Claim: James Herriot was a British veterinary surgeon and journalist who enlisted in the RAF in November 1942 and was one of the first in his regiment to fly solo.
Evidence: James Alfred Wight OBE FRCVS (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better-known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and writer. Wight enlisted in the RAF in November 1942. He did well in his training, and was one of the first in his regiment to fly solo.