Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC
Geoffrey Wellum a simply wonderful man and a true King Cobra
Early Life and Entry into the Royal Air Force
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Geoffrey Harry Augustus Wellum was born on 4 August 1921, in Walthamstow, Essex, England. He was the only child of Percy Wellum, who managed an off-licence, and his wife, Edith. He was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook.
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Wellum was a teenager when Europe drifted toward war. In August 1939, just before his 18th birthday, he joined the Royal Air Force on a short-service commission. His training began in earnest: he flew in elementary trainers like the de Havilland Tiger Moth, followed by more advanced training (Harvards etc.). He achieved his first solo flights and qualification just as the war started.
Later Wartime Service, Struggles & Malta
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After his high-tempo operations, Wellum was posted in 1941 to No. 52 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down, as an instructor. The transition away from frontline combat was not easy for him; he had been through severe stress and loss.
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In February 1942, he moved back into operational flying, becoming Flight Commander with No. 65 Squadron. By mid-1942, one of his most notable actions came when he led eight Spitfires flown from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious to reinforce Malta during Operation Pedestal, landing at Luqa airfield to bolster Malta’s air defences.
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​But the strain of sustained operations, emotional fatigue, plus physical ailments (notably sinusitis and combat fatigue), took their toll. Wellum’s mental and physical condition deteriorated; by then he was only about 21 years old. He was declared “played out” — grounded from intense frontline duties.​​​
Battle of Britain and Combat Service
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In May 1940, Wellum was posted to No. 92 Squadron RAF, which was a Spitfire squadron. It was then that he first flew a Supermarine Spitfire. He was still very young — nicknamed “Boy” by his comrades due to being one of the youngest pilots in his squadron.
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During the Battle of Britain, which stretched from July through October 1940, 92 Squadron was heavily engaged. Wellum took part in many intense aerial combats. He claimed his first victory over a Heinkel He 111 bomber on 11 September 1940, and also shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju 88 on 27 September. He claimed additional “probables” and damaged Me109s (Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters) during the period.
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By late 1940 into 1941, Wellum flew in numerous “sweeps” over occupied France (Circus operations, bomber escort etc.). This was dangerous work. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in August 1941 for gallantry in those operations.
Geoffrey with his great friend and mentor Brian Kingcome
Geoffrey doing his Elon Musk impression (he was always ahead of his time)
An emotional and heartfelt video that Geoffrey recorded for the 100th anniversary of the formation of 92 Squadron shown at our commerative dinner in Woodhall Spa in September 2017
​He then served in test capacity (e.g. test-flying Hawker Typhoons) and as a gunnery instructor for the remainder of the war. Though no longer flying frequent combat missions, he contributed by training newer pilots and evaluating aircraft.
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​​Postwar RAF Career & Later Life
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Geoffrey Wellum remained in the RAF after WWII, serving through to 1960 or 1961 (different sources say he left in 1960 or 1961). He held several postwar posts: staff officer roles in Germany with the Second Tactical Air Force; transition to jet aircraft operations (he flew Gloster Meteors, de Havilland Vampires, and the English Electric Canberra in reconnaissance or staff roles) service with 192 Squadron; other postings including RAF bases like Gaydon in East Anglia.
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After leaving the RAF, he entered civilian life, working first in a haulage business (eventually taking over the family business), then as a commodities broker in the City of London. Later in his life he retired to Mullion, Cornwall.
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He married Grace (née Neil) during wartime and had three children. His later years saw him active in local community life, including choir, acting as deputy harbour master, speaking about his wartime experiences.
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Personality, Memoir & Legacy
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Wellum’s reputation rests not only on his combat record but on his vivid description of what it felt like — fear, excitement, comradeship and fatigue — and how he changed during war. His memoir First Light: The Story of the Boy Who Became a Man in the War-Torn Skies Above Britain (published 2002) is often praised as one of the most honest and affecting pilot memoirs of WWII.
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In interviews later in life he spoke of the emotional cost of being young in combat, the loss of friends, and the stark contrast between youth’s excitement and what war demands. He reflected on his “peak” being very early in life — early 20s — with all that followed seeming quieter by comparison.
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Geoffrey Wellum died on 18 July 2018, at his home in Mullion, Cornwall, aged 96. Blue skies Geoffrey, you were a wonderful man and so worthy of the title King Cobra.
Geoffrey making the King laugh in the way only he could
Geoffrey's Spitfire QJK although BBMF did paint up one of their Spitfire's with QJG in honour of Geoffrey
Geoffrey's quite brilliant book, a must for all aviation fans and compulsory for all Cobras.
In death, he was remembered as among The Few, one of the relatively small number of RAF fighter pilots who defended Britain in its darkest hours during the Battle of Britain, but also as someone whose life after war showed resilience: adapting to civilian business, coping with the long-term effects of stress, and choosing a quieter life that still engaged with community and memory. His contribution to preserving the memory of the Battle of Britain through his writing and public speaking has been widely noted.