THE remarkable diaries of a Second World War fighter pilot who flew out of North Weald during the Battle of Britain are revealed in a new book, 'Battle of Britain Pilot: The Self-portrait of an RAF pilot and escaper'.

The book reprints the diaries of George Barclay who died 70 years ago at the age of 22 in the skies above Egypt in the Battle of El Alamein.

Unknown to anyone, George had been keeping a record of his adventures since being posted to North Weald airbase in September 1940.

The diaries include accounts of life at the airbase where squadrons of Hurricanes and Spitfires were flying in and out up to three times a day to battle the Luftwaffe for supremacy of the skies.

Shortly after arriving George describes getting hit in a dogfight over Essex.

“My windscreen was pitch black with oil and my engine dead as a gatepost,” he writes.

“My immediate reaction with all this oil about the place and fumes and smoke was to bale out, but I decided to stay in.

“I landed safely, wheels up, in a field near Potterstreet village about four miles from North Weald.”

He also writes of chasing ‘The Hun up Debden way’ and, on November 29 1940, describes the moment he was blasted out of the skies, with characteristic stiff upper lip.

“I was shot down today – a most novel experience,” he says, before providing the following stoical account of bailing out over Kent: “I saw my Hurricane spinning furiously directly above me and as I watched a large puff of white smoke shot out of it as if there had been an explosion inside. But as I was so enjoying myself nothing seemed to matter in the least.”

George survived that incident and also lived to tell the tale of being shot down over occupied France.

But pilots were forbidden from keeping diaries and it was only after his death in Egypt that his meticulous accounts came to light.

His brother Richard, now 85, said: “Nobody knew the diaries existed until 1946 when they emerged in a bank in Cromer where George had deposited them.

“He shouldn’t have been keeping them really, but he obviously felt he wanted to record what his life was like.

“I always thought they were such an important piece of history that they needed a wider audience.”

The diaries were first published in the 1970s, but have now been reprinted complete with stunning photos of the dashing George.

“From a personal perspective the memory of my brother is alive in the pages of the diary,” said Richard who now lives in Gloucestershire.

“I was very close to him and still miss him today.

“I have been to North Weald on many occasions since his death.

“We often visit Norfolk from Gloucestershire and I always make sure we drive past because it reminds me so much of George.”

Battle of Britain Pilot: The Self-portrait of an RAF pilot and escaper by George Barclay is available from all good bookshops and direct from Haynes at www.haynes.co.uk or call 01963 442030, priced £25.00.