Personnel Index - Detail
Awarded WW1's only DFM.
Research by John Ward (Association President)
George Stanley Bell was born on the 23rd August 1897 at Margate in Kent.
In 1914 he was serving as a Territorial in a Lancashire Regiment. At Christmas of that year he requested compassionate leave so that he could visit his father who was dying of tuberculosis, but was refused. He therefore took matters into his own hands and went absent without leave.
However, in January 1915, under the name of Frank William Bell, he re-enlisted in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
In the summer of 1915 he was transfered to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer/Machine Gunner in 49Sqn.
By September 1916 he was a 2nd Aircraftsman, and in August 1917 he had risen to 1st Aircraftsman. By December 1917 he had become a Corporal.
At the end of the war he was a Flight Sergeant and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. He ended his service in 11 (Holding) Squadron at Cheltenham.
Between the Wars he worked as a brass moulder in Reading.
At the outbreak of the Second world War he was called up as Class 'E' Reserve and became a Flight Sergeant in the Royal Air Force.
He died about 1955 at the age of 58.
An interesting page fro his logbook which shows two 49Sqn locations in WW1.
Some interesting descriptions of his "duty and results".
The action which won him the DFM is described below.........