I thought 'To hell with this, I'm not ready to go yet'. [3], After his return to England, Wellum did not return to combat duties, instead finishing the war as a gunnery instructor. Instead, it is depicted as confused and brutal, never more so than when Wellum finds himself a target: When I saw him, I felt fear, real stark fear. He fell in love with the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire almost instantly. One of the "Few", the decorated veteran airman was. The sun glints on their wings and bellies as they roll like trout in a stream streaking over smooth round pebbles. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? There is a problem with your email/password. Wellum led a flight of eight Spitfires to be carried on aircraft carrier HMSFurious, sailing from the Clyde to the Mediterranean, and then land them on the island. Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1960[13] and took over the family haulage business. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. [6] Bushell was shot down and captured almost immediately after Wellum's arrival, and was later executed by the Gestapo in the aftermath of the "Great Escape". There is a little bit of artistic licence in it, the BBC wanted a bit of a love scene in it and as I was going to get a bag of gold well, not exactly, something to buy me another beer I went along with it.. Britain stood alone. The comradeship in a fighter squadron that has survived the Battle of Britain is something that you will never be able to understand, he observed, and I will never experience again. After the war he remained in the RAF until 1961, and later ran a haulage business. He found it difficult to appreciate that his days on 92 Squadron were over and he missed the intensely close relationships he had forged with the air and ground crews. In air combat over France, Wellum's number two, Freddie Haskett, was killed by a Fw 190, and Wellum himself survived only by "throwing the spit all over the sky without really looking round". Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. His business had failed, his marriage was . All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. His father, who had served at Gallipoli during WW1, ran an off-licence. 'Recollections of an RAF Squadron Leader' - Battle of Britain, Heros Of The Battle Of Britain: A Nation Remembers | Timeline. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. How did he cope? Patrick Tootal, secretary of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, said members of the charity's staff and volunteers had been "much saddened by the news". It will enhance any encyclopedic page you visit with the magic of the WIKI 2 technology. This officer has been with his squadron since the evacuation of Dunkirk. Never stay still, never fly straight and level, chuck it around. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Although alive to the beauty of flight, there is little of the heroic romanticism about aerial combat that afflicts other memoirs of the period. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. The marriage was later dissolved. He was a writer, known for Witness 1939: When War Broke Out (2014), Battle of Britain (2015) and First Light (2010). Wellum suffered severe sinusitis and battle fatigue after three years' intensive frontline flying. "It was always the other chap. "It doesn't matter," Wellum says, unconvincingly. Today, less than 300 of "the chaps" are still alive. He and his wife Ediths only child was Geoffrey, who attended Forest School, Snaresbrook, where he captained the cricket XI in his last summer. Even at the height of battle, Wellum suspected that their heroism would be forgotten. Disappointed to be leaving frontline service, Wellum initially found the experience to be "almost unbearable". It was well produced for a TV movie. Later he became a commodities broker. Yet Wellum struggled in civilian life. ", Two weeks after leaving school, Wellum was training with the RAF. Thereafter he briefly test-flew Typhoons and then saw out the war as a pilot attack instructor. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Then I got cross. In 1943 Wellum married Dorothy Grace Neil. Its like one of those wonderful dreams, a Peter Pan sort of dream. Later, in First Light, he wrote of the experience: "I experienced an exhilaration that I cannot recall ever having felt before. My only regret is that it had to happen so early in life". [11], In July 1942, Wellum was sent to Glasgow, where he participated in Operation Pedestal, a convoy mission to carry supplies for the relief of the besieged garrison at Malta. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. In 1943 he married Grace Neil and they had three children. 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. That's it. Sitting in the lobby of a smart London hotel, Wellum is white-haired, smartly dressed and strongly built. "[3], Wellum's close colleagues included BrianKingcome. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC (born 4 August 1921), is a British Battle of Britain fighter pilot and author. In the mid-1980s he retired and moved to Mullion, Cornwall, where he wrote down his wartime memoirs. By what name was First Light (2010) officially released in Canada in English? Try again. 92 Squadron RAF at RAF Biggin Hill, September 1941. As Wellum put it, Id shot my bolt. He was evacuated to England: Something inside me gave way and I broke down. Nor were their teachers. Initially posted to protect the port of Bristol in the West Country, Wellum found that he and his 92 squadron were being moved to Biggin Hill in Kent in early September as the RAF wisely rotated its squadrons in and out of the quiet and busy areas. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Simon Morris. 