The letter came to myself with his belongings, I am Roger Bell, his nephew, it’s from my uncle Robert Bell, RAF, a Bomb Aimer, service number 1098446. It is from October 1943 and it appears he was in hospital . Family called him Bertie… but to everyone else he was known as Paddy. At the start of the war he lied about his age and joined the RAF. He completed 75 sorties and later joined the Pathfinders. In March 1945 he was awarded the DFM , he was a Flight Sergeant at this stage. He was from Moy, Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, his father was the station Sergeant in the RUC.
His letter asks how his sisters are keeping and the fact he would love steak with onions. Shortly after the war he left the RAF holding the rank of Flight Lieutenant, he married a girl from Aberdeen and settled there, joining the Police Force, he retired from the police in 1976 he was Area Commander. He gave me his DFM . He died in October 2002. He was born on 27th November 1923.
