Herbert Bellerby

Sgt. Herbert Bellerby (29 August 1888-23 September 1916) was a Royal Flying Corps pilot of World War I. He was a cavalry officer before joining the 27 Squadron in the Royal Flying Corps, flying a Martinsyde G.100 elephant plane. Bellerby is mainly known for being the second kill of Manfred von Richthofen, AKA The Red Baron, over Cambrai Road, near Bapaume. Richthofen was using an Albatros D.II.

Life and career

Bellerby was born second of three sons in Doncaster, England, to Henry Thomas and Mary Ealenore Bellerby. His brothers and he joined the British Army on 25 September 1914. Herbert was a cavalry officer before joining the 27 Squadron and on 23 September 1916 he and five other planes broke off from the 27 Squadron on an offensive patrol over Cambrai. The Third Battle of the Somme was being fought below them when five German planes, including Richthofen, attacked Bellerby's squad, all of which were shot down. Richthofen personally killed Bellerby, whose body was found in his crash site on ground. Richthofen supposedly shot a total of around 400 rounds at Bellerby.[1] He is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

Further biographical information is available on the Bancroft's School Honours Board [URL:http://www.bancroftians.net/cgi-bin/bancms3.pl?dn=centbellerbyh]

References

  1. ↑ Peter Kilduff (1 April 2012). Red Baron - The Life and Death of an Ace. F+W Media. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-0-7153-3381-5.
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