I met a 104-year-old WW2 veteran! Here's the one big thing it taught me
Colin Bell was a Mosquito pilot during WW2 and completed 50 missions over Germany
104 years ago, on the 5th March 1921, Colin Bell was born.
Films were silent, TVs had not been invented, a newspaper cost one penny and electricity, cars and telephones were a rare luxury. George V was on the throne. It would be 32 years until Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Last Saturday, I met Colin at the Chalke History Festival.
It was the first time I have ever met a Second World War veteran. And what a genuine privilege it was.
I am 79 years younger than him. My grandmother Tessa was born in 1942 when Colin was 21. She lived a rich and varied life, had three children, seven grandchildren and died aged 80 in 2022. Colin was 101 at that point. And he’s still going strong.
When we met in the green room at Chalke, Colin swung his arm out, clenched my hand with surprising strength and gave it a firm shake. We chatted about the aircraft he flew in WW2- Spitfires and Mosquitoes- and he told us how he preferred the Mosquito as it was ‘effectively two Spitfires’. Then we chatted about our upcoming event, a panel discussion titled ‘World War Two: Why We Still Remember’.
It was like chatting to any other older gentleman, but I had to keep reminding myself this man flew 50 bombing missions over Germany in World War Two. He was just 21 at the time, four years younger than I am now. Having read, watched and listened to so much on WW2, it was surreal to be in the company of one its heroes. It was the first (and quite possibly last) time I have heard someone talk about the war and use the phrase ‘I remember’. The weight of those words is phenomenally powerful, trumping even the most celebrated historians.
After attempting to persuade the audience our generation hadn’t forgotten the war and some Q’s from the audience, the event ended and we took a few snaps with Colin outside.
“How old are you, Colin?” one of the panellists Alex asked.
“70!” Laughter.
“You must have been young in the war,” said Alex. “How old are you really?”
“I told you, 70.” More laughter.
“No really Colin, how old are you?”
Colin looked at us all.
“I believe you are whatever age you think you are.”
