Sergeant William Bell (624554) served in the Royal Air Force during World War Two. Known to family and friends as "Ginger", he was the only son of Samuel Bell and Esther Bell of 1 Mill Row, Doagh, Co. Antrim.
William enlisted in October 1930. Before joining the Royal Air Force, he played football for Ballyclare Comrades and hockey for Parkview Hockey Club. Parkview won the Intermediate and Junior Cups in 1936-1937. He also played hockey twice for Ulster’s junior team and was a member of Doagh Cricket Club.
During the early years of World War Two, he was a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner in RAF 44 Squadron. He flew in Handley Page Hampden planes with Bomber Command and began taking part in regular night time raids in May 1940. His log book showed 5 operations between 15th May 1940 and 26th May 1940 with training flights between.
On 27th May 1940, William received a promotion to Temporary Sergeant. On 2nd September 1940, Sergeant Bell joined the crew of Pilot Officer Taunton in Handley Page Hampden P2087 KM-M for a raid on Stuttgart, Germany. They flew from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.
Imperial War Museum Photo: CH 3482 (Part of the Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection). A trio of Handley Page Hampden Mk I bombers of RAF 44 Squadron based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire inflight. Photo taken by Flight Lieutenant Bertrand John Henry Daventry.
Death over Germany
Only 4 days later on 6th September 1940, William died while taking part in a raid with the same crew in the same plane. Pilot Officer Vollmer was the Navigator and Sergeant Bracegirdle of the Royal New Zealand Air Force was an Air Gunner. The target on this raid was Krefeld. With the target bombed, Taunton’s crew turned for home but came under attack from anti-aircraft fire.
A shell struck the Hampden setting the starboard engine and wing on fire. As the crew began to bale out, the plane spun out of control before an explosion blew Vollmer from the craft. Pilot Officer Taunton also successfully evacuated the plane. Bracegirdle died alongside Bell as the plane came down near Munster, Germany. An unknown German Officer returned Sergeant Bell’s watch, ring, and ID tags. In a letter to William’s parents, he mentioned there were no marks on the airman’s body.
William Bell’s grave is in Section 21, Row F, Grave 10 of Reichswald War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. His headstone bears the inscription:
Safe in the arms of Jesus.