Spitfire hero walks back to health

By Jonathan Manning

Outdoor headlines

14 November 2008 10:48

Tune in today to hear the extraordinary account of how country walks helped a Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot recover from the horrors of war.

Second World War ace Geoffrey Wellum was the youngest fighter pilot to survive the Battle of Britain, and was still a teenager during the conflict.

He will speak about how the walks and landscapes he loved helped him to cope with the stresses of the conflict, and how long walks in the country helped him come to terms with his grief for lost colleagues.

Geoffrey wrote a moving article about his wartime experiences and his passion for walking in the November issue of Country Walking, and today he appears on Radio 4’s Ramblings show, presented by Clare Balding, at 3pm.

If you miss the show, you can catch it again on the BBC’s Listen Again.