WORCESTER author Dilip Sarkar has proved himself writer ace with his latest book on fighter ace Johnnie Johnson.

Spitfire Top Gun, Part One is the latest in a string of books from Mr Sarkar, who is also a serving policeman, and is a tribute to the legendary Second World War fighter pilot who became a friend.

Now, in this great reader offer, we have a spectacular limited edition print by award-winning aviation artist Mark Postlthwaite G.Av.A., showing Johnnie's 616 Squadron Spitfire in 1941 (pictured below).

Each print is individually signed by Johnnie Johnson himself.

This offer also includes the opportunity to buy a copy of Spitfire Top Gun, signed by Mr Sarkar.

Johnnie Johnson was a policeman's son from Melton Mowbray who graduated in civil engineering at Nottingham University.

He then joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve, learnt to fly, and was called up for full time service in September 1939 (when Second World War broke out).

By 1941, he was flying Spitfires on the south coast with 616 Squadron in the legendary Douglas Bader's three-Spitfire squadron strong Tangmere Wing.

Johnnie learned his trade flying with Bader, and continued flying in operations with the Wing after Douglas was captured on August 9, 1941. Having become an experienced flight commander with a DFC to his credit, in July 1942, Johnnie was promoted to Squadron Leader and given command of 610 Squadron. In March 1943, he became a Wing Commander and was posted to command the Canadian Fighter Wing at Kenley, which he did so successfully that he received not one but two DSOs during this tour, which concluded in September 1943.

Spitfire Top Gun Part One covers the period from September 1939 to September 1943.

Part Two will cover from when Johnnie returned to operations in March 1944, until the war's end in May 1945.

By that time Johnnie was the RAF's top scoring fighter pilot of the war, with 38-and-a-half confirmed victories (the half was an enemy aircraft shared equally with another pilot).

Significantly all of Johnnie's kills were fighters, rather than slower and easier to shoot down bombers.

Johnnie Johnson was the Allied fighter pilot and leader par excellence of the Second World War.

Dilip Sarkar and Johnnie were great friends for many years, which made this book possible.

Johnnie, who retired from the RAF as an Air Vice-Marshal, was a frequent VIP guest at Mr Sarkar's book launches and other events in Worcester. He died in January 2001, aged 85.

Mr Sarkar has now launched the Johnnie Johnson Statue Appeal which aims to raise £60,000 for a bronze life-and-a-quarter statue of Johnnie Johnson to be erected at the RAF Museum in Hendon.

The statue will be created by Worcester sculpture Kenneth Potts, whose work includes not only Worcester's landmark Elgar statue but also Goodwood's statue of Sir Douglas Bader.

Send donations to Ramrod Publications via the Evening News, cheques made payable to the Johnnie Johnson Statue Appeal.