Adams News Clip - Sgt. Bellew Receives Award and Loses Left Eye

Yet another glorious find today - about my Grandmother's notification of her husband being wounded. The story isn't complete, not mentioning that prior to receiving word that he was wounded she actually received word that he was MIA. After further investigation, I found that he was more likely on a plane that did not return to base the evening of his last mission, being so damaged that it was forced to land at another base.

This article is again from the North Adams Transcript, dated August 16, 1944. Found on the NewspaperArchive website


I am sure that this article is too small and not clear enough to read so I've transcribed it here:

William P Bellew Receives Award
"Exceptionally Meritorious Achievement"
ALSO WOUNDED
Waist Gunner on Flying Fortress Injured While Over Germany - Wife Receives Messages

"Wounds that he suffered while on a bombing mission over Germany have been followed by the award of a second Oak Leaf Cluster for Staff Sgt. William P. Bellew, according to information received by the Transcript today from an eighth AAF Bomber station in England.

A letter received by his wife, Mrs. Dorothy Bellew of 11 Temple street last Friday from Sgt. Bellew said that he had lost his left eye but did not mention any other injuries. After the letter arrived Mrs. Bellew received a telegram from the War department stating that her husband was seriously wounded while over Germany on July 29.

The announcement from the Bombing station in England states that Sgt. Bellew, who is 26 years of age and the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bellew of 19 Temple Street was a waist gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress and that he was awarded a second Oak Leaf Cluster for "exceptionally meritorious achievements" during bombing attacks on Nazi military and industrial targets.

Sgt. Bellew was employed at the British embassy in Washington D. C., when he entered service in the Air corps Oct. 1, 1942. He received training at Chicago Ill., Salt Lake City, Utah and Ardmore Okla. His younger brother, John Bellew, Jr. was killed in action while serving with British forces at Dunkirk in 1940."

In case you missed it, I received replacements of all my Grandfather's medals from the Air Force back in February of this year.