3 August 2011
Last Residence:   18707, Mountain Top, Luzerne, Pennsylvania
Last Benefit:   33853, Lake Wales, Polk, Florida
Isssued Virginia before 1951

FIND A GRAVE

Burial - Evergreen Cemetery Brooklyn, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108434557

Sandra