LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Frederick George BELL
Service No: 401884
Born: Sandringham VIC, 24 April 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 27 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft BK241), Derbyshire, 3 February 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Scropton (St Paul) Churchyard and Extension, Derbyshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Charles and Jessie Jean Bell, of Noble Park, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: St Kilda VIC
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1812 hours on the 3 February1943, Wellington BK241 took off from Church Broughton detailed to carry out night cross-country training. The aircraft returned to base about 2300 hours and commenced to circle in readiness to land. At 2302, however, the aircraft went into a flat spin and crashed four miles to the north east of the airfield. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of BK241 were:
Sergeant Frederick George Bell (401884) (Pilot)
Sergeant Raymond Knight Hodson (413999) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kevin Vincent Howes (406737) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Frederick James Keown (1079113) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur William Reid (656535) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated: “the accident occurred at night at the time the Pilot on completion of the exercise was circling the aerodrome prior to landing. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it was presumed to be the result of loss of control followed by either a stall turn or flat spin.”
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 1166/5/38