Photo: B. Chandler

Acknowledgments: S.C. Knox.

Simon Glancey has submitted the following:

On the 27th February 1943, Spitfire P8362 on a non-operational training exercise Balbo, crashed at 1700 hours at Eshott Home Farm, 3 miles SSE of Eshott drome, Northumberland. The Pilot was killed in the crash.

There was a mid-air collision between Bell flying Spitfire P8362 as No 2 in Yellow section and Sgt Myhre (RAF), a Norwegian, flying No 3 Yellow section in Spitfire P8360. The Section was led by FO Bailey and was some distance behind the rest of the Squadron. The Section Leader opened up and was ordered by the Sqn Commander to turn to starboard. This turn would have brought the section over the drome. It was considered that either No 3 overshot No 2 and collided, or that he tried to form up between his Leader and No 2 with the same result.

Crew: P8362 : RAAF 412884 Sgt R C Bell, (Pilot)
Crew : P8360 : RAF Sgt Myhre, (Pilot)

Northumberland Aviation Diary: Aviation Incidents from 1790-1999 ; Derek Walton; Norav Publications; 1999; ISBN 0 9536189 0 0

Ronald Charles Bell is remembered in Chevington on C27.03 which does not carry names but these were listed in the Unveiling Programme.

Australian War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Flying Officer Bell