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Second Lieutenant Donald Bell V.C. was born in Harrogate in 1890. He moved to London while training to be a teacher and while there played football for Crystal Palace. He also played for Newcastle United as an amateur and then joined Bradford Park Avenue as a professional in 1912 until he joined up in 1914. Legend has it that he was the first professional footballer to volunteer and he soon went through the ranks gaining the rank of temporary Second Lieutenant.
When his unit came under machine gun fire he set off without instruction towards the enemy with two other men. Under heavy fire they destroyed the position with grenades and shooting the occupants.
Five days later on the 10th of July 1916 he died when attempting a similar action.
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