Geoffrey Wellum Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC ( born 4 August 1921 ) , is a British Battle of Britain fighter pilot and author . Born an only child in Walthamstow , England , Wellum was educated at Forest School , Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF . Career . 1921 – 1942 . Aged eighteen , he signed up on a short - service commission with the Royal Air Force in August 1939 . The first aircraft he flew was the Tiger Moth at Desford airfield in Leicestershire , after successfully completing the course he then went on to fly the North American Harvard at RAF Little Rissington with 6FTS . He was then posted directly in May 1940 to 92 Squadron , flying Spitfires . He saw extensive action during the Battle of Britain . His first Commanding Officer was Roger Bushell , ( later immortalised in " The Great Escape " ) , and his close colleagues included Brian Kingcome He claimed a Heinkel He 111 shot down on 11 September , and a quarter share in a Junkers Ju 88 downed on 27 September 1940 . Two ( and one shared ) Messerschmitt Bf 109 s were claimed ' damaged ' during November 1940 . A Bf 109 was claimed shot down on 9 July 1941 over France . In February 1942 he was transferred to 65 Squadron based at Debden , being appointed a Flight Commander in March 1942 . On 11 August 1942 , Wellum led eight Spitfires launched from the carrier to reinforce the fighter complement at Luqa airfield on Malta . Here he joined 145 Squadron on air defence duties before being rested after a severe bout of sinusitis . 1943 – 1961 . Wellum suffered severe battle fatigue after three years ' intensive flying , because of the immense strain that frontline British fighter pilots were put under during that period . He returned from Malta to Britain , becoming a test pilot on the Hawker Typhoon , based at Gloster Aircraft . He finished the war as a gunnery instructor , staying in the RAF , first as a staff officer in West Germany , followed by a four year tour with 192 Squadron . He married Grace , his wartime girlfriend and they had three children . 1961 and afterwards . Wellum left the Royal Air Force in 1961 , working with a firm of commodity broker s in the City of London , set up his own business , and then retired to Mullion , Cornwall . He had written a memoir of his time as a Spitfire pilot but never intended it for publication . However in 2000 he gave it to a young author called James Holland , who showed it to friends at Penguin , and they immediately decided to publish it . Published works . Wellum wrote a widely acclaimed book about his experiences during World War II , entitled " First Light : The Story of the Boy Who Became a Man in the War - Torn Skies Above Britain " . New York : Viking Books , 2002 ( hardcover , ISBN 0 - 670 - 91248 - 4 ) ; Hoboken , NJ : Wiley & Sons , 2003 ( hardcover , ISBN 0 - 471 - 42627 - X ) ; London : Penguin Books , 2003 ( paperback , ISBN 0 - 14 - 100814 - 8 ) . Television . Wellum has contributed to various TV documentaries on the Battle of Britain , including " Spitfire Ace " produced by RDF Media / Channel 4 ( 2004 ) , " Dangerous Adventures for Boys " produced by Channel 5 ( 2008 ) . and " The Spitfire : Britain ' s Flying Past " produced by the BBC ( Sep 2011 ) To mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain , the BBC commissioned a one - off drama for TV called " First Light " , based on Wellum ' s book of the same name . The film was first shown by the BBC on 14 September 2010 . References . 10 . A Cobra in the Sky . Simon Morris . The History of 92 Squadron RAF