ONE of the world's richest men has launched a campaign to win proper recognition for the Southampton aviation genius who invented the Spitfire.

US billionaire Sidney Frank, who once gave his secretary a £13m bonus, regards RJ Mitchell as one of the great unsung heroes of the Second World War.

He claims that Mitchell's early death denied him the honours heaped on other wartime inventors such as Barnes Wallis, father of the bouncing bomb.

Now Mr Frank has commissioned a statue of Mitchell to be installed in London's Science Museum and is paying for the inventor to be mentioned on a new Battle of Britain monument that will be unveiled beside the Thames in September to mark the 65th anniversary of the victory.

Mr Frank, 85, has written to the designer's son, retired biologist Dr Gordon Mitchell, 84, who lives near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Dr Mitchell had fought a long and lonely battle to secure official recognition for his father, but his campaign seemed doomed until Mr Frank's letter arrived.

It said: "Your father was a fantastic inventor to design the Spitfire and was just as important as Churchill at the Battle of Britain in saving western Europe and preserving democracy all over the world."

The colourful tycoon vowed to set up a memorial fund in England to recognise Mitchell's achievements and benefit his descendants.

Now Mr Frank has proved as good as his word by sending large sums of money to buy the best possible care for Dr Mitchell's wife, Alison, who has had four strokes and is in a care home.

Dr Mitchell said he was delighted that the influential tycoon was striving to secure recognition for his father.

He added: "I'm very impressed with what he's doing. He's got a lot of money behind him and will hopefully produce some good results.

"The problem has always been that my father died too soon.

"The honours he should have received are never awarded posthumously and never will be."

Mr Frank said: "I think the whole world should recognise what RJ Mitchell did for all of us, and especially for Britain."

Southampton City Council has called for the terminal at Southampton International Airport to be named after the famous inventor.