Flying Officer John "Dinger" Bell,DFC,RAFVr (51820) was the son of Stafford & Margaret bell. Aged 24,he married Cecilia Florence of 2 Prospect Road,Moseley,Birmingham in 1944 He was known as a real character, noisy,cheerful and lived life to the fullest. He was awarded his DFC while attached to 102 squadron on 19^th  of October 1943.Awarded as per London Gazette dated 19^th of October 1943.

The citation reads:

"Pilot Officer Bell, as air gunner, has completed numerous operational sorties, many of them involving attacks on distant and dangerous targets in enemy territory. This officer has invariably maintained a cool and imperturbable demeanor, whatever the nature of the emergency which may confront him. He is an outstanding air gunner who has always displayed high courage and determination".

Dinger was father to a daughter, Cecilia M Bell, who was born in Birmingham shortly after her fathers death.

 A post war investigation carried out by the Missing Research & Enquiry Services(No 4 Unit) concluded that body remains and parts of an aircraft had been found in Brodersdorf woods. The body remains being buried at Kiel. It is thought that the remains were either from Lancaster HK 556 of 115 squadron or Lancaster LM230.German records indicate that an aircraft crashed in the Gemeinde Brodersdorf at 23.10 hours on the 26/27^th August 1944,exploding with all bombs on board, leaving a huge water filled crater with a depth of at least twenty feet. The German records report that the crew were presumably dead The report remains on the file of F/O Donald Holder RNZAF pilot of HK556/F.

John and his crew have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.