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. Youngest WWII Spitfire pilot Geoffrey Wellum dies in - CornwallLive Of the numerous Bf 109 fighters which escorted the German bombers, Wellum wrote "God, is there no end to them? The power of Wellums writing lies in its immediacy and lack of artifice. From the fort a bugle sounds the "Still" and not a soul moves". Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. As Wellum put it, Id shot my bolt. He was evacuated to England: Something inside me gave way and I broke down. Wellum recovered from his breakdown, married "Grace", his girlfriend in the book, had three children and stayed in the RAF for another 20 years. He had been mad about aircraft as a boy and joined the service straight out of school. He was married to Grace Neil. 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. . In 1953 he converted to jet aircraft and six months later joined No192 Squadron flying the Canberra on reconnaissance sorties. "I didn't expect much," said Holland. In August he was awarded the DFC for his great skill and determination. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? In the mid-1980s he retired and moved to Mullion,Cornwall, where he wrote down his wartime memoirs. The marriage was later dissolved. . Three loves emerged from Wellums account of that fateful summer: his country, his comrades and flying a Spitfire. The first aircraft he flew was the Tiger Moth at Desford airfield in Leicestershire. That made the unexpected attention in his eighties all the more gratifying, although he always saw himself as a representative of all who had served. His father, who had served at Gallipoli during WW1, ran an off-licence. During the recent offensive operations over France he has led his section and flight with great skill and determination. Wellum's first solo flight was on 1 September 1939. [11], The convoy was heavily damaged by German and Italian forces, and many ships were sunk. At 17, in his last year at school and six months before the war began, he applied to the RAF. After a rest he was loaned to the Gloster Aircraft Company to test-fly the Typhoon fighter, and later in the war he became an air gunnery instructor. The dangers were huge. And I cant put it into words., England was a peaceful place, all I wanted to do was watch England play Australia at Lords. In August 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. At the end of July he joined others on the aircraft carrier Furious in the Clyde and sailed for the Mediterranean. Wellum was a great supporter of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust. Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1960[13] and took over the family haulage business. Thats whats important, not medals or thanks., Geoffrey Harry Augustus Wellum was born in Walthamstow, Essex, in 1921. SimonMorris. By now, the Luftwaffe was flying a new fighter aircraft, the Focke-WulfFw190, superior in all but turn radius to the SpitfireV, and the squadron took heavy losses. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Geoffrey Harris Augustus Boy Wellum I found on Findagrave.com. Wellum remained in the RAF after the war and flew a variety of early jets. Stunned, Holland showed it to friends at Penguin, who immediately decided to publish it. Geoffrey Wellum in 2002. What happened to grace wellum? - Answers If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. "[4], In the summer of 1941 Wellum was taken off active duty, and assigned to a training squadron: No 52 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down, flying Hawker Hurricanes. "[3], Wellum's close colleagues included Brian Kingcome. For Wellum the focus had switched to daytime sweeps, mainly over northern France. He remained in the RAF after the war. "The family business was going into liquidation," he recalls, voice quavering. Wellum remained in the RAF after the war and flew a variety of early jets. That marriage was . "It was always the other chap. Many of the chaps became alcoholics.". In 1943 he married Grace Neil and they had three children. Wellum suffered severe sinusitis and battle fatigue after three years' intensive frontline flying. Born the only child of Percy and Edith Wellum, Geoffrey grew up in Walthamstow and attended the Forest School in Snaresbrook. 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. He wrote: Will I ever know quite the feeling and trust and comradeship in a front line Spitfire squadron, and in such a period of our countrys history, ever again? He was involved in dozens of dogfights over France and England. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 0 cemeteries found in Mullion, Cornwall Unitary Authority, Cornwall, England. But all of this was a prelude to the squadrons move, on 9 September 1940, to Biggin Hill in Kent, at the centre of that summers battle. Two days later Britain entered the war. [12], After the war, Wellum stayed with the RAF, serving first as a staffofficer in the Second Tactical Air Force in WestGermany, where he flew jet aircraft such as the GlosterMeteor, the deHavillandVampire and the EnglishElectricCanberra. During the summer of 1941 Wellum engaged Bf 109s and claimed one destroyed, one probably destroyed, and a third probably damaged. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, an only child, in Walthamstow, Essex, to Percy and Edith Wellum. It was like one of those wonderful dreams, a Peter Pan sort of dream". Later, Wellum recalled: "You make yourself a difficult target. 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. The books success reawoke painful memories for Wellum: People say, Youve got to forget all this, it was a long time ago. And I say, I quite agree with you, but can you tell me how? Yet he was glad of the chance to educate younger generations who knew little of the sacrifices made by his. He was awarded the FreedomoftheCityofLondon.[15]. "I was 20 and, since then, everything else has seemed anticlimactic. Next day,with no flying experience,he is expected to pilot a Spitfire;he is nervous but exhilarated. Another Bf 109 was claimed in 1941, and there may have been more, as he was not one greatly concerned with recording such things. Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, an only child, in Walthamstow, Essex, to Percy and Edith Wellum. Wellum had done his Royal Air Force training on de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes and North American Harvard monoplanes. After surgery, he returned from Malta to Britain via Gibraltar, and later became a test pilot for new aircraft, such as the new Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber, based at Gloster Aircraft. Youngest Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot whose bestselling war memoir was hailed as one of the most powerful and poignant ever written. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. Make sure that the file is a photo. "[4], In the summer of 1941 Wellum was taken off active duty, and assigned to a training squadron: No 52 Operational Training Unit at AstonDown, flying HawkerHurricanes. The intention was to engage with the Luftwaffe in combat, and to escort RAF bombing missions. 'Recollections of an RAF Squadron Leader' - Battle of Britain, Heros Of The Battle Of Britain: A Nation Remembers | Timeline. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? I watched this because I wanted to see some of Heughan and Lewis's earlier works. Not Ooh, this is frightening, but Oh God, this bloke is going to kill me. After a year of constant combat, including 50 sweeps over France, Wellum was rested and sent to train fighter pilots. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. 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 was born in Walthamstow in 1921. Next day,with no flying experience,he is expected to pilot a Spitfire;he is nervous but exhilarated. Wellum witnessed the arrival at Valletta Harbour of the few remaining ships, including, last of all, the desperately-needed oil tanker SS Ohio, barely afloat, escorted by two destroyers. 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. It would be a good film for a hight school history class. Geoffrey was just 18 when he became the youngest fighter pilot to fly in the . He left the service in 1960 with the rank of Squadron Leader. Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. It was just lovely blokes, all together in Fighter Squadron.". Geoffrey Wellum married Grace Christian in September 1943. Geoffrey Wellum obituary - Youngest Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot He saw extensive combat flying Spitfires during the Battle and shot down an HE-111 on 11 September 1940. 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. He and his wife were divorced in 1975. His business had failed, his marriage was coming to an end and he had recently lost his house. This officer has been with his squadron since the evacuation of Dunkirk. A daughter, Deborah, died last year. "It doesn't matter," Wellum says, unconvincingly. A few weeks later Wellum was in his local in Cornwall when the landlady handed him the phone. He then became a commodity broker in the City . [3], Wellum saw extensive action during the Battle of Britain. He married Grace, his wartime girlfriend, and they had three children. 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. He was technically inexperienced and emotionally immature. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Dear Jesus why this? [4] On 9 September 1940, 92 Squadron was posted to RAFBigginHill in Kent, in the centre of the fighting. He was immediately attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf 109; he had run out of ammunition and he had great difficulty escaping after his Spitfire was badly damaged. That November there were two damaged Bf 109s, and one shared. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Wellum joined a family haulage business, but this went bust and afterwards he worked as a sugar broker in the City. [11], On Malta, Wellum was diagnosed with severe sinusitis and battlefatigue, after three years' of intensive frontline flying. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Geoffrey Wellum - IMDb The first aircraft he flew was the Tiger Moth at Desford airfield in Leicestershire . Sqn Ldr Wellum was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was later promoted to flight commander with 65 Squadron. [5] It was at 92 Squadron that he first encountered a Spitfire, and flew the aircraft for the first time. Aged eighteen, Wellum signed up on a short-service commission with the RoyalAirForce in August 1939. [11], The convoy was heavily damaged by German and Italian forces, and many ships were sunk. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trevelyan relative 'would consider' famine payment, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. Unique friendship was forged in the Battle of Britain. An only child, Wellum grew up in Essex, always dreaming of flying. Approached in 2000 by author James Holland who was researching a novel set during the Battle of Britain, Wellum lent him his unpublished memoir (see "First Light", below), Holland showed it to friends in publishing at Penguin Books and, in 2002, Eleo Gordon, Penguin's editorial director, approached Wellum with a publishing deal[6][14] two decades after he had originally written the memoir. 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. "I was shot up badly on three occasions," he says. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. [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. 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. I thought, 'Hold on a minute, this is bloody dangerous! "[4], Soon after Dunkirk, 92 Squadron was transferred from RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire to RAF Pembrey in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Please try again later. There is a problem with your email/password. It was well produced for a TV movie. With 192 Squadron at RAF Watton in the mid-1950s, he flew more than 50 special operations at high altitude, gathering intelligence about Soviet air defences and Egyptian radar capability in the run-up to the Suez crisis.