0 cemeteries found in Mullion, Cornwall Unitary Authority, Cornwall, England. Year should not be greater than current year. In the early 1970s Geoffrey Wellum was at a very low ebb. Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. Of the numerous Bf 109 fighters which escorted the German bombers, Wellum wrote "God, is there no end to them? It is 40mph faster, has very good armament and a very high rate of roll". or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Try again later. One of the "Few", the. Another Bf 109 was claimed in 1941, and there may have been more, as he was not one greatly concerned with recording such things. Although urged to continue his career as an author, he never found a theme that inspired him as much. Within a year, he was sent to join his boyhood heroes in the hellraising 92 Squadron. The family settled in Epping, Essex.[3]. He had already begun to experience sharp waves of pain across his forehead when, in 1941, he was sent to help raise the siege of Malta. His father, who had served at Gallipoli during WW1, ran an off-licence. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. [9], In the summer of 1941 Wellum participated in more than 50 "sweeps" over occupied France (also known as Circusoffensives) flying escort for Blenheim and Stirling bomber formations, taking the war to the enemy. Try again later. He is now known world-wide. He left the service in 1960 with the rank of Squadron Leader. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The sun glints on their wings and bellies as they roll like trout in a stream streaking over smooth round pebbles. [11], In February 1942, he was reassigned to combat duties, being transferred to 65Squadron based at Debden, where he was appointed a Flight Commander in March 1942. Wellum remained in the RAF after the war and served in a number of appointments in Fighter Command before serving as a weapons specialist in the Second Tactical Air Force in Germany. [5] It was at 92 Squadron that he first encountered a Spitfire, and flew the aircraft for the first time. As Geoffrey Wellum watched the squadron of Spitfires soar into the sky earlier this year he was overcome with emotion. "As the three ships come through the harbour entrance, just about maintaining steerage way, the cheering of the Maltese who have to welcome her in slowly subsides until there is absolute silence. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, thrown around at 20,000ft, chased round by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone. Read about our approach to external linking. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Find out more, Wellum, right, photographed by Cecil Beaton with his mentor in No 92 Squadron, Brian Kingcome, Wellum in 2002 during the launch of his autobiography, First Light, Wellum with the Prince of Wales during a reception at Church House following a service at Westminster Abbey to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Jim Fox, British star pentathlete who exposed a notorious cheating scandal obituary, Barbara Young, actress with credits ranging from I, Claudius to Coronation Street obituary, John Cockcroft, Telegraph leader writer, Tory MP and passionate European obituary, Wee Willie Harris, eccentric Soho coffee-bar rocker who carved a place in pop history obituary, Ray Shulman, musician and songwriter who co-founded prog-rock favourites Gentle Giant obituary, Mike Coulman, dual-code rugby international for England, Great Britain and the Lions obituary. . [3], Wellum's first commanding officer was RogerBushell, (later immortalised in TheGreatEscape). My poor parents, they must have been very brave. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921 in Walthamstow, London, England, UK. [3], Wellum's first commanding officer was Roger Bushell, (later immortalised in The Great Escape). Geoffrey Wellum, who was just 18 when he joined the RAF in August 1939, died on Wednesday evening, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust said. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. I like the voice-over inserted into the film of the actually pilot Heughan played. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Self: Witness 1939: When War Broke Out. Wellum eventually became the deputy harbourmaster. Geoffrey Wellum, the youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain, has died, aged 96. It was like one of those wonderful dreams, a Peter Pan sort of dream". Geoffrey Wellum, who has died aged 96, was the author of one of the most gripping personal accounts of aerial warfare ever written. The power of Wellums writing lies in its immediacy and lack of artifice. At this time he began to develop severe headaches, "a splitting headache pain across my eyes". The RAF's 'finest hour' Video, 00:01:52The RAF's 'finest hour', Is Penehllis House open to the public on Helston Flora Day 2023, Bodmin murder enquiry: Police support shocked community after killing, Update on whether popular Helston Flora Day viewing spot will be open this year, Man killed in Bodmin stabbings named as Michael Allen, Missing people from Devon and Cornwall who have vanished without a trace, Bodmin stabbings: Michael Allen named by police as man who died after group of people were stabbed, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. Next day,with no flying experience,he is expected to pilot a Spitfire;he is nervous but exhilarated. A swarm of gnats on a warm summer evening the whole spectacle frightens yet fascinates.. The unmistakable engine tone of a Spitfire could be heard echoing over Mullion yesterday for a flypast in memory of Geoffrey Wellum. The Germans were flying a formidable new fighter, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and Wellum was beginning to suffer from persistent headaches. Unique friendships were forged in the heat of battle - Geoffrey Wellum (r) and his commanding officer Brian Kingcombe, Geoffrey Wellum with Prince Charles following a service at Westminster Abbey to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes taking off from Gravesend in Kent during the Battle of Britain in September 1940. Would you like Wikipedia to always look as professional and up-to-date? Try again later. