HE is the man responsible for our victory in the Battle of Britain.

And his creation helped stopped the Germans invading Britain.

But RJ Mitchell has never received an award to recognise his heroic achievement of designing the Spitfire.

Now his son, Gordon Mitchell, is spearheading a campaign, backed by the Daily Echo, to get his father a posthumous award.

Mitchell died aged just 42 from cancer - a year after his prototype design first flew over Southampton in 1936.

He designed the plane at the Supermarine Factory in Woolston and would undoubtedly have had an honour bestowed on him had he lived to see the end of the Second World War.

His 83-year-old son has tried at the highest level to obtain an official honour for his father but has been told that, with the exception of awards for gallantry, an award never has and never will be given posthumously.

Mr Mitchell said: "I have tried at Buckingham Palace, the Cabinet Office and at 10 Downing Street to see if my father can be honoured but while they have been sympathetic they tell me quite firmly they never have and probably never will give out an honour posthumously."

Now MPs, aviation experts and other prominent members of society are backing calls to have an award bestowed on the great man.

Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead said: "Certainly RJ Mitchell should have received recognition for what was a remarkable achievement. Churchill said 'Never before have so many people owed so much to so few' and it was RJ Mitchell who enabled those few." Jack Candy, former mayor and member of Southampton Civic Society, worked at Supermarine with Mitchell. He said: "I remember RJ Mitchell vividly. He came to work every morning in the Rolls Royce given to him for his work on aircraft designs. He looked very ill and drawn towards the end of the time he was working here but he still kept coming. I fully support giving RJ Mitchell a posthumous award for his achievement."

Squadron Leader Alan Jones, director of Solent Sky - formerly the Hall of Aviation - also backs the campaign.

Solent Sky has copies of German invasion plans, showing how the Nazis planned to invade Southampton had they won the Battle of Britain.

He said: "RJ Mitchell's Spitfire design was at the cutting edge of technology and we would not have won the Battle of Britain without it. He fully deserves a posthumous knighthood."

Doug Parker from Sholing worked on the prototype Spitfire in 1935 when he was 14. He said: "I think he should be given an award. If it wasn't for him I don't think we'd be here today."

Mr Mitchell believes the way the honours system works is unjust: "I think it is stupid, wrong and short-sighted that a person's achievements can not be awarded if he dies early.

"If the Prime Minster wanted, he could effectively introduce special posthumous awards overnight."

"The chief of staff at 10 Downing Street, Jonathan Powell, told me my father would be one of the first people to receive such an award if they were ever introduced."

Mitchell and Spitfire saved the country

THE Spitfire outfought Germany's Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in 1940, preventing Germany from taking control of the English Channel, which would have enabled them to launch an invasion of the country.

It had its first ever flight over Southampton on March 5, 1936 and RJ Mitchell, despite having no formal training, was one of the greatest plane designers this country has ever seen - he designed 24 different aircraft models in just 16 years.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 1933 but continued to work on his most famous design which won the country the most vital of victories.

His son unveiled a replica of the prototype Spitfire his father designed at Southampton Airport in March this year.

Still snubbed by Downing Street

GORDON Mitchell has tried at the highest level to get recognition for his father - but to no avail.

A spokesman for Downing Street said: "The reason such awards are not given out posthumously is the awards are meant to be given to people during their lifetime as a reflection of their life's work.

"While we appreciate RJ Mitchell's case, the awards are meant to be an award for people still alive and at present can not be given posthumously.

"With the exception of awards for gallantry, awards must be bestowed in the presence of the receiver so, unfortunately, can- not be given to someone after they have died."

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