The retired British Colonel who rescued 41 hostages kidnapped by Somali pirates When three ships were captured by Somali pirates nobody seemed to care about the crews. Until a retired British Colonel decided to save them A seized Taiwanese fishing vessel run aground in Hobyo, Somalia Credit: AP If you were being held captive by Somali pirates, and Col John Steed (retired) were your only chance of rescue, you might just be tempted to give up hope altogether. A former defence attaché to Britain’s embassy in Kenya, Steed is a mild-mannered, amiable figure who appears better suited to the cocktail circuit than to cloak-and-dagger stuff.