Basil James Fell was the last of four sons born to William Fell Sr. and Mary Fick Fell of Krewstown Road, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He graduated from Frankford High School in 1943, having enlisted as Private in the US Army Air Corps on 19 April of that year. He served as tail-gunner in the 458th Bombardment Group, 2nd Division, 754th Z5 Squadron, flying combat missions over continental Europe from Horsham, Saint Faith, in eastern England.
Basil completed Army Air Force Training Detachment (Aircrew) coursework from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, between 14 July 1943 and 09 October 1943.
He was awarded two Air Medals and the Good Conduct Medal.
When he returned home, Basil met his future wife, Anne Mary Bertsch, at a USO in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were married on 28 December 1945, in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church Rectory, Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky, by Monsignor Herbert F. Hillenmeyer. Basil and Anne had a daughter, Gay Patricia Fell on 21 September 1951.
Basil was stricken with polio at a time when the polio vaccine had yet to be developed. He was the last person to be placed in an iron lung in the State of Pennsylvania. He died on 07 November 1952 in West Chester, Chester, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Campbell County, Kentucky.
Cemetery info:
FELL, Basil James: 1923-7 Nov 1952; husband of Anne; died in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The baptismal record at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, says that he was baptized at home on Krewstown Road in Frankford, Philadelphia, by Reverend Paul Micou of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on on 28 June 1925. The sponsors were Elmer and Lottie Fisher. The baptismal record lists his birth date as 29 January 1925.
Basil's WW II draft enlistment 19 April 1943 said he was born in 1925, as did the 1930 and 1940 US Census. His Pennsylvania Veteran's Compensation Application of May 1950 also listed the 1925 birth date. (See the fourth photograph).
For some reason, his gravestone was engraved with a birth year of 1923, not 1925.
BIOGRAPHY by S.R.F.
He graduated from Frankford High School in 1943, having enlisted as Private in the US Army Air Corps on 19 April of that year. He served as tail-gunner in the 458th Bombardment Group, 2nd Division, 754th Z5 Squadron, flying combat missions over continental Europe from Horsham, Saint Faith, in eastern England.
Basil completed Army Air Force Training Detachment (Aircrew) coursework from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, between 14 July 1943 and 09 October 1943.
He was awarded two Air Medals and the Good Conduct Medal.
When he returned home, Basil met his future wife, Anne Mary Bertsch, at a USO in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were married on 28 December 1945, in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church Rectory, Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky, by Monsignor Herbert F. Hillenmeyer. Basil and Anne had a daughter, Gay Patricia Fell on 21 September 1951.
Basil was stricken with polio at a time when the polio vaccine had yet to be developed. He was the last person to be placed in an iron lung in the State of Pennsylvania. He died on 07 November 1952 in West Chester, Chester, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Campbell County, Kentucky.
Cemetery info:
FELL, Basil James: 1923-7 Nov 1952; husband of Anne; died in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The baptismal record at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, says that he was baptized at home on Krewstown Road in Frankford, Philadelphia, by Reverend Paul Micou of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on on 28 June 1925. The sponsors were Elmer and Lottie Fisher. The baptismal record lists his birth date as 29 January 1925.
Basil's WW II draft enlistment 19 April 1943 said he was born in 1925, as did the 1930 and 1940 US Census. His Pennsylvania Veteran's Compensation Application of May 1950 also listed the 1925 birth date. (See the fourth photograph).
For some reason, his gravestone was engraved with a birth year of 1923, not 1925.
BIOGRAPHY by S.R.F.
Basil James Fell was the last of four sons born to William Fell Sr. and Mary Fick Fell of Krewstown Road, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He graduated from Frankford High School in 1943, having enlisted as Private in the US Army Air Corps on 19 April of that year. He served as tail-gunner in the 458th Bombardment Group, 2nd Division, 754th Z5 Squadron, flying combat missions over continental Europe from Horsham, Saint Faith, in eastern England.
Basil completed Army Air Force Training Detachment (Aircrew) coursework from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, between 14 July 1943 and 09 October 1943.
He was awarded two Air Medals and the Good Conduct Medal.
When he returned home, Basil met his future wife, Anne Mary Bertsch, at a USO in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were married on 28 December 1945, in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church Rectory, Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky, by Monsignor Herbert F. Hillenmeyer. Basil and Anne had a daughter, Gay Patricia Fell on 21 September 1951.
Basil was stricken with polio at a time when the polio vaccine had yet to be developed. He was the last person to be placed in an iron lung in the State of Pennsylvania. He died on 07 November 1952 in West Chester, Chester, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Campbell County, Kentucky.
Cemetery info:
FELL, Basil James: 1923-7 Nov 1952; husband of Anne; died in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The baptismal record at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, says that he was baptized at home on Krewstown Road in Frankford, Philadelphia, by Reverend Paul Micou of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on on 28 June 1925. The sponsors were Elmer and Lottie Fisher. The baptismal record lists his birth date as 29 January 1925.
Basil's WW II draft enlistment 19 April 1943 said he was born in 1925, as did the 1930 and 1940 US Census. His Pennsylvania Veteran's Compensation Application of May 1950 also listed the 1925 birth date. (See the fourth photograph).
For some reason, his gravestone was engraved with a birth year of 1923, not 1925.
BIOGRAPHY by S.R.F.
He graduated from Frankford High School in 1943, having enlisted as Private in the US Army Air Corps on 19 April of that year. He served as tail-gunner in the 458th Bombardment Group, 2nd Division, 754th Z5 Squadron, flying combat missions over continental Europe from Horsham, Saint Faith, in eastern England.
Basil completed Army Air Force Training Detachment (Aircrew) coursework from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, between 14 July 1943 and 09 October 1943.
He was awarded two Air Medals and the Good Conduct Medal.
When he returned home, Basil met his future wife, Anne Mary Bertsch, at a USO in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were married on 28 December 1945, in the Saint Thomas Catholic Church Rectory, Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky, by Monsignor Herbert F. Hillenmeyer. Basil and Anne had a daughter, Gay Patricia Fell on 21 September 1951.
Basil was stricken with polio at a time when the polio vaccine had yet to be developed. He was the last person to be placed in an iron lung in the State of Pennsylvania. He died on 07 November 1952 in West Chester, Chester, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Campbell County, Kentucky.
Cemetery info:
FELL, Basil James: 1923-7 Nov 1952; husband of Anne; died in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The baptismal record at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, says that he was baptized at home on Krewstown Road in Frankford, Philadelphia, by Reverend Paul Micou of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on on 28 June 1925. The sponsors were Elmer and Lottie Fisher. The baptismal record lists his birth date as 29 January 1925.
Basil's WW II draft enlistment 19 April 1943 said he was born in 1925, as did the 1930 and 1940 US Census. His Pennsylvania Veteran's Compensation Application of May 1950 also listed the 1925 birth date. (See the fourth photograph).
For some reason, his gravestone was engraved with a birth year of 1923, not 1925.
BIOGRAPHY by S.R.F.
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B James Fell
1923-07 Nov 1952
(Actual birth date was 29 Jan 1925.)
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