Ahead of Anzac Day tomorrow, The News is taking the opportunity to look back at the life of Paul Bell — a local sportsman who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
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Shepparton product Paul Bell, like thousands of other Australians, gave his life in the service of his country in World War II.
Anzac Day ceremonies — whether in person or virtually, as will be the case tomorrow — allow the nation to pause and reflect upon sacrifices like Bell's among the great many along Australia's long association with war and combat.
There is a familiar feeling to Bell's story — one of a brilliant local sportsman whose talents were multi-faceted, but were ultimately cut short when he departed for war and never returned.
But Bell was actually left out of Fallen: The Ultimate Heroes — a book detailing stories like his of Victorian Football League players who were killed in action during the 20th century.
Released in 2002, the book contained short biographies and details of the war service and deaths of 115 VFL players — but Bell's omission seemed to stem from confusion around his full name.
An article by former News sports reporter Tom Carey from his time at The Adviser elaborates.
“Bell, born April 12, 1914, enlisted at Shepparton as Alfred William Paul Bell on April 24, 1942 and identified as VX79445,” the article said.
Bell's inclusion in the book was warranted due to his time with St Kilda in 1937 and 1938, playing 15 games and kicking 26 goals.
He grew up in Shepparton as a gifted all-round sportsman who combined his football career with his other sporting loves, particularly athletics, cycling and cricket.
In 1934, at the age of 20 he played with Shepparton in a Goulburn Valley Football League premiership and had a short stint with the Richmond reserves.
Bell started coaching Shepparton in 1935 and married Beatrice ‘'Rannie” Bell in 1936.
In 1937, at the age of 23, he accepted an invitation to travel down and play for the Saints, and made his debut in Round 11, 1937.
As he had just married and owned a bicycle store in Shepparton, Bell did not like the travel to the city and he left VFL football when he moved to Cobram with his wife and opened a new store in 1939.
Bell also spent more time on athletics and won the then prestigious Shepparton Gift run over 130 yards in 1939, at the age of 25. On the same day he completed a superb treble, taking out the 100 and 75-yard events as well.
His other great love was racing bicycles, and he patented a racing bike called the "Bell Supreme".
During his few married years at Cobram with his childhood sweetheart Rannie, Bell ran his sports store and became the father to two small girls, Beverley and Judith.
He enlisted in 1941 and was posted to the 2/5th Commando Squadron.
They spent a great deal of time training in jungle fighting on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland.
They fought at Moratai and ended their war in the invasion of Balikpapan in Borneo.
VX79445 Lance Corporal Paul Bell was killed in action on July 4, 1945 while he was a forward scout for his section when it was ambushed in jungle some three miles inland from where they had landed. His great mate Lieutenant Frank Redhead was killed in the same incident, trying to recover Bell’s body.
Redhead was a remarkable young man in his own right. Born in September 1920 he attended Ivanhoe Grammar and played A-grade Rugby Union with Power House during 1937-40, representing Victoria at the age of 18.
He played for Australia v The Rest and was later the AIF Heavyweight Boxing Champion in Darwin in 1941. Sent to Ambon with the 2/21st Battalion he was one of the few men of the unit to escape Japanese captivity and made his way by small boat to Darwin.
He was a made a Lieutenant in the Commandos, the forerunner of today’s SAS, at only 23 years of age.
Redhead and Bell became great mates while training and playing sport in the jungle of Queensland.
They now lay next to one another in their war graves, along with 890 other Australians buried in the Labuan War Cemetery, on a remote island off the coast of Borneo. It is a beautifully kept cemetery in a tranquil location.
Bell left a wife and two girls aged four and six, living in Oak St, Cobram at the time of his death in 1945.
The two daughters raised 15 children between them, and today Bell has many great grandchildren as well. He is certainly not forgotten.
Each Anzac Day, especially, we remember them all.
Lest we forget.