Bell was marked for senior responsibility and received the prestigious command of the new battleship HMS Anson in 1945. Damage at the River Plate had forced him to navigate Exeter by a lifeboat compass after the ship's main navigating position was knocked out, an episode later represented in the battle film that Bell lived to see. Ill health forced his retirement only three years after taking command of Anson, preventing the longer career his trajectory suggested. Harwood's trust in him at the River Plate rested on the determination Bell displayed when he offered to return to the fight with Exeter's remaining gun. Harwood declined because further sacrifice was no longer worth the risk. Bell's willingness to carry out the offer was never in question.
Notable Point · 13:59-15:38
Bell's curtailed postwar career
Bell's command under damage and later appointment to HMS Anson showed senior promise, but ill health ended his naval career in 1948.