Geoffrey attended Forest school in Snaresbrook, and, while waiting that last term to join the RAF, captained the school cricket team. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. My target, concentrate, the target. His business had failed, his marriage was . I like the voice-over inserted into the film of the actually pilot Heughan played. In 1943 he married Grace Neill and the couple had three children. Soon after arriving, the doctor told him he was "played out mentally and physically". Flying alongside celebrated pilots such as Brian Kingcome, Bob Stanford Tuck and Tony Bartley, and then in Sailor Malans wing from 1941, Wellum destroyed four enemy aircraft and damaged several others, although being bloody-minded he was not meticulous in keeping a record of his kills. After a year of constant combat, including 50 sweeps over France, Wellum was rested and sent to train fighter pilots. What happened to three days grace?. In a documentary to mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF he recalled seeing Spitfires at a fly-past. Geoffrey Wellum, born August 4 1921, died July 18 2018, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. "[3], Wellum's close colleagues included BrianKingcome. "I was a cocky little bastard, a bit full of myself. [3] On 11 August 1942, Wellum led his flight of eight Spitfires, flying without ammunition to save weight (the .303 cartridges were replaced with cigarettes), and landed at Luqa airfield on Malta, joining 145 Squadron on air defence duties. He was technically inexperienced and emotionally immature. Within days, a bewildered Wellum nicknamed "Boy" was joining such missions. Bloody front gunners. My poor parents, they must have been very brave. Geoffrey Wellum in 2002. [3] This was followed by a four-year tour with 192 Squadron. Although just 18, he was not the youngest pilot to fight in the battle, an honour which is currently held by Martyn Aurel King, born 15 October 1921 - [7]) despite being nicknamed "Boy" by his colleagues. Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Wellum, who was just 18 when he joined the RAF in August 1939, died at his home in Cornwall on Wednesday evening aged 96. Geoffrey Wellum, born August 4 1921, died July 18 2018 SY 2018-08-16 Their son and daughter survive him and a second daughter predeceased him. The marriage was later dissolved. Geoffrey Wellum - Wikipedia Within eight months he was flying with No92 Squadron. Another Bf 109 was claimed in 1941, and there may have been more, as he was not one greatly concerned with recording such things. Try again later. ). Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Failed to delete memorial. The former squadron leader, who was just 18 when he joined the RAF in August 1939 . [18], To mark the 70th anniversary of the BattleofBritain, the BBC commissioned a one-off drama for TV called First Light, based on Wellum's book of the same name. Twilight of the Few - Geoffrey Wellum, Simon Pearson - Google Books After the war he remained in the RAF until 1961, and later ran a haulage business. The intention was to engage with the Luftwaffe in combat, and to escort RAF bombing missions. In this film Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC, a veteran of the Battle of Britain, narrates the Airman's Grace. Oops, something didn't work. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1960 and took over the family business. Max Hastings in The Sunday Telegraph rated it one of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war. . This browser does not support getting your location. For Wellum and his comrades the intensity eased, as Spitfires were unsatisfactory nightfighters, and the squadron moved into winter quarters at Manston in Kent. Having learnt to fly in Tiger Moths, he first went solo on September 1, 1939. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921 in Walthamstow, London, England, UK. Battle of Britain RAF Spitfire pilot Geoffrey Wellum dies After his final retirement in the 1980's he moved to the village of Mullion in Cornwall. Disappointed to be leaving frontline service, Wellum initially found the experience to be "almost unbearable". He remained in the RAF after the war. At this time he began to develop severe headaches, "a splitting headache pain across my eyes". Geoffrey Wellum - Wikiwand In August he was awarded the DFC for his great skill and determination. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, an only child, in Walthamstow, . This officer has been with his squadron since the evacuation of Dunkirk. He fell in love with the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire almost instantly. Add to your scrapbook. Sorry! Later in the war he served in the defense of Malta before returning to England for duty as an instructor pilot. As Wellum put it, Id shot my bolt. He was evacuated to England: Something inside me gave way and I broke down. Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. 