207809 AC1. John Rogerson Bell Royal Air Force 10 Squadron from:Broats Farm, Kirkpatrick Fleming, Annan, Dumfriesshire (d.2nd Oct 1939) I never knew my Uncle John and whilst my Mum had told me he had died during WW11, it is only as a result of a recently re-awakened interest in family history that I have begun delving into John's life. John Bell came from a large family of (fairly) prosperous farmers just over the Border in Scotland and his interest in aeroplanes was ignited when Alan (later Sir) Cobham brought his flying circus to the area in the 1930's and used the fields of John's parents farm as a landing ground. During WW11 these same fields were used as relief landing ground for 15EFTS based at Kingstown in Carlisle. My mother was a time-keeper on the airfield and one of the young pilots who flew was later to become my father after his marriage to mum in 1947.
I knew that John's name appeared on the War Memorial at Kirkpatrick Fleming and that his name appeared on his parents' grave in the churchyard.... but I never knew his full story until recently. It was with tears in my eyes that I discovered that John had died on his first ever operational mission (a leaflet drop over Berlin) on the night of 1st/2nd October 1939. He was only 20 years old. This was the first ever flight over Berlin by the RAF in WW11 and was made by 4 Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. The raid was made in foul weather and sadly my Uncle John's plane was the only one of the four that failed to return. His plane was last heard of 180 miles from St Abbs Head. John has no war grave, but he is, however, honoured at the RAF's Runnymede Memorial, which I have now vowed to visit one day.
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