Alan Duncan Bell-Irving

Who was Alan Duncan Bell-Irving?

Air Commodore Alan Duncan Bell-Irving began his military aviation career as a Canadian flying ace in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. He served in the RCAF during World War II.

Bell-Irving was originally assigned as an observer/gunner. He was shot down during September 1915 but escaped unscathed. In December, he was wounded in action. After becoming a pilot, he was assigned to 60 Squadron and shot down his first enemy plane on his twenty-second birthday, 28 August 1916. He was flying a Morane for 60 Squadron when he destroyed a Roland reconnaissance plane over Bapaume. Re-equipped with a Nieuport 17, he followed up by destroying an observation balloon on 16 September and reeling off five more victories over enemy recon aircraft in the next month, bringing his total to a balloon and five planes destroyed, and one plane driven down out of control. He was shot down again on 21 October 1916, but was unhurt. Being wounded in action on 9 November 1916 removed him from combat. Bell-Irving later served at, then commanded the School of Special Flying at RAF Gosport.