Bloody Dangerous by Flt. Lt.Colin Bell
The title refers to the author’s summary of his 50 Pathfinder Mosquito bombing missions over deepest Germany. On the last he experienced the terrifying awareness of being tracked by a radar-equipped Me 262 jet after dropping his bombs on the specified Berlin target. Mosquitoes could out-perform all airborne opposition until these jets arrived; but he did the right thing, against the instinct for altitude, and dived at maximum speed to the rooftops despite the long distance from home. The crew of two were saved by the 262’s minimal endurance at low altitude.
Born in 1921 to socially well-positioned and adaptable parents he left school aged 15, with no academic qualifications, and was articled to a London firm of Chartered Surveyors. ‘He’ll manage’ suggests the Bell family’s casual confidence in their middle son’s independent character.
Home was leafy Thames-side Surrey, and the absence of a single school certificate did not impress the local RAF recruiting office in 1941 when the twenty year old attempted to enlist as a pilot. The near miss of a German bomb as he approached Hampton Court bridge defined a growing up moment and a new focus.
Bell and King Charles, March 2026
He was on the way to meet his girlfriend one summer evening as he watched a lone Heinkel drop a single bomb from a low height. The bomb exploded on the far side of the river, mere yards away from Henry VII’s historic palace. The effect was galvanising for this fortunate young man. A crash course in mathematics at the local night school followed, and a second visit to the recruiting office was successful.
Once again the rest is history, but this book deserves to be read because it was not written until after the author’s retirement from his proper job (Chartered Surveying) at age 97. This is unusual, and the wisdom and judgment gained from a very long, fully functioning professional life, is plain to see.
This story is an account of professional risk management, good judgment, luck (of course), and the advantages of good training and a sympathetic attitude to others. Of course an enemy does its best to make all missions over its territory Bloody Dangerous, but this is also a feel-good, life-affirming read.