The story of how a Sunderland-born sailor was awarded the US military’s highest honour in the Civil War

Born in Sunderland on March 12, 1839 George H. Bell became a renowned sailor in the US Navy.

George began his maritime career aged 14 after his family moved to Newcastle.

During the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, George was docked at New York and enlisted in the United States Navy.

He joined the USS Santee and quickly rose through the ranks due to his vast experience.

Within months the the USS Santee was tasked with destroying the Confederate Ship Royal Yacht at Galveston Bay, Texas, on November 7, 1861

The ship was caught by surprise in the early hours of the morning but the battle was still fierce and is said to have included hand-to-hand combat. The Santee suffered one fatality, and secured victory after the Royal Yacht caught on fire.

Two years later in 1863, George was awarded the Medal of Honour in recognition of his service in the United States Military and the conflict with the Royal Yacht in particular. He finished out his service and returned to the North East until he died in 1917.

The little-known story of George. H Bell is one of dozens which Sunderland University graduate Rob Kilburn, 26, has included in his book Tyne and Weird.

The documentary film-maker, runs the Tyne and Weird Facebook page, collecting tales of the bizarre and downright odd.

Now he has turned those stories into a compilation book.

Rob, who studied Digital Film Production at Sunderland University, said: “I knew this book was a goal I wanted to work towards.

“When I first started making films, I was hearing all these incredible and bizarre stories about subjects which were sometimes centuries old.

“It was always going to be hard to make documentaries about them because they were folklore. That’s when I started the Facebook page, which then evolved into the book.”

Other topics in the book include Charles Dickens’ visit to Sunderland, Sunderland-born playwright Tom Taylor and the role he played in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and Sunderland’s own female wrestler and weight lifting champion of Great Britain Tilly Tinmouth.

Click here to order a copy of the Tyne and Weird book.

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