J R Bell

Military
media-14538.jpeg UPL 14538 Liberator B-24D, 4240172, Lynn Bari II, in the 506th Bomb Squadron, the 44th Bomb Group, "The Flying 8 Balls", in the 8th Air Force, TDY to the 9th Air Force. Flown on the low level Ploesti mission by the crew in the photo, returning safely to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Aug 1943.

Rear - L to R : SSgt. George E Hartney - Lt. Ronald S. Allen - Capt William N Anderson - Lt. Stanley F. Olson - Lt. Charles M. Shaw - Cpl. Victor A. McMenamin.

Front - L to R : Cpl. Clifford C. Hurst - SSgt Oscar Ferkauff - TSgt. Walter N. Goodson - Sgt. J. R. Bell - SSgt. Allie T. Hearne Jr.

Removed punctuation from aircraft name for clarity, uniformity, and readability. - Kickapoo

Object Number - UPL 14538 - Liberator B-24D, 4240172, Lynn Bari II, in the 506th Bomb Squadron, the 44th Bomb Group, "The Flying 8 Balls", in the 8th Air Force, TDY to the 9th...

Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded 10 miles north of target. 1-Oct-43 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 51251



Awards:POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19032975 / O-730588
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Star Spangled Hell
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Sherman, Grayson County, TX 24 January 1916 Husband of Lean Bell.

Enlisted

San Francisco, CA 26 July 1942 San Francisco, California.

Other

Baled out POW

North of Weiner Neustadt 1 October 1943 Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C. 1-Oct-43 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 51251

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Tychowo, Poland 1 October 1943 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV.

Based

Shipdham Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF.

Based

Benina 1 October 1943 Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa.
Dallas, TX At time of draft registraion residing Dallas, Texas.
Oakland, CA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Will Lundy p. 136-138, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 299 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

J R Bell: Gallery (1 items)