Episode 41 - Bishop Bell - The Speech

About this Episode

George K.A. Bell (1883-1958) was the Bishop of Chichester during World War II.  He addressed the House of Lords on February 9, 1944, questioning the Government on the use of "carpet bombing" of German cities.  Bishop Bell regarded this kind of bombing, which was intended to destroy German morale and bring the war to an end, as a war crime.

At the time, Bell was the only person in Britain willing to say such a thing in a 'national' forum such as the Parliament. He was attacked all across the board as being 'pro-German' and almost a traitor. (He had, incidentally, been the first public figure in the country to criticize Hitler's anti-semitic legislation. He had done so in 1934.)
Because of his speech in the Lords, Bishop Bell lost all chance of promotion in the Church of England.
Today, however, he is almost canonized there, and certainly within the Church.
This podcast is about Bell's speech. It also relates his theme to the current use of un-manned drone aircraft to commit targed assassination from the air -- or rather, from Las Vegas.