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Cenotaph record

Trevor Claude Bellringer

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Wreath, 1999, laid by the Greek Community on the Cenotaph in Auckland and later moved to the Hall of Memories, Auckland War Memorial Museum on Anzac Day 1999 in memory of those who died in Greece. - This image may be subject to copyright

Wreath, 1999, laid by the Greek Community on the Cenotaph in Auckland and later moved to the Hall of …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Trevor Claude AWMM
  • Surname
    Bellringer AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    523 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Unknown AWMM 22 Greencroft Gardens, Hampstead, London, England AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mr F.T. Bellringer (father), 363 Devon Street East, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    Greece AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    523 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Bombadier Bellringer was the son of Felix Templeman Bellringer, and of Annie Lewrainer Bellringer (nee Abbott), of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. AWMM
    • The NZ rearguard action at Elevtherokhorion, Greece, April 18 1941 - (2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery Official History pgs 52/53)

      The second Duff Force consisted of Duffs RHQ, 34 Anti-Tank Battery less N Troop, a machine-gun company,and the 3 Bren gun carrier platoons of the 6 Cavalry Brigade. It assembled at Elevtherokhorion on the night of 16-17 april 1941, covering the junction of the Olympus and Servia Pass roads, and was reinforced next day by Divisional Cavalry less B Squadron.
      The Cavalry armoured car troop, however was rushed away to Tempe. Duff force then disbanded, leaving O Troop of the 34 Anti-Tank Battery with C Squadron, Divisional Cavalry, north of the crossroad and P Troop with A Squadron at the road junction.
      O Troop under 2nd Lt. Harding clashed with the enemy, led by motorcyclists and tanks, from the Olympus Pass, while breakfast was cooking on the 18th. The gun O4 under Bombadier Titley backed up a crest and with its second shot (from Gnr H.C Stoddart) sent a tank plunging into a ditch. The Bren Gunner of the gun team and a Calvalry Bren carrier drove the motorcyclists back. A moment later Titley was badly wounded. Harding ordered the gun to withdraw and it was followed by heavy but inaccurate fire. The gun O3 commanded by Sgt.Stobie then took up the fight at 1400 yards' range and Stobie kept raising his sights until he hit a tank at an estimated 2100 yards, a remarkable performance with the little 2 pounder.The Portee then got bogged in mud and had to be abandoned, the gun crew getting back on foot.
      C Squadron and the other 3 Portees then withdrew to the road junction and a bridge near it was demolished when tanks were within 50 yards. P Troop with A Squadron then took up the fight. Three of its four guns fired and between them they inflicted considerable loss on the enemy vanguard. Exact figures are now unobtainable, since no adequate enemy record has been found and many of the crews concerned were killed or captured. Bombardier Bellringer's gun fired first and the survivors of his crew (all of whom were captured),later claimed two tanks were disabled for certain and a third damaged. Sgt Fowler's gun with Lance-Bombardier Pavey as layer was credited with four tanks, two armoured cars and a heavy lorry; it got out safely. Sgt. Cutbush's gun fired with obviously good effect but could not be withdrawn as its coupling hook had broke. Seeing this, and realising the gun was in danger of being captured in working order, Gunner Schultz dashed back on foot under heavy fire and removed the firing mechanism - an act which gained him an MM. In this brief but hot exchange of fire, two anti-tank gunners were killed (one of them Bellringer) and five captured, three of them wounded.
      Their efforts were well rewarded in terms of losses inflicted on the enemy, but they could not impose much delay, for there was a passable ford to the flank which the enemy soon discovered and used.
      Divisional Cavalry ordered a retreat and the little rearguard quickly moved back to Elasson. Public - Robert - Researcher - 22 July 2021 - Official War History - 2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery Official History pgs 52/53 by W.E Murphy
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    17 April 1941 AWMM
    Age 31 AWMM
    Greece, Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Phaleron War Cemetery, Athens, Greece AWMM 13. E. 13. AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
    Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
    https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2931799
    Sources Used
  • References
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 3: WW2 Unknown page AWMM
    • Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
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Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
04 March 2023RossGeraldineResearcher
22 July 2021RobertWyomingResearcher

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