964:"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has led his formation with great skill and has destroyed three enemy aeroplanes and driven down two others, one of which was seen to be completely out of control. The high state of efficiency which his flight has attained is due to his splendid example and fearless leadership."
951:"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a long distance bomb raid. Owing to his good leadership and skill a large ammunition dump was destroyed. Later, he single-handed carried out a difficult mission and succeeded in reaching his objective under extremely adverse weather conditions."
246:
on 1 May 1917; on 4 June, he shared the destruction of another D.III with another pilot, and drove a third down out of control. The performance made him one of the top two scorers with the
Martinsyde. On 15 June, he was awarded the Military Cross for his performance of a long-distance bombing
308:, which would later become the site of a Memorial for the Missing who had died in the Battle of the Somme. As one of the many Allied airmen who died on the Western Front, but have no known grave, he is commemorated at the
237:
on 1 June 1916. He received his
Aviator's Certificate on 22 September 1916. That same day, as a second lieutenant, he was appointed a flying officer. The following month, he was assigned to No. 27 Squadron, to fly the
274:
On 13 February 1918, Bell was transferred to No. 3 Squadron in France as a flight commander. He used
Sopwith Camel no. C1615 to score ten triumphs in March. Most notable was 23 March, when he became a
285:
In April, he had switched to Camel C6730 as C1615 had been lost in action on 24 March. He scored six times in April, including another balloon on the 8th, which he shared with another pilot.
1380:
242:. Despite the poor performance of a bomber so ungainly that it was nicknamed "The Elephant", Bell managed to score three victories flying the Martinsyde. He drove down an
202:
credited with 20 aerial victories. He was one of the first fighter pilots to successfully engage an enemy multi-engine bomber. He became the leading ace of the nine in
1385:
1365:
324:
His wartime tally of 20 victories consisted of 1 (and 1 shared) balloons destroyed, 7 ( and 4 shared) aircraft destroyed, and 6 (and 1 shared) 'out of control'.
1390:
1375:
1336:
1317:
296:
On 27 May 1918, Bell drove down an enemy two-seater with two comrades for his twentieth win. He was killed by machine gun fire from observer
1370:
1064:
97:
309:
73:
157:
227:
152:
254:
with the temporary rank of captain on 9 April 1917. He was then reassigned to No. 78 Squadron, which was flying
1329:
Above the
Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920
262:
bomber on 25 September 1917. After nearly fifteen minutes of machine-gunning the Gotha, it crashed into the
1059:
821:
449:
255:
191:
1223:
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223:
127:
1105:
783:
412:
135:
131:
1190:
1169:
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900:
234:
219:
203:
139:
266:. His claim for this victory went unconfirmed; it would have been Home Defence's first victory.
1332:
1313:
1309:
1087:
463:
369:
251:
239:
161:
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278:
by destroying an enemy observation balloon, then driving down out of control two defending
1030:
826:
720:
214:
Bell was born in South Africa, the son of
Herbert Bell and of Christine (née Williams) of
374:
275:
243:
175:
1349:
1301:
1004:
853:
490:
313:
288:
He was awarded a Bar in lieu of a second award of the
Military Cross on 13 May 1918.
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199:
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178:
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383:
714:
305:
61:
1327:
Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990).
754:
563:
304:
Rosenau. Bell's burial site is unknown. Ironically, he was killed near
258:
on Home
Defence duty back in England. While with No. 78 he engaged a
1206:
1204:
1273:"The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing: The Missing of the Somme"
961:
2nd Lt. (T./Capt.) Douglas John Bell, M.C., R.F.C., Spec. Res.
1246:"The Western Front Today – Thiepval Memorial to the Missing"
1131:
1129:
1127:
472:
Shared with observer/gunner
Lieutenant G. G. Williams
195:(16 September 1893 – 27 May 1918) was a South African
171:
145:
123:
115:
107:
91:
81:
68:
50:
30:
23:
1210:
1381:British military personnel killed in World War I
999:
997:
995:
993:
991:
989:
987:
985:
948:2nd Lt. Douglas John Bell, R.F.C., Spec. Res.
8:
930:Shared with Lieutenants Lloyd Hamilton and
609:Shared with 2nd Lieutenant A. A. M. Arnot
20:
1185:
1183:
1158:(Supplement). 15 June 1917. p. 5985.
1146:
1144:
417:Shared with Lieutenant D. V. D. Marshall
1197:(Supplement). 10 May 1918. p. 5695.
326:
1386:South African people of British descent
1176:(Supplement). 4 May 1917. p. 4313.
981:
1135:
1060:"Casualty Details: Bell, Douglas John"
1054:
1052:
1366:South African World War I flying aces
300:Heinzelmann in a two-seater flown by
7:
1391:Military personnel from Johannesburg
16:South African World War I flying ace
222:. He first served in the Transvaal
1277:Old Front Line Battlefields of WW1
1065:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
14:
1306:Sopwith Camel Aces of World War I
1211:Shores, Franks & Guest (1990)
1376:Recipients of the Military Cross
1094:. 13 October 1916. p. 9863.
