James Timmons Bell was born on 23 February 1923, in Colorado Springs. Son of Ralph W. Bell, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Died 26 August 1944
Second Lieutenant
448th Bomber Group, 715th Bomber Squadron, 8th Air Force
Aircraft B-24H, with serial number 41-28924 departed from Seething on a bombing mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany. The aircraft was hit by flak over the target. It crashed at Friesenheimer island near Mannheim-Sandhoven. 6 Chutes were seen.
Crew members
Pilot, 2nd Lt Edmond G. Postemsky
Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt Clifford Bruce Unwin
Navigator, 2nd Lt Wyllys B. Jennings
Bombardier, 2nd Lt James T. Bell
Top Turret Gunner, S/Sgt Leroy J. Canning
Radio Operator/Gunner, S/Sgt Alessandro L. Falconi
Waist/ Aerial Gunner, Sgt Adley V. Benoit
Ball Turret Gunner, Sgt Leroy J. Brizzolara
Waist/Armored Gunner, Sgt Ernesto Concepcion
Tail Turret Gunner, Sgt Charles C. Payne
Lt. James T. Bell and Sgt Charles C. Payne were the two East Tennesseans on this flight.
See pages 40-43: http://willisrowe.com/DownloadableFiles/ROWE%20CREW.pdf
Quote:
“As detailed above, I was looking directly at Ed’s plane when he was hit between #3 & #4 engines. Fuel cells are located here and I was looking directly at a huge ball of fire as the wing buckled & separated. The plane (B24H 41-28924) crashed on the Friesen-heimer Island near Mannheim-Sandhofen, Germany. Nine (9) men KIA and lone survivor, Copilot Clifford B. Unwin became a POW. Our 2nd mission and their 15th mission. The MISSING AIR CREW REPORT (#9467) is mostly illegible. However, Lt. Unwin lived and was captured.”
The Chattanooga Daily Times, 12 May 1948
The body of Second Lt. James T. Bell, 22, bombardier killed in action Aug. 26, when shot down over Germany, will be brought to Chattanooga for funeral services and interment, it was announced yesterday.
Lt. Bell died on B-24 bombing mission aimed at the synthetic oil plant at Ludwigshaven. The bomber crashed in Manheim and all but one of the crew died. The Germans gave the dead crew a Christian burial and later kept flowers on the common graves. Sgt Charles Payne of Chattanooga was a gunner on the same bomber. Lt. Bell was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Feb. 23, 1922. He was a premedical student at the University of Texas when he enlisted in 1943. He was on his 12th mission when killed. The Air Medal, Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart were presented to his parents.
He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity at Colorado College and was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado Springs. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Ralph W. Bell, Colorado Springs. His sisters, Mrs. William J. Burke and Mrs. H.C. Fleming Jr., also reside in Colorado. His grandparents were the late Mr. and Mrs. James S. Bell and Mr. and Mrs. George W. Nixon of Chattanooga. His aunts are Mrs. F.T. Herron, Mrs. Thomas S. Myers and Mrs. I.B. Merriam of Chattanooga. His uncles are D.N. Bell of Oklahoma City, Hugh Comer Lewis and George Nixon, Chattanooga. Lt. Bell will be buried in the Bell family lot, the date of the services to be announced.
Picture from the Colorado College, yearbook 1942
- Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 23 February 1923
- Date of death: 26 August 1944
- County: Hamilton
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 448th Bomber Group, 715th Bomber Squadron
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Forest Hills Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XI, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor James T. Bell
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