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum, who has died aged 96, was flying a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain before he was 19 years old. "I just wanted to sit quietly and convince myself" He takes a deep breath. Now, I have a life of deep tranquillity: I sing in the choir, I'm the deputy harbour master, I help out at church. "Even on my way home from Malta, I knew I'd reached the peak of my life," he says. 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. I'll never know how I got away with it.". Failed to delete memorial. Failed to delete flower. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In 1940, when he was 18, Wellum had, as the youngest Spitfire pilot in the RAF, flown in the Battle of Britain. GEOFFREY WELLUM, a veteran of the Battle of Britain, was the youngest fighter pilot (at 18) in the Royal Air Force (RAF) to have fought in that battle. He and his wife were divorced in 1975. 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. Geoffrey Wellum was born in Walthamstow in 1921. "Aged seventeen, he signed up on a short-service commission with the Royal Air Force in August 1939. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. . Geoffrey was just 18 when he became the youngest fighter pilot to fly in the . He had a second victory in the summer of 1941, claiming a BF-109 over occupied France. In this film Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC, a veteran of the Battle of Britain, narrates the Airman's Grace. Geoffrey Wellum recalls the RAF's 'finest hour'. Resend Activation Email. The whole thing feels unreal and I cant believe this is really happening. Wellum had married, in 1943, Dorothy Grace Neil, with whom he was to have three children: Anna was flight attendant and now works part-time in the NHS; Deborah, who died in 2017, had a career in the music business, notably with Apple Records; and Neil has been latterly a senior marine environmental inspector and manager. Unique friendship was forged in the Battle of Britain. 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". This account has been disabled. Give me a sign, God, anything.. [8], Wellum claimed a Heinkel He 111 shot down on 11 September, and a quarter share in a Junkers Ju 88 downed on 27 September 1940. [12], After the war, Wellum stayed with the RAF, serving first as a staff officer in the Second Tactical Air Force in West Germany, where he flew jet aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor, the de Havilland Vampire and the English Electric Canberra. Many of the chaps became alcoholics.". [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 145Squadron on air defence duties. . [3] This was followed by a four-year tour with 192Squadron. Trout streams, water meadows, waders, fast-flowing water, the pretty barmaid at the inn. Wellum also appeared in the documentary "Greatest Events of World War II in colour," being interviewed on his experience at the Battle of Britain. Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. "I was losing my house, my divorce was coming, my son was at university, I had nowhere to live. I was impressed with both actors performance. Spitfire pilots had an average life expectancy of four weeks. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Some of them men, mostly elderly, take off their hats and the womenfolk in their black hoods and cloaks cross themselves. First Light: Directed by Matthew Whiteman. Aged eighteen, Wellum signed up on a short-service commission with the Royal Air Force in August 1939. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Dear Jesus why this? Not Ooh, this is frightening, but Oh God, this bloke is going to kill me. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Officers and guests celebrating the first anniversary of the arrival of No. After surgery, he returned from Malta to Britain via Gibraltar, and later became a test pilot for new aircraft, such as the new HawkerTyphoon fighter-bomber, based at GlosterAircraft. He saw extensive combat flying Spitfires during the Battle and shot down an HE-111 on 11 September 1940. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. During the recent offensive operations over France he has led his section and flight with great skill and determination. [3], In the mid-1980s, with the family business in liquidation and his divorce pending,[14] Wellum retired, as he had promised himself in his youth, to TheLizard peninsula, Cornwall,[14] settling in Mullion. "[3], Wellum's close colleagues included Brian Kingcome. He is survived by two children, Anna and Neil. "I was a cocky little bastard, a bit full of myself. In 2002 these were published as First Light. During the recent offensive operations over France he has led his section and flight with great skill and determination. Of the numerous Bf 109 fighters which escorted the German bombers, Wellum wrote "God, is there no end to them? Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, an only child, in Walthamstow, Essex, to Percy and Edith Wellum. An only child, Wellum grew up in Essex, always dreaming of flying. Geoffrey Wellum in 2002. I even began to enjoy [teaching] pupils". ). Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. It was like one of those wonderful dreams, a Peter Pan sort of dream". Eventually, Wellum relaxed: "I found a new peace andgradually I seemed to unwind. He was previously married to Grace Neil. What happened to three days grace?. Within eight months he was flying with No92 Squadron. He sang in the choir in Mullion and liked to help the cove fishermen. In the early 1970s Geoffrey Wellum was at a very low ebb. . He left the service in 1960 with the rank of Squadron Leader. What a pity, in a way, that an aeroplane that can impart such a glorious feeling of sheer joy and beauty has got to be used to fight somebody.. 'Where's everybody gone? It was then that you were in danger. This browser does not support getting your location. They were wooden and you used to buy them as a kit and I had 50 of the damned things. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. He and his wife were divorced in 1975. In August he was awarded the DFC for his great skill and determination. Within days, he had his first flight in a Spitfire, which he described as absolutely wonderful, you didnt get into it, you strapped it on. Even now, he suffers from bad dreams. There, Wellum made his first sorties, pursuing a Junkers Ju 88 German bomber as far as Weymouth, Dorset, and losing it in the clouds; attempting night-fighting around Bristol; and chasing isolated German aircraft all over the south-west. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. At the end of July, he was detailed to command a flight of eight Spitfires from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious, sailing from the Clyde to the Mediterranean, and land them on the besieged island of Malta. The source code for the WIKI 2 extension is being checked by specialists of the Mozilla Foundation, Google, and Apple. The couple divorced in 1975, and six years later he relocated to Mullion on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. At 17, in his last year at school and six months before the war began, he applied to the RAF. Nothing can possibly quite rise to such heights.. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. Drag images here or select from your computer for Geoffrey Harris Augustus Boy Wellum memorial. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He was subsequently diagnosed as suffering from exhaustion, aged 20, having by then completed two full tours, including dozens of fighter sweeps and bomber escort details. In the mid-1980s he retired and . Every night, listening to the news on the wireless 'Ten of our Spitfires are missing'.". The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. He was a member of the RoyalAirForceClub. He attended Forest School, . Soon after his arrival, 92 Squadron moved from Duxford in Cambridgeshire to Pembrey in Carmarthenshire. Wellum looks sad. 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. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC (4 August 1921 - 18 July 2018) was a British fighter pilot and author, best known for his participation in the Battle of Britain. Percy had served at Gallipoli during the first world war and was commissioned on the battlefield. ", He's a natural writer, I say, so how about another book? He is jovial, charming and lucid, even after three lagers, but his long-suppressed emotions occasionally threaten to overwhelm him. Next da Read allIn May 1940 eighteen-year old Geoffrey Wellum joins the 92 squadron of the Royal Air Force and is taken to the pub,where pilots who have seen action sign their names on a blackboard. ", "Looking at my life now, I had peaked at about 21 or 22. From the fort a bugle sounds the "Still" and not a soul moves". He was posted to an operational training unit and did not return to squadron service until February 1942, when he became a flight commander with 65 Squadron, at Great Sampford in Essex. That November there were two damaged Bf 109s, and one shared. The series aired on Netflix in 2019, after his death, and the episode "Battle of Britain" is dedicated in his memory. English "I see you, you sod," reads one passage as he dives on an enemy bomber. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. During the early years of the war Wellum had jotted down some reflections and these formed the basis of First Light. It was Holland: Ive been trying to find you in every pub on the Lizard. He told Wellum Penguin was offering a substantial deal They picked me up off the floor and poured more scotch into me and the book, published in 2002 as, I enjoyed the film to a degree, he said later. "The Battle of Britain made me want to put a value on life. I used to make Skybirds, he said. Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1960[13] and took over the family haulage business. (modern). He has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft and damaged several others. Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum was born at Walthamstow, on August 14 1921. At that point he had never seen a Spitfire, let alone flown one. There it all is, the whole arena for bloody battle, and there they are, the enemy. [3][10], By this time most of Wellum's original colleagues at 92 squadron had been killed or captured; he survived owing to a combination of luck and skill. I decided that if I survived, I wanted to be allowed to relish it. [3] In 1943, he married Grace Neil, his wartime girlfriend, with whom he had three children. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Next day,with no flying experience,he is expected to pilot a Spitfire;he is nervous but exhilarated. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, an only child, in Walthamstow, . Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. By September his time with 92 Squadron had come to an end, and he was tired. "Only this week Sqn Ldr Wellum had been talking enthusiastically about attending the Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey on 16 September," he said. In May 1940 eighteen-year old Geoffrey Wellum joins the 92 squadron of the Royal Air Force and is taken to the pub,where pilots who have seen action sign their names on a blackboard.