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name
BELL, Joseph Xavier "Joe X" - Date of
birth
16 February 1918 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie County, Virginia -
Hometown
Goshen, Rockbridge County, Virginia
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-382608 -
Rank
Major -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
22nd Fighter Squadron,
36th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
10 March 1945 - Place of
death
North of Limburg, near Weilburg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| F | 6 | 66 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Addison D. Bell (father)
Ellen C. Bell (mother)
Ellen C. Bell (sister)
Muriel P. (Adams) Bell (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-33138 -
Data
Type: P-47D
Destination: Area of Cologne-Bonn, Germany
Mission: Armed reconnaissance
MACR: 12976
More information
Maj Joseph Bell graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with the class of 1938.He worked for the Virginia Public Service Company, in the capacity of Civil Engineer and later taught civil engineering at Marion Institute, Marion, Alabama.
He returned to Virginia and was employed at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, and helped design the carrier Hornet.
He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was sent overseas in January 1945.
It is believed he had crashed into mountains due to overcast. His body was found, badly burned, in the wreckage.
He was evacuated to Henri-Chapelle and initially buried as Unknown X-521 on 28 March 1945.
After positive identification, he was given his final resting place on 9 September 1948.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, WWIIMemorial, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.newspapers.com - The Staunton News Leader
Photo source: FOHF, www.newspapers.com - The Staunton News Leader, especially thanks to Joost, U.S. School Yearbook, Arie-Jan van Hees - Pilot 43-A Chico, California, Virginia Military Institute - 1938