310:Arras Flying Services Memorial
74:Arras Flying Services Memorial
1:
1226:. ww1battlefields.co.uk. 2007
1371:Royal Flying Corps officers
1331:. London, UK: Grub Street.
282:, all within five minutes.
1407:
228:South-West Africa Campaign
153:South-West Africa Campaign
841:
836:
727:
661:
650:
645:
562:
551:
546:
476:
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399:
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357:
343:
338:
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820:Shared with Lieutenants
719:Shared with Lieutenants
320:List of aerial victories
76:, Pas de Calais, France
140:No. 3 Squadron RFC/RAF
958:Bar to Military Cross
250:Bell was appointed a
233:Bell enlisted in the
108:Years of service
85:Union of South Africa
788:Shared with Captain
438:No. 78 Squadron RFC
358:No. 27 Squadron RFC
256:Sopwith 1½ Strutters
224:Light Horse Regiment
128:Light Horse Regiment
1271:Reed, Paul (2014).
1250:First World War.com
1224:"Ruins of Thiepval"
1005:"Douglas John Bell"
812:Destroyed in flames
728:No. 3 Squadron RAF
630:Destroyed in flames
601:Destroyed in flames
534:Destroyed in flames
477:No. 3 Squadron RFC
450:Sopwith 1½ Strutter
413:Sint-Denijs-Westrem
329:
136:No. 78 Squadron RFC
132:No. 27 Squadron RFC
98:Union Defence Force
1195:The London Gazette
1174:The London Gazette
1156:The London Gazette
1106:"Martinsyde G.100"
1092:The London Gazette
940:Honours and awards
901:Villers-Bretonneux
829:, and C. E. Mayer
723:and W. C. Dennett
327:
235:Royal Flying Corps
204:No. 3 Squadron RAF
156: •
151: •
1338:978-0-948817-19-9
1319:978-1-84176-534-1
1310:Osprey Publishing
937:
936:
446:25 September 1917
270:Sopwith Camel ace
188:Douglas John Bell
184:
183:
41:16 September 1893
25:Douglas John Bell
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1031:"No. 3 Squadron"
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1001:
464:Brentwood, Essex
400:Martinsyde G.100
370:Martinsyde G.100
330:
292:Killed in action
252:flight commander
240:Martinsyde G.100
194:
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827:Adrian Franklyn
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103:Royal Air Force
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69:Commemorated at
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17:
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1308:. Oxford, UK:
1302:Franks, Norman
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945:Military Cross
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925:Out of control
923:
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899:North-East of
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868:Out of control
866:
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822:Lloyd Hamilton
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428:Out of control
426:
425:Albatros D.III
423:
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415:
409:
406:
405:Albatros D.III
403:
398:
393:
389:
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379:Out of control
377:
375:Albatros D.III
372:
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348:
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342:
337:
334:
328:Combat record
321:
318:
293:
290:
276:balloon buster
271:
268:
244:Albatros D.III
230:of 1914–1915.
211:
208:
182:
181:
176:Military Cross
173:
169:
168:
147:
143:
142:
125:
121:
120:
117:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
95:
89:
88:
87:United Kingdom
83:
79:
78:
72:
70:
66:
65:
58:(aged 24)
52:
48:
47:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1403:
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1216:
1213:, p. 72.
1212:
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1186:
1184:
1180:
1175:
1171:
1165:
1162:
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1147:
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1141:
1138:, p. 54.
1137:
1136:Franks (2003)
1132:
1130:
1128:
1124:
1111:
1110:The Aerodrome
1107:
1101:
1098:
1093:
1089:
1083:
1080:
1067:
1066:
1061:
1055:
1053:
1049:
1036:
1035:The Aerodrome
1032:
1026:
1023:
1010:
1009:The Aerodrome
1006:
1000:
998:
996:
994:
992:
990:
988:
986:
982:
978:
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956:
950:
949:
947:
944:
943:
939:
933:
929:
927:
924:
921:
917:Sopwith Camel
916:
911:
908:
907:
904:
902:
898:
895:
892:
888:Sopwith Camel
887:
883:20 April 1918
882:
879:
878:
875:
873:
870:
867:
864:
861:
860:
857:
855:
852:
849:
846:
842:Sopwith Camel
837:12 April 1918
833:
832:
