First World War medals

These medals belonged to James McIntosh Bell for his service in the First World War. Bell served in the Canadian Forces as an officer during the war. While he initially served in France in the trenches (and was both gassed and suffered from Trench Fever), he was later seconded by the British military to serve in Russia from 1917-1919. Bell’s fluency in many languages including Russian made him a valuable asset to the war effort. His services in The Great War saw him awarded the Order of the British Empire, as well as the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.