PL - Ralph William Bell PoW Died

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"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
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Bell, Ralph William (Captain)

Prisoner of War Died 1918-May-17

Canada

Birth Date: unkown date (age 27)

Mrs. Ralph W. Bell

Service
RAF

Unit
98 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RFC)

Base
France

Rank

Captain

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Pilot

Service Numbers

Shot down over the Somme. The observer, Lt. Alan Alexander Malcolm (British) was KIA. Bell was wounded and further injured in the crash and was captured and died later that day of his wounds/injuries. FAG has DOB listed as 18896-05-17

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com

Captain Ralph William Bell has no known grave.

Google Map

Arras Flying Services Memorial, France

Airco (pre de Havilland) DH 9 DH 9a

Airco DH.9 (Source Wikipedia

The Airco DH.9 (from de Havilland 9) also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 was a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War.

The DH.9 was a development of Airco's earlier successful DH.4, with which it shared many components. These were mated to an all-new fuselage and the BHP/Galloway Adriatic engine, which promised increased performance. Anticipating its usefulness, the type was ordered in very large numbers for Britain's Royal Flying Corps (RFC).

Upon entering service, the DH.9's performance was found to be unsatisfactory. The Adriatic engine was unreliable and failed to provide the expected power, which gave the DH.9 poorer performance than the aircraft it had been meant to replace. The performance deficit was blamed for the heavy losses they suffered over the Western Front. The redesigned DH.9A was fitted with a more powerful and reliable American Liberty L-12 engine which rectified the shortcomings of the original DH.9 model. Wikipedia

Wkikpedia Wikipedia DH-9

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

Canadian Aircraft Losses (20)

last update: 2023-09-19 12:23:24

DH.9 D5630

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