Edward Herbert “Pops” Sell was born on June 8, 1906, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Mr. Fred and Mrs. Emma Sell of Peoria, Illinois. He was the husband of Marie A Sell.

Edward was employed at Commercial Solvents in Peoria before he was drafted in Peoria, and signed on the dotted line in Chicago, Illinois, on September 21, 1942. At the time of his death, he was serving in the 535th Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-17G #42-38061 "Georgia Rebel II." On April 28, 1944, the crew took off at airfield Station 167 in Ridgewell, England, on a mission to bomb the airfield of Avord in France. At around 12:00 PM, the aircraft was shot down by flak. Three crew members were able to bail out before the explosion in flight, but they were taken as prisoners. The rest were killed in action, including SSgt Sell. Their airplane crashed at the commune of Baugny - 8 km northeast of Avord.

SSgt Sell is now buried in the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.abmc.gov