Edward Bellew

Captain Edward Bellew VC
Edward Bellew during the First World War
Birth name	Edward Donald Bellew
Born	28 October 1882 Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British Raj
Died	1 February 1961 Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Buried	Hillside Cemetery, Kamloops
Allegiance	United Kingdom Dominion of Canada
Service / branch	British Army British Expeditionary Force Canadian Militia Canadian Expeditionary Force
Years of service	1901–1903 (UK) 1914–1919 (Canada)
Rank	Captain
Unit	Royal Irish Regiment 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion
Battles / wars	World War I Western Front Second Battle of Ypres  (POW)
Awards	Victoria Cross
Alma mater	Clifton College Royal Military College, Sandhurst
Relations	Robert Bellew Adams VC (second cousin)

Edward Donald Bellew, VC (28 October 1882 – 1 February 1961, Kamloops, British Columbia), Captain of the 7th Bn British Columbia Regiment, CEF was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Bellew was born in Bombay, India, on 28 October 1882. He began his education at Blundell's School, Devon, England, but left to attend Clifton College (1897–1900), from where he was admitted to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He joined the Royal Irish Regiment in 1901. He emigrated to Canada in 1903 and worked as a construction engineer. In September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted in the British Columbia Regiment.

Action

Bellew was 32 years old, and a lieutenant in the 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

During the Second Battle of Ypres, a mass attack on the Canadian line developed on the morning of Saturday 24 April 1915 near Keerselaere, Belgium. The Canadians were suffering heavy casualties. The advance of the enemy was temporarily stayed by Lieutenant Bellew, the battalion machine-gun officer, who had two guns in action on high ground when the enemy's attack broke in full force. The reinforcements sent forward having been destroyed, and with the enemy less than 100 yards (91 m) away and no further assistance in sight, Bellew and a Sergeant Peerless decided to fight it out. The sergeant was killed and Bellew wounded. Nevertheless, he maintained his fire until his ammunition failed, when he seized a rifle, smashed his machine-gun and, fighting to the last, was taken prisoner.

Later life

Bellew remained a prisoner of war (latterly in Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp) until 1919, and achieved the rank of Captain. He subsequently returned to Canada and became a dredging inspector. He died in 1961 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery, Kamloops, British Columbia.

Family

Bellew was the second cousin of Robert Bellew Adams, VC.

Loss of medal

Bellew's Victoria Cross is believed to have been stolen from the Royal Canadian Military Institute, Toronto, between January 1975 and 22 July 1977. It has never been recovered.

External links

• Edward Donald Bellew's digitized service file
• Legion Magazine article on Edward Donald Bellew
• Edward Bellew at Find a Grave
• List of Canadian Victoria Cross recipients

Further reading

• Batchelor, Peter; Matson, Christopher (2011). The Western Front 1915. VCs of the First World War. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-6057-4.
• "On the Battlefields", From the archives of "Maclean's Magazine", Edited by Michael Benedict, Penguin Canada, 2002 ISBN 0-14-301341-6, page 96