Crossword Genius

WWII fighter to make unauth­orised flight, returning seaman (6,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

desert rat

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'wwii fighter to' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'unauthorised flight returning seaman' is the wordplay.
'unauthorised flight' becomes 'desert' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'returning' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'seaman' becomes 'tar' (Jack Tar is an informal term for a sailor).
'tar' back-to-front is 'rat'.
'desert'+'rat'='DESERT RAT'

'make' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for desert rat that I've seen before include "Tommy" , "WWII soldier" , "Fighting man" , "One of Rommel's nemesis" , "North Africa campaign soldier" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.