Corproal Bellringer
Councillor’s Son Missing at Singapore
Corporal Arthur Bellringer R.A.S.C.. second son of Councillor Mrs Bellringer, of West Wickham, is officially reported missing at Singapore. The official intimation, however, gives some ground for hoping that he is a prisoner of war.
On April 20 – several days after the War Office message – Mrs Bellringer received a letter from her son.
It was dated January 10 and stated:
“We are still at sea, but only for one more day; in fact, when this letter is posted you will know that I have arrived at my destination safe and sound.
We made another port of call since Cape Town. We reached there on Christmas Day and were allowed to go ashore.
It was better than being at sea, but you can bet my thoughts were with you all at West Wickham. It was a very hot day and we had two bathes in the sea.”
Mrs Bellringer believes that her son’s letter was posted at Singapore.
Corporal Bellringer has a car hire business in West Wickham before joining the Army. He was with the B.E.F. in France and escaped via St. Nazaire. He is married and his wife is a Red Cross nurse. An older brother, Mr Eddie Bellringer, is also on service and was at Dunkirk.
Source:
Bromley & District Times, 1st May 1942 (Page 5)
