Hilliard Brooke Bell

Captain Hilliard Brooke Bell (9 March 1897 – 16 September 1960) was a Canadian First World War flying ace credited with ten aerial victories while serving in the British Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force.

Early life and education Hilliard Brooke Bell was born to Edwin and Sarah R. Bell (née Brooke) in Chatham, Ontario, but later the family moved to Toronto. Bell was educated at St. Andrew's College, Aurora, where he joined the College Officer Training Corps. He then attended University College, Toronto, where he became a member of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. Hilliard gave up his studies to join the 67th (University of Toronto) Battery Depot, Canadian Field Artillery, at Kingston

World War I Bell initially served as a gunner, until commissioned as a lieutenant in November. He then waited for a posting to a battery for five months, before eventually requesting a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. and sailed from Montreal to England in August, where he received advanced flying training with No. 81 Squadron RFC at Scampton, initially on the Avro 504, then the Bristol M.1c.

With only six hours of solo flying in the M.1c, Bell was sent to France on 16 October, travelling to Saint-Omer by train, where he joined No. 66 Squadron RFC. His first flight in France was on 18 October in a Sopwith Pup to familiarize himself with the aircraft and the location. He made a second flight later the same day going up to an altitude of . Over the next month No. 66 Squadron were re-equipped with the Sopwith Camel. He drove down a Berg fighter on 16 March, and on 19 March destroyed another Albatros D.III, for his fifth victory, making him an ace. He accounted for two more D.III's destroyed on 23 April and 3 May.

He went on to gain three more victories over enemy fighters on 10 May, and 1 and 4 July, He was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 5 April 1919.

List of aerial victories

Post-war career Bell returned to his law studies in Toronto, graduating from Osgoode Hall and being called to the Bar of Ontario in 1921. He was appointed King's Counsel in 1935, and practised as a lawyer until his death in hospital in Toronto on 16 September 1960.

Footnotes