A remarkable 100-year-old resident at Chantry Court Retirement Village in Westbury celebrated the publication of his memoirs about his eventful life and 25-year career in the RAF last week.

Eugene Vielle’s book, Almost a Boffin, gives an account of the Second World War, including mysterious happenings between scientists and some, previously unpublicised, treacherous attempts to prevent the RAF from operating effectively.

Mr Vielle, whose nickname is ‘Tubby’, retired from the RAF to become managing director of a company in Switzerland set up to develop his invention of an airborne anti-collision system for aircraft and ships.

He also wrote two novels, based on his own flying experiences, which were world-wide best sellers and translated into over 20 languages, after being edited and published by ghost writers.

Mr Vielle, who moved to Chantry Court two years ago, said: “I started writing my memoirs in 1962, a few years after I left the RAF, but I only finished writing them and considered publishing them while at Chantry Court, after encouragement from family.

“It goes right from my birth through to now, but the main focus is on how I discovered that three highly placed communist scientists in the RAF had deliberately sabotaged Bomber Command.

“My previous books were fictional accounts based on some of my experiences, but this book is factual, which in some ways is much harder.

“I worked on finishing the book pretty much all day every day after arriving at Chantry Court and I have found it to be a great place to write.”

Mr Vielle, who has three daughters, seven grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren, is not looking at putting down his pen any time soon, with an outline already drawn up for his next book.

He added: “It’s an amazing thing, people ask me what I did last week and I can’t tell them, but my memory about things that happened in the past is absolutely fantastic.”

Almost a Boffin is available to purchase as an e-Book for Kindle and paperback at www.amazon.co.uk