'Where's everybody gone? It was then that you were in danger. Dad would drive past and then, in about 1937, there was one of the new Hurricanes taxiing in, and there was the pilot with the oxygen mask on him, and I thought, God, I want to be one of those. . In August 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Try again. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at ForestSchool, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. I thought 'To hell with this, I'm not ready to go yet'. I even began to enjoy [teaching] pupils". [3], Wellum saw extensive action during the Battle of Britain. Geoffrey Wellum was still just 18 when the Battle of Britain started in July 1940. He joined a firm of commodity brokers in the City of London before retiring to live in Cornwall. He had never flown a Spitfire and his squadron commander, Roger Bushell, of Great Escape fame, was not impressed to receive half-trained youngsters. [3], Wellum's first commanding officer was Roger Bushell, (later immortalised in The Great Escape). Heughan does a great job playing the part of a young inexperienced Spitfire pilot. It should have been. James Holland, now a well-known historian, was struck by their emotional punch rare in first-hand accounts of the Battle of Britain and showed them to colleagues. Some of them men, mostly elderly, take off their hats and the womenfolk in their black hoods and cloaks cross themselves. The book became a best seller and Wellum enjoyed a period of celebrity as its author, as well as for being among the last surviving fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain, known as "The Few". Next day,with no flying experience,he is expected to pilot a Spitfire;he is nervous but exhilarated. Fade from Grace happened in 2004-08. Among his appointments he was with the Second Tactical Air Force in Germany, converted to jets flying Gloster Meteors, de Havilland Vampires and English Electric Canberra bombers on reconnaissance sorties served at RAF Gaydon, and finally, in East Anglia, with a Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile unit. A 1941 photograph taken at Biggin Hill, Kent, of Geoffrey Wellum, right, and Brian Kingcome, another fighter pilot, in front of a Spitfire. The sun glints on their wings and bellies as they roll like trout in a stream streaking over smooth round pebbles. Geoffrey Wellum, who has died aged 96, was the author of one of the most gripping personal accounts of aerial warfare ever written. He returned from Malta to Britain, becoming a test pilot on the Hawker Typhoon, based at Gloster Aircraft. Learn more about managing a memorial . Once I was inside, the Spitfire, quite frankly, flew me., His first CO, Roger Bushell, was shot down at once; Big X, as Bushell later became known, was executed by the Gestapo in the aftermath of the Great Escape. Colum MacKenzie (Gary Lewis) is Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) Uncle. It would be a good film for a hight school history class. 'Where's everybody gone? It was then that you were in danger. In 1953 he converted to jet aircraft and six months later joined No192 Squadron flying the Canberra on reconnaissance sorties. The power of Wellums writing lies in its immediacy and lack of artifice. There was an error deleting this problem. Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. He was married to Grace Neil. The series aired on Netflix in 2019, after his death, and the episode "Battle of Britain" is dedicated in his memory. I'm not much for war movies. [3], To prove to himself that he had actually done something with his life,[14] Wellum took his wartime notebooks and wrote a longhand memoir of his time as a Spitfire pilot, that he never intended for publication. Id gone over the top. Aged eighteen, he signed up on a short-service commission with the Royal Air Force in August 1939. As he fought against hordes of enemy fighters he compared the ugliness of his situation set above the beauty of the English countryside he loved. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, an only child, in Walthamstow, Essex, to Percy and Edith Wellum. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"Winston Churchilll, Prime Minister, 1940, In Ever Loving Memory, Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Wellum, DFC, 1921-2018, One of "The Few", In Pectore Robur, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. The Battle of Britain was a pivotal moment in WW2 when the country stood alone against Hitler's seemingly unstoppable military power, In July 1940 the RAF deployed 640 planes, although more were available, and aircraft production was subsequently ramped up, The Luftwaffe could call upon 2,600 fighters and bombers, Nearly 3,000 aircrew served with RAF Fighter Command during the battle, The average age of a pilot was 20 years old, 20% of the pilots were from the British Dominions, and occupied European or neutral countries, The RAF lost 1,023 planes and the Luftwaffe lost 1,887 planes in the battle.