Frank Bell, a Southland farmer, was one of four brothers who served in World War 1. He came from a large Ayrshire family which migrated to Southland in 1911. Four of Frank's brothers also served overseas in World War 2, three of them on Crete, where one, Geordie (George), was killed. Because one of the brothers served in both World War 1 and 2, a total of seven Bell brothers fought overseas. The eldest, Jim, who moved to NZ only after World War 1, was a regular soldier in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and in WW1 he was awarded Britain's Military Medal and Bar, and the French Médaille militaire. Jim settled in Palmerston North. Frank farmed in Southland, finally at Roslyn Bush, until his death in his 80s.