828:
823:
819:
817:
814:
811:
808:
804:Sopwith Camel
803:
799:11 April 1918
798:
795:
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791:
787:
785:
781:
778:
775:
771:Sopwith Camel
770:
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748:
745:
741:Sopwith Camel
740:
735:
732:
731:
726:
722:
718:
716:
713:
710:
707:
703:Sopwith Camel
702:
698:27 March 1918
697:
694:
693:
690:
687:
684:
681:
680:
677:
674:
671:
668:
667:
664:
658:
655:
651:Sopwith Camel
646:23 March 1918
642:
641:
638:
635:
632:
629:
626:
622:Sopwith Camel
621:
617:22 March 1918
616:
613:
612:
608:
606:
603:
600:
597:
593:Sopwith Camel
592:
588:17 March 1918
587:
584:
583:
580:
577:
574:
571:
570:
567:
565:
559:
556:
552:Sopwith Camel
547:16 March 1918
543:
542:
539:
536:
533:
530:
526:Sopwith Camel
525:
521:13 March 1918
520:
517:
516:
513:
511:
507:
504:
501:
499:
496:
492:
491:Sopwith Camel
489:
485:11 March 1918
484:
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368:
365:
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361:
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352:
349:
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332:
331:
325:
319:
317:
315:
314:Pas de Calais
311:
307:
303:
299:
291:
289:
286:
283:
281:
280:Albatros D.Vs
277:
269:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
248:
245:
241:
236:
231:
229:
225:
221:
217:
210:Early service
209:
207:
205:
201:
198:
193:
189:
180:
177:
174:
170:
167:
165:
159:
158:Western Front
154:
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137:
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63:
53:
49:
45:
33:
29:
22:
19:
1328:
1305:
1295:Bibliography
1294:
1293:
1280:. Retrieved
1276:
1266:
1254:. Retrieved
1249:
1240:
1228:. Retrieved
1218:
1194:
1173:
1164:
1155:
1114:. Retrieved
1109:
1100:
1091:
1082:
1070:. Retrieved
1063:
1039:. Retrieved
1034:
1025:
1013:. Retrieved
1008:
975:
974:
932:Will Hubbard
865:Albatros D.V
847:Albatros D.V
790:Cyril Ridley
766:8 April 1918
736:1 April 1918
721:George Riley
685:Albatros D.V
672:Albatros D.V
627:Albatros D.V
598:Albatros D.V
557:Albatros D.V
531:Albatros D.V
498:Albatros D.V
323:
301:
297:
295:
287:
284:
273:
249:
232:
216:Johannesburg
213:
187:
185:
163:
146:Battles/wars
101:British Army
56:(1918-05-27)
44:Johannesburg
18:
1361:1918 deaths
1356:1893 births
1191:"No. 30681"
1170:"No. 30051"
1152:"No. 30135"
1088:"No. 29783"
912:27 May 1918
893:Fokker Dr.I
747:Fokker Dr.I
634:Havrincourt
395:4 June 1917
341:Serial No.
226:during the
200:fighter ace
197:World War I
149:World War I
54:27 May 1918
46:, Transvaal
1350:Categories
1282:9 December
1256:9 December
1230:9 December
1116:9 December
1072:9 December
1041:9 December
1015:9 December
971:References
809:Albatros C
605:Cagnicourt
366:1 May 1917
336:Date/Time
316:, France.
82:Allegiance
37:1893-09-16
896:Destroyed
850:Destroyed
839:1900–1915
816:Ervillers
782:North of
779:Destroyed
751:Destroyed
711:Destroyed
659:Destroyed
648:1540–1545
578:Destroyed
560:Destroyed
549:0915–0930
510:Pronville
468:North Sea
462:South of
459:Destroyed
455:Gotha G.V
408:Destroyed
350:Location
344:Opponent
339:Aircraft/
264:North Sea
247:mission.
220:Transvaal
179:& Bar
111:1914–1918
1304:(2003).
872:Pozières
715:Fricourt
700:abt 0700
431:Hausbeke
411:West of
306:Thiepval
186:Captain
92:Service/
64:, France
62:Thiepval
919:(C6730)
890:(C6730)
844:(C6730)
806:(C6730)
776:Balloon
773:(C6730)
755:Combles
743:(C6730)
705:(C1615)
656:Balloon
653:(C1615)
624:(C1615)
595:(C1615)
564:Cambrai
554:(C1615)
537:Villers
528:(C1615)
494:(C1615)
402:(A6262)
347:Result
164:†
119:Captain
1335:
1316:
1252:. 2013
1112:. 2015
1068:. 2015
1037:. 2015
1011:. 2015
922:Type C
854:Albert
662:Quéant
575:Type C
506:Quéant
384:Épinoy
353:Notes
172:Awards
160:
94:branch
976:Notes
708:LVG C
382:Near
302:Gefr.
298:Leut.
260:Gotha
60:near
1333:ISBN
1314:ISBN
1284:2015
1258:2015
1232:2015
1118:2015
1074:2015
1043:2015
1017:2015
914:1240
885:1750
801:1600
784:Mory
768:0655
738:1815
636:Wood
619:1430
590:1330
523:1545
487:1730
397:1415
333:No.
124:Unit
116:Rank
51:Died
31:Born
443:u/c
192:MC*
1352::
1312:.
1275:.
1248:.
1203:^
1193:.
1182:^
1172:.
1154:.
1143:^
1126:^
1108:.
1090:.
1062:.
1051:^
1033:.
1007:.
984:^
909:20
880:19
862:18
834:17
796:16
763:15
733:14
695:13
682:12
669:11
643:10
466:–
312:,
218:,
206:.
1341:.
1322:.
1286:.
1260:.
1234:.
1120:.
1076:.
1045:.
1019:.
824:,
614:9
585:8
572:7
544:6
518:5
508:–
482:4
422:3
392:2
363:1
39:)
35:(
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