LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Jack Gordon Stewart BELL
Service No: 409496
Born: Parramatta NSW, 28 December 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 53 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 53 Operational Training Unit Spitfire aircraft X4854), Wales, 2 January 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Llantwitt Major Cemetery, Glamorganshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold Gordon and Thelma Bell, of St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: St Kilda VIC
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Detailed to carry out cloud flying on 2 January 1943, Spitfire X4854 crashed in the sea at 1520 hours at Whitmore Stairs, Glamorgan, near Dunraven Castle, Wales and Sergeant Bell was killed. A Flying accident report stated: “the primary cause for the accident was loss of control while flying in violent atmospheric conditions which led to an uncontrolled dive and a “Ham” attempt to pull out at great speed with the final disintegration of the aircraft. At about 1545 hours the Squadron duty pilot received information from a Lighthouse keeper that an aircraft had dived into the sea during a heavy isolated shower. Searches found wreckage at low water approx 150 yards from the foreshore in the vicinity of Nash Point.”
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, 166/5/7