LEST WE FORGET
Second Lieutenant Leslie Simeon John SELL
Service No: 944
Born: Ballarat VIC, January 1891
Enlisted in the Army: 22 October 1916
Unit: No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Died: Air Operations, France, 25 March 1918, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery, Hazebrouck, Nord Pas de Calais, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Annie Sell, of 72, Herbert St., Albert Park, Victoria, Australia, and the late Charles Sell. Native of Ballarat
Place of Association: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 188, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Three days after the move to Abeele, No. 3 Squadron suffered the loss of another pilot. On the 25th March, Second Lieutenant L. S. J. Sell, with Second Lieutenant V. E. Millington (1) as Observer, left the aerodrome to carry out an early morning artillery reconnaissance, but failed to return. Some hours later a report was received that an R.E.8 aircraft (2) had crashed near Cassell, the pilot being killed and the observer seriously injured. This was found to be Second Lieutenant Sell’s aircraft and the Observer stated later that the aircraft had crashed when Second Lieutenant Sell was attempting to make a forced landing.
(1) Second Lieutenant Victor Edwin Millington 572; Born Ballarat VIC, March 1893
(2) RE8 aircraft A4439
Extract from Wrigley, H.N. (Henry Neilsen) (6) The Battle Below: Being the history of No. 3 Squadron AFC, Errol G. Knox Sydney NSW, 1935 – Page 59
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, SELL LESLIE SIMEON JOHN
National Archives UK RAF Casualty Book AIR 1/969 page 2, 253830
Bibliography:
Muller, P. (Peter) and Hutchinson, J. (John) Secrets Revealed: a brief history of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Lutheran Publishing House Adelaide SA 5000, 1991
Wrigley, H.N. (Henry Neilsen) (6) The Battle Below: Being the history of No. 3 Squadron AFC, Errol G. Knox Sydney NSW, 1935