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THE WINGLESS PILOT
Dennis Pritchard • 23 March 2021
THE WINGLESS PILOT
Born on 5 March, 1921, Colin Bell DFC had enrolled in the RAF towards the end of 1941and was subsequently assigned to the United States for pilot training. Following his graduation, he had been retained as an advanced instructor with the U.S. Army Air Corps/USAAF to train American and British aviation cadets, before returning to the U.K. in 1943.
Following conversion to the Mosquito, he was eventually posted to No 608 (Pathfinder) Squadron based at RAF Downham Market and had teamed up with Canadian Doug Redmond as his navigator. Following 50 bombing sorties over Nazi Germany and having been awarded his DFC; he was transferred to ferry duties and was to be involved in many hazardous transatlantic flights from Canada delivering brand new Mosquito aircraft to the U.K.
With the end of World War II, Flight Lieutenant Bell DFC was to complete his service career in 1946 and went on to qualify as a chartered surveyor, before forming his own company.
However, during the war, he had never officially received his RAF wings! So it was in February 2018 at the age of 97, that Air Marshall Stuart Atha, RAF presented his long awaited RAF pilot brevet during an official ceremony at RAF Linton on Ouse.
On 5 March, 2021 he was to celebrate his 100th birthday and accompanied by his daughter Vivienne, was to be entertained with a Spitfire display above his Kent garden – the iconic fighter that he would have dearly wished to have flown during the war. Coincidentally, it was indeed on 5 March, 1936 that the first Spitfire had first flown!
Please note that a book has now been published entitled “Bloody Terrified”, relating to his war exploits.
Photo 1 - Pilot Officer Colin Bell. (RAF)
Photo 2 - Stearman PT 13. (USAF)
Photo 3 - Vultee BT 13. (USAF)
Photo 4 - North American AT-6A. (USAF)
Photo 5 - De Havilland Mosquito B.XX. (IWM)
Photo 6 - Air Marshall Stuart Atha presents his long awaited RAF pilot brevet to Colin Bell, DFC in February 2018. (RAF)
Photo 7 - VAS committee members join Colin Bell at RAF Valley in 2019. (Flt Lt Penny Broadway).
Photo 8 - Saluting the 85th anniversary of the Spitfire’s first flight on Colin Bell’s 100th birthday. (Bruce Adams) Daily Mail
THE AUSTRALIAN CONNECTION
THE USAF AND ITS 75 YEARS’ ASSOCIATION WITH ROYAL AIR FORCE VALLEY
RAF VALLEY FLYING TRAINING ACCIDENTS
HAWK T.1 COLOURS AT RAF VALLEY
THE EARLY POST WAR YEARS AT RAF VALLEY
LEST WE FORGET
350 SQUADRON CELEBRATES ITS EIGHTIETH
BATTLE OF BRITAIN SUNDAY
PRESENTATION OF THE VALLEY AVIATION SOCIETY TROPHY
RAF Valley families Day 2021