Marion L Bell was born on April 23, 1918 in Lyle, Mower County Minnesota to Harry & Hazel Delaney Bell, he had one sister Virginia and two brothers William and Verne. His father worked as a Livestock Dealer and Truck Driver and they lived in Lyle, MN. Marion married Mary Jean Orcutt on 23 Sept. 1940 in Stacyville, IA, they had one daughter Linda. Marion worked at the Geo. A. Hormel Packing Company in Austin, MN prior to enlisting.

He had enlisted in the Army Air Forces and served during World War II and had the rank of Sergeant. He Service number was 37576952. He served with 95th Bomber Group, Heavy, 334th Bomber Squadron, 8th Air Force as a Ball Turret Gunner.

His B-17 aircraft failed to Return to Berlin on 3-Feb-45 due to flak and mechanical failure. It crashed at Texel, Netherlands. 9 crew members were Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 12048. The B-17 aircraft #42-102951 was seen to be hit by flak just after the bombs away and a fire started on the wing. Three chutes were seen to leave the aircraft on the eastern edge of Berlin. At that time the aircraft was still on fire but under control.

Marion L Bell is buried at Plot H Row 6 Grave 2, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.

Memorial Day Margraten 2023 https://www.facebook.com/reel/2364685713709649

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Purple Heart posthumously

Crew of the B-17G #42-102951 Casualties:

Find A Grave Memorials (click on their name) below and their Fold 3 story:

Pilot: Lt. Richard Morris, CA FOLD 3

Co Pilot: Lt. Dean Ratts, CA FOLD 3

Navigator: F/O Kenneth C. Wood, TX FOLD 3

Bombardier: F/O Len Pospisil, NY FOLD 3

Radio Operator: Sgt. Kenneth L. Petersen, WI FOLD 3

Ball turret gunner: Sgt. Marion Bell, MN FOLD 3

Waist gunner: Sgt. Milton Onie, CA, FOLD 3

Tail gunner: Sgt. William Watt, TX FOLD 3

Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sgt. Leroy Hansen, MN (never recovered) FOLD 3

_This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project _https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Sources:

https://www.ancestry.com/ - 1920, 1930, 1940 census, draft card

https://www.findagrave.com/

https://www.honorstates.org/index.php

https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/

www.americanairmuseum.com

www.newspapers.com