Sir Gawain Bell, whom many will recall was the admirable last Governor of
Northern Nigeria (1957-62), spent the first 25 years of his brilliant career in that corps
d'elite among Britain's overseas civil services, the Sudan Political Service, with spells
in Palestine (1938-41). the Arab Legion (1942^14), Egypt (1949-51) and Kuwait
(1955-57). He first met the Colonial Service when, as a Sudan probationer, he spent a
year at Oxford on the Tropical African Services Course together with some 70
Colonial Service members. His description of both Oxford in the 1930s ("we were the
last of the Edwardians") and of the course for prospective administrators (they were
encouraged to attend operations at the Radcliffe Infirmary "to accustom us to the
sight of blood and severed limbs") is excellent. Important, too, for those with Sudan
experience, is his account of provincial administration before the war and of the
transfer of power soon after.
This is a modest, witty and fascinating autobiography, at once informative to the
reader and important to the historian. Colonial Service readers who may be downcast
bv the fact that the book ends at the moment of Sir Gawain's appointment to Nigeria
will have their spirits raised by his promise that "of the events that led to this unusual
assignment - a British Governor serving as such in an independent ex-colonial
territory - I hope to write in due course". At least one advance order has already been
indicated to the publishers!
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