First Light

"In First Light, Geoffrey Wellum tells the inspiring, often terrifying true story of his coming of age amid the roaring, tumbling dogfights of the fiercest air war the world had ever seen. It is the story of an idealistic schoolboy who couldn't believe his luck when the RAF agreed to take him on as a "pupil pilot" at the minimum age of seventeen and a half in 1939. In his fervor to fly, he gave little thought to the coming war." "Writing with wit, compassion, and a great deal of technical expertise, Wellum relives his grueling months of flight training, during which two of his classmates crashed and died. He describes a hilarious scene during his first day in the prestigious 92nd Squadron when his commader discovered that Wellum had not only never flown a Spitfire, he'd never even seen one." A battle-hardened ace by the winter of 1941, though still not out of his teens, 'Boy' Wellum flew scores of missions as fighter escort on bombing missions over France. Yet the constant life-or-death stress of murderous combat and anguish over the loss of his closest friends sapped endurance. Tortured by fierce headaches, even in the midst of battle, he could not bear the thought of "not pulling your weight," of letting the other pilots risk their lives in his place. Wellum's frank account of his long, losing bout with battle fatigue is both moving and enlightening.

We offer easy, no-hassle 30-day returns for eligible orders from the UK, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and the EU. If you're not satisfied or your item arrives damaged, just email us for approval and we’ll provide a region-specific return address. Refunds are processed within 5–7 business days of receiving approved returns. For damaged items, share a clear unboxing video — and you can keep the item after refund approval. At this time, exchanges are not supported. All orders ship from our main warehouse in Hyderabad, India, and are dispatched within 12–36 hours (Mon–Sat). We manage all customs paperwork (IGST, IOSS, VAT) to ensure smooth delivery. Shipping is free in most regions and typically takes 5–9 business days. Priority shipping (4–6 days) is available at checkout for a small fee. We use trusted carriers like Royal Mail, DPD, Emirates Post, Aramex, and Australia Post. Once shipped, you'll receive a tracking email.

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