LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer George Samuel Crawford BELL
Service No: 412361
Born: Merewether NSW, 17 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 570 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 570 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK121), Netherlands, 18 September 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Heteren General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Walter Arthur and Catherine May Bell, of Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Dubbo NSW
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Dubbo Memorial Drive and Rose Garden, Dubbo NSW
About mid-day on 18 September 1944, Stirling LK121 took off towing a Horsa glider to a point west of Arnhem, Holland. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at approximately 1500 hours near Lakemond which is about 10 miles south west of Arnhem, Netherlands. Several aircraft towing gliders containing military personnel crashed in the vicinity at the time.” Those on board LK121 were all killed.
The crew members of LK121 were:
Pilot Officer John Douglas Baker (J/87670) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer George Samuel Crawford Bell (412361) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Henry Ernest Browne (1518212) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Corporal John Redmond Coleman (R/94226) (RCAF) (Radio Mechanic) (Supernumerary)
Pilot Officer Charles William Culling (186749) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Edward Philip Pope (1579644) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Vincent Williams (2211528) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
It is not possible to determine from NAA and CWGC records those on the Horsa Glider being towed and their fates.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/706
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line