LARRY BELL OF BELL AIRCRAFT -- SECRET P-39 AIRACOBRA BROOCHES IN "TRUST" AT S. F. N. BANK OF L. A.

TWO OF THE LARGEST, MOST HISTORICAL AND MOST VALUABLE ARTIFACTS IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION, BELL AIRCRAFT COMPANY, AND WORLD WAR 2 --- LEFT BY LUCILLE M. BELL, ( OF 6 LAGOMAR ROAD, PALM BEACH, FLORIDA ), WHO WAS THE WIFE OF LAWRENCE DALE BELL, ( LARRY BELL ), FOUNDER OF THE BELL AIRCRAFT COMPANY, ( TODAY KNOWN AS BELL HELICOPTER, A DIVISION OF TEXTRON, or "BELL", ), ----- LAWRENCE DALE "LARRY" BELL WAS RECOGNIZED BY KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER, ON TWO SEPARATE AND SECRET OCCASIONS DURING AND TOWARD THE END OF WORLD WAR II. --- A P-39 AIRACOBRA BROOCH OR BADGE WAS PRESENTED EACH TIME. -------------- TWO OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS OF WORLD WAR 2, AND NOT MADE PUBLIC UNTIL AFTER THE PASSING OF LAWRENCE DALE "LARRY" BELL AND HIS WIFE LUCILLE M. BELL .--- ( SEE "PART 2, PART 3, AND PART 5, PART 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, and Part 12 -- The P-39 AIRACOBRA BROOCHES" FOR A MORE DETAILED HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION. ) ------------- THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF --- 1) Letter of removal from Trust by Lucille M. Bell from "Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles, California, ---- 2) The P-39 Airacobra Diamond and Platinum Brooch, Presented to Lawrence Dale "Larry Bell" by King Peter II of Yugoslavia, Godson and Envoy of King George VI, of The United Kingdom / Great Britain -- June 1942 , ---- 3) The Silver, Platinum and Gold P-39 Airacobra Brooch, GVII, "Victory in Europe" - Presented in July of 1945, ------ 4) Both P-39 Airacobra Brooches / Commendations in the same photograph. ------------------- King Peter II made 2 Royal visits to the Bell Aircraft Wheatfield Plant as documented in Larry Bell's Personal Hardback copies of "THE BELLRINGER MONTHLY PUBLICATIONS" OF BELL AIRCRAFT COMPANY, for June, 1942, page 20, -- AND -- for July, 1945, PAGE 18 ), ( THE ACTUAL VISITS TOOK PLACE THE MONTH BEFORE THE BELLRINGER MAGAZINE WAS PUBLISHED, --- THEREFORE THE ACTUAL VISITS TOOK PLACE -- JUNE, 1942 -- AND -- JULY, 1945 ) --- ( KING GEORGE VI PASSED AWAY FEB. 6, 1952 )-------------------------------- THESE TWO SECRET ROYAL GIFTS WERE MADE AS BROOCHES WITH ATTACHMENT PINS, BOTH ARE TOO LARGE AND HEAVY TO BE WORN AS PINS OR BROOCHES. BOTH ITEMS WERE LEFT BEHIND BY LUCILLE M. BELL AND BOTH ITEMS HAVE VERY UNIQUE PHYSICAL AND HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS. ----------------- AFTER THE PASSING OF LARRY BELL AND, LATER, HIS WIFE, LUCILLE M. BELL, THE P-39 AIRACOBRA DIAMOND AND PLATINUM BROOCH WAS PLACED IN SOTHEBY'S, NEW YORK, -- TWICE -- AND ON BOTH OCCASIONS IT WAS REMOVED - PRIOR TO "OFFERING" -- DUE TO IT'S HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ------ ON THE FIRST TIME, THE DIAMOND AND PLATINUM BROOCH WAS FEATURED ON THE COVER OF THE SOTHEBY'S, NEW YORK, BROCHURE ------------------------------- THE ACTUAL P-39 AIRACOBRA FIGHTER AIR PLANE, ( P-39, P-400, Mk 1 ), WAS MANUFACTURED BY BELL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION AND WAS USED IN WORLD WAR TWO BY --- THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ( UNDER, PRESIDENT F. D. ROOSEVELT, - AND - PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN )--- THE ROYAL AIR FORCE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, ( R.A.F. ), ( UNDER, KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER, AND WINSTON CHURCHILL, THE PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN / THE UNITED KINGDOM ) --- THE RUSSIAN RED AIR FORCE, UNDER J. STALIN, --- THE FRENCH AIR FORCE --- AND OTHER COUNTRIES. ALL FIGHTING AGAINST HITLER'S FORCES. ----THE P-39 AIRACOBRA FIGHTER AIRPLANE SERVED NOT ONLY IN BATTLE BUT IT SERVED AS ESCORT AND SECURITY AIRCRAFT PROTECTING PRESIDENTS, KINGS, QUEENS AND DIGNITARIES OF MULTIPLE GOVERNMENTS AND COUNTRIES. ------- THESE TWO ROYAL GIFTS, SECRETLY PRESENTED, TO LAWRENCE "LARRY" DALE BELL, FOUNDER OF BELL AIRCRAFT, WERE NOT MADE PUBLIC AND WERE HELD BY --- "SECURITY-FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LOS ANGELES" --- IN " TRUST, NO, B-1540" --- THEN ON JANUARY 24, 1955, THESE ITEMS WERE SECRETLY INSURED AND TRANSPORTED, BY THE BANK, FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, --- TO --- "THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK" OF PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, ( AGAIN PLACED UNDER TIGHT SECURITY ) ------ LUCILLE M. BELL WAS RESIDING IN PALM BEACH, FLORIDA , FOR A SHORT TIME AT "THE BREAKERS HOTEL". -------- LATER, Lucille M. Bell purchased a home at 6 LAGOMAR ROAD, PALM BEACH, FLORIDA. ( Note: LAWRENCE DALE "LARRY" BELL, PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 20, 1956 )
VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE EVER PHYSICALLY SEEN THESE ITEMS, ONLY IN PHOTOGRAPHS AND TO THIS DAY, BOTH ITEMS REMAIN IN SEPARATE, AND UNDISCLOSED BANK VAULTS. ---- MULTIPLE MUSEUMS AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, ITALY, AND OTHER EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN COUNTRIES. HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN RESEARCHING THESE ITEMS. ----------- FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, DIAMOND, RUBY, AND SAPPHIRE COUNTS CAN NOT BE DETERMINED IN ANY PHOTOGRAPH MADE PUBLIC AND THE LOCATION OF THESE ITEMS CAN NOT AND WILL NOT BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC ----- THE INTENT OF THIS POSTING IS TO COLLECT AND SHARE INFORMATION OF A VERIFIABLY HISTORICAL AND/OR EDUCATIONAL NATURE. --- RESEARCH IS CONTINUING. -- CONTACT VIA EMAIL -- WAYNE H. LONG. (whlong2715@gmail.com) -- ( updated 4/10/2023 )