Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum
Header image: Geoffrey Wellum (right), with Tom Neil, watching the BBMF flypast over London in 2005 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in which they both fought, Geoffrey flying Spitfires and Tom in Hurricanes. Tom and Geoffrey both passed away last month. (Photo: Crown Copyright)
Just a week after the death of Tom Neil, the BBMF lost another dear friend when Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC died at his home in Cornwall on 18th July, aged 96. Having become well-known to many in recent years through his wonderful, highly acclaimed book ‘First Light’, which describes his experiences in the Battle of Britain, and various TV appearances, Geoffrey’s passing received major coverage in the national press and TV news.
Geoffrey had been a friend of the BBMF for many years and he had visited the Flight at RAF Coningsby on numerous occasions, the last time in 2017 for the BBMF’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Members of the Flight had met him at various events throughout the years and many were proud to count him as a friend.
BBMF Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 represented Geoffrey’s first 92 Squadron Battle of Britain Spitfire, with the code letters ‘QJ-K’, from 2009 to 2011. The original ‘QJ-K’ was badly shot up in a dogfight with a ME Bf 109 during Geoffrey’s first major combat of the Battle, flying from Biggin Hill on 11th September 1940 when he was just 19 years old.
Geoffrey was immediately given another brand new Spitfire, coded ‘QJ-G’, which became his personal aircraft. P7350 wore these code letters on her port side for the 2017 display season before going to Biggin Hill in 2018 for a ‘Major’ servicing and repaint. Geoffrey was very proud that the sole surviving airworthy Spitfire from the Battle of Britain wore his 92 Squadron code letters.
Geoffrey Wellum was born on 4th August 1921 and joined the RAF on a short service commission in August 1939. When his training was completed in May 1940 he was posted to No 92 (East India) Squadron, where his age and youthful looks earned him the nickname ‘Boy’. During the Battle of Britain Geoffrey was officially credited with three enemy aircraft destroyed, four probably destroyed and several damaged. He was awarded the DFC in July 1941 and in August was posted to 52 OTU, Aston Down, as an instructor. In March 1942 he became a Flight Commander with 65 Squadron at Debden and flew numerous fighter sweeps over enemy territory. He was posted to Malta in August 1942, leading eight Spitfires off HMS Furious to Luqa. After arriving in Malta he suffered severe combat fatigue resulting in emotional and physical breakdown. He was still only 21 years old. After returning to the UK and recovering, he became a test pilot at Gloster Aircraft, testing Hawker Typhoons, and later became a gunnery instructor until the end of the war. He retired from the RAF in 1961, as a Squadron Leader, to take up a position with a firm of commodity brokers in the City of London, until his retirement to Cornwall where he lived until his death.
Geoffrey Wellum was a dear friend to the BBMF; he was always charming company and enjoyed nothing more than swapping stories with modern RAF pilots, preferably over a pint of ale. He will be greatly missed. As Geoffrey said to many of us over the years on parting, “Safe landings, old boy”.
