There was a problem getting your location. The average life- expectancy of a Spitfire pilot was four weeks. He had a second victory in the summer of 1941, claiming a BF-109 over occupied France. I decided that if I survived, I wanted to be allowed to relish it. Two (and one shared) Messerschmitt Bf 109s were claimed "damaged" during November 1940. 'Where's everybody gone? It was then that you were in danger. Wellum looks sad. [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. He is survived by two children, Anna and Neil. Simon Morris. [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. Aged 18, in spring 1940, Wellum was posted to 92 Squadron and it was then that he encountered, and flew, a Spitfire for the first time. ", Two weeks after leaving school, Wellum was training with the RAF. "No, darling. As Geoffrey Wellum watched the squadron of Spitfires soar into the sky earlier this year he was overcome with emotion. Disappointed to be leaving frontline service, Wellum initially found the experience to be "almost unbearable". He was involved in dozens of dogfights over France and England. Geoffrey Wellum, the youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain, has died, aged 96. Wellum eventually became the deputy harbourmaster. 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. He died on July 18, 2018 in the UK. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. As the war progressed, so the "Boy" grew up. As the battle came to a close at the end of October he was able to enjoy a rest and some leave with his family, but he missed his time on 92 Squadron, which he recorded as being the pinnacle of his life. . [3] "Quite simply, the Fw 190 outclasses our Spitfire 5Bs. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. During the hectic fight that followed he sighted a lone Heinkel 111 bomber, pursued it and shot it down off Dungeness. He was a member of the Royal Air Force Club. In May 1940, before his flight training was complete,[4] Wellum was posted to 92 Squadron, which was a combat squadron flying Spitfires. [3] In 1943, he married Grace Neil, his wartime girlfriend, with whom he had three children. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A funeral was held in the village for the country's youngest ever Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot following his death at home in Mullion last month, at the age of 96. Died. 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. He was previously married to Grace Neil. 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.. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? I even began to enjoy [teaching] pupils". The couple divorced in 1975, and six years later he relocated to Mullion on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. [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 The Lizard peninsula, Cornwall,[14] settling in Mullion. When I saw him, I felt fear, real stark fear. 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 married Grace Christian in September 1943. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. 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. After two years of near constant action, with dozens of colleagues killed or wounded, Wellum's youthful enthusiasm had disappeared forever, replaced by a weary acceptance of death. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Geoffrey Harris Augustus Boy Wellum I found on Findagrave.com. Nothing else mattered after that, nothing was worth recording." Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. "I just wanted to sit quietly and convince myself" He takes a deep breath. 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. "All at once, crossfire: heavy and pretty close at that. After the war he remained in the RAF until 1961, and later ran a haulage business. Colum MacKenzie (Gary Lewis) is Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) Uncle. Next day,with no flying experience,he is expected to pilot a Spitfire;he is nervous but exhilarated. [9], In the summer of 1941 Wellum participated in more than 50 "sweeps" over occupied France (also known as Circus offensives) flying escort for Blenheim and Stirling bomber formations, taking the war to the enemy. Its nice to be remembered, Wellum said, because being remembered covers everybody, including all those chaps who were killed. [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. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. "Well, it has been," he says without pity. Dogged by despair, he began to write a memoir about his youth: I just wanted to convince myself that at some point in my life I had been of use.. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Geoffrey Wellum (219366673)? It was like one of those wonderful dreams, a Peter Pan sort of dream". Include gps location with grave photos where possible. There was an error deleting this problem. At this time he began to develop severe headaches, "a splitting headache pain across my eyes". Geoffrey Wellum, Self: Witness 1939: When War Broke Out. By summer 1941, the Germans had invaded the Soviet Union and there would be no more intensive bombing of southern England until the arrival of the V1 flying bombs, or doodle bugs, and V2 missiles in 1944. People say, 'You've got to forget all this, it was a long time ago'. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC [1][2] was a British fighter pilot and author, best known for his participation in the Battle of Britain. "The Battle of Britain made me want to put a value on life. Oops, something didn't work. During the passage of the vital re-supply convoy to Malta, Operation Pedestal, Wellum flew patrols over the convoy and the island and attacked ground targets in Sicily, but his headaches became severe and he was grounded with sinusitis. "[3], Wellum's close colleagues included BrianKingcome. The sun glints on their wings and bellies as they roll like trout in a stream streaking over smooth round pebbles. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Like many of his colleagues, Wellum had discovered that nothing could ever compare with the intensity of life as a fighter pilot. 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. 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. How did he cope? [4], Much later, in an unpublished interview with The Times, Wellum recalled: "After I joined the squadron they went to Dunkirk and by the end of that day we'd lost five people, four of whom I'd met the night before in the officers' mess. A few weeks later Wellum was in his local in Cornwall when the landlady handed him the phone. Try again. Born the only child of Percy and Edith Wellum, Geoffrey grew up in Walthamstow and attended the Forest School in Snaresbrook. Throughout the summer of 1940, in the skies above southern England, Wellum and his comrades battled the Luftwaffe to prevent invasion. Wellum remained in the RAF after the war and flew a variety of early jets. In the early 1970s Geoffrey Wellum was at a very low ebb. A medal and a royal handshake didnt seem important any more I felt destroyed by the war.. During the early years of the war Wellum had jotted down some reflections and these formed the basis of First Light. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Drama-documentary telling the story of Geoffrey Wellum who, at the age of just 18, was one of the youngest Spitfire pilots to go into . Geoffrey was just 18 when he became the youngest fighter pilot to fly in the . Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. During the recent offensive operations over France he has led his section and flight with great skill and determination. The youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain during World War Two has died, it has been announced. Friday July 20 2018, 9.00am, The Times. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Surprised and gratified by the book's success, he's eager to step down from the publicity bandwagon and return to the Cornish village where he lives. [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. In 1953 he converted to jet aircraft and six months later joined No192 Squadron flying the Canberra on reconnaissance sorties. He joined the RAF at the age of 17 and served through the Battle of Britain, eventually leaving the RAF in 1961. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219366673/geoffrey-harris_augustus-wellum. The first aircraft he flew was the Tiger Moth at Desford . Aged eighteen, Wellum signed up on a short-service commission with the Royal Air Force in August 1939. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. He was technically inexperienced and emotionally immature. Later, in First Light, he wrote of the experience: "I experienced an exhilaration that I cannot recall ever having felt before. The following day, four of the squadrons pilots, including Bushell, failed to return from a combat over Dunkirk. My only regret is that it had to happen so early in life". Spitfire pilots had an average life expectancy of four weeks. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Wellum was a great supporter of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust. The family settled in Epping, Essex.[3]. Yet Wellum struggled in civilian life. 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. He married Grace, his wartime girlfriend, and they had three children. [3], Wellum saw extensive action during the Battle of Britain. The whole thing feels unreal and I cant believe this is really happening. Geoffrey Wellum recalls the RAF's 'finest hour'. On hearing of the death of one of his closest friends he wrote, Why take young lives like Peters? "But what would I write about, darling? Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1960[13] and took over the family haulage business. Now 80, he was just 18 and straight out of school when he began flying Spitfires, the youngest fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain. First Light (2002), which was made into a BBC drama in 2010, was . Two days later Britain declared war on Germany. After Wellum left the RAF the family settled in Epping, Essex. I lived near North Weald and saw the pilots in white overalls. 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. . Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC (4 August 192118 July 2018) was a British Battle of Britain fighter pilot and author.. Wellum suffered severe sinusitis and battle fatigue after three years' intensive frontline flying. During the recent offensive operations over France he has led his section and flight with great skill and determination. 'Those Other Eagles' Shores, 2004, page 635, First Light: The Story of the Boy Who Became a Man in the War-Torn Skies Above Britain, "Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot dies at 96", RAF.mod.uk: 92 Squadron Geoffrey Wellum, A Cobra in the Sky. Id gone over the top. When did Fade from Grace happen? In the mid-1980s, . His father, Percy, who managed an off-licence, had fought at Gallipoli as a quartermaster sergeant before receiving a battlefield commission. He attended Forest School, . [11], On Malta, Wellum was diagnosed with severe sinusitis and battlefatigue, after three years' of intensive frontline flying. Given his youth, and a certain cockiness, he was known as Boy Wellum, a nickname conferred by his friend and mentor, Brian Kingcome. This browser does not support getting your location. Soon after his arrival, 92 Squadron moved from Duxford in Cambridgeshire to Pembrey in Carmarthenshire. This is a carousel with slides. ", He's a natural writer, I say, so how about another book? Sqn Ldr Wellum, speaking in 2013, said: "Somebody said: 'Here's a Spitfire - fly it, and if you break it there will be bloody hell to pay'. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Their son and daughter survive him and a second daughter predeceased him. "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. He and his wife were divorced in 1975. We have created a browser extension. 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. [3] "Quite simply, the Fw 190 outclasses our Spitfire 5Bs. Having learnt to fly in Tiger Moths, he first went solo on September 1, 1939. In August 1941, soon after being photographed with others in his squadron by Cecil Beaton, he was awarded the DFC. "I didn't expect much," said Holland. (modern). We have set your language to His business had failed, his marriage was . This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. It will enhance any encyclopedic page you visit with the magic of the WIKI 2 technology. Thereafter he briefly test-flew Typhoons and then saw out the war as a pilot attack instructor. The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust said it was "saddened by the news". God, is there no end to them? I even began to enjoy [teaching] pupils". After the war he remained in the RAF until 1961, and later ran a haulage business. What is this life on earth all about? Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1960 and took over the family business. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. Add to your scrapbook. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Everyone who read the manuscript of Wellum's journey from confident 17-year-old schoolboy to his emotional and physical breakdown on Malta three years later, was engrossed. He was a regular at his local pub, having never lost his taste for English bitter. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? In rare off-duty moments, he relaxed and allowed the strain of fighting to ebb away by joining his colleagues at the nearby White Hart Inn: You had a couple of pints and had to snap out of it.. Britain stood alone. He has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft and damaged several others. Not Ooh, this is frightening, but Oh God, this bloke is going to kill me. That's it. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. The family settled in Epping, Essex. 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. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Geoffrey Harry Augustus Wellum, pilot and writer, born 4 August 1921; died 18 July 2018, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. "It doesn't matter," Wellum says, unconvincingly. "I was a cocky little bastard, a bit full of myself. A 1941 photograph taken at Biggin Hill, Kent, of Geoffrey Wellum, right, and Brian Kingcome, another fighter pilot, in front of a Spitfire. 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. Trout streams, water meadows, waders, fast-flowing water, the pretty barmaid at the inn. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF.
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