Date:	Saturday 9 September 1944
Time:	13:38 LT
Type:	North American P-51 Mustang Mk IIIB
Owner/operator:	19 Sqn RAF
Registration:	FX887
MSN:	QV-
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hall, mun. Brummen, Gelderland -   Netherlands
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Grimbergen (B.60), Belgium
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Takeoff at 12:56 hrs for an armed recce operation in the Arnhem-Zwolle-Lingen area.

The aircraft flown by Warrant Officer Maxwell Heron Bell Royal Australian Air Force was shot down by light Flak while attacking rail locomotives. Warrant Officer Bell was heard to say that he was hit was hit by Flak and getting out of the aircraft, but was not seen to do so. He was posted missing. Subsequently found that he had been able to parachute, but was handed over to the SS and murdered soon after. From Bowenville, Queensland, age 21,his name is on the Runnymede Memorial to those with no known grave.

A German Flak report mentions: 'The pilot parachuted from a height of about 200 m., was captured by Uffz. Schütze, 4.Kp./Baupionier-Btl.801 and handed over to 14.Kp./SS.Pz.Gr.Rgt.19'.

Bell had served with 19 Squadron since 1943 and was the top scoring Australian Mustang ace, with 4 confirmed kills and 1 shared. His Distinguished Flying Cross was promulgated in November 1944.

P/O. Maxwell Heron Bell DFC. Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. Grave IX.A.12.
Born at Toowoomba, Queensland on the 19th February 1923 the son of John George Kingsborrough Bell and Evelyn Mary Bell, of Bowenville, Queensland, Australia.

https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T3991&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
National Archives of Australia, RAAF Personnel and Casualty files.
Aces High (1994), C. Shores and C. Williams, Grub Street, London
Dutch Study Group Air War - bulletin air war 409-01 - research by H. van Sabben & I. de Jong

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

4 March 1944

FZ188

19 Sqn RAF

1

Sint John of News Huyse, Korte Zuidweg, Borssele, Zeeland

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Dec-2008 11:45	ASN archive	Added
19-Jun-2010 22:55	mick	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative]
19-Jan-2012 06:21	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Phase, Source]
15-Jan-2017 08:17	pietrzak	Updated [Narrative]
31-Aug-2019 17:23	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source]
31-Aug-2019 17:23	TigerTimon	Updated [Departure airport]
08-Mar-2021 20:09	TigerTimon	Updated [Narrative]
08-Mar-2021 20:23	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]