https://www.aerosociety.com/news/stormb ... n%20combat.The day held a particular poignancy for one esteemed guest: 102 year old Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell DFC, de Havilland Mosquito Pilot who served with No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron. He flew 150 operations over Germany (including 15 over Berlin) and is the last known survivor to have engaged the Me 262 in combat. Although his navigator wasn’t initially convinced the type on their tail was indeed a 262, Bell joked: “Do you want me to hang around and find out?” Realizing his assailant had locked onto his radar at 25,000ft, Bell explained: “You had to act immediately – if [the enemy] got a visual on you, you were dead”. Elaborating on how the four 30mm cannon could “turn you to confetti in a single blast,” he dropped down to 10,000ft and performed a series of manoeuvres, aware of the 262’s limited duration of 45 minutes total flight time – living to fight another day.
Describing the “prickles up the back of [his] neck” upon meeting the Me 262 up close in the BBMF hangar some 78 years later, Bell explained how he walked up to the aircraft before patting it on one side and added: “Now I hope I never see the damn thing again!” – before extending his gratitude to the crew of the Me 262 who, judging by the camaraderie in the bar of Petwood House the night before, had already forged a firm friendship.
That documentary was very interesting.OneHungLow wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 12:10 pm
Battle Stations: Messerschmitt 262 - Race for the Jet (War History Documentary)
