IT’S a story that has rather flown under the radar in more recent years, but during the Second Word War, Worcestershire had quite a connection with the Free French forces fighting Hitler

Ribbesford House in Bewdley was used as a training headquarters for their soldiers in exile, General Charles de Gaulle was a frequent visitor and young Frenchmen were a familiar sight in the Georgian riverside town.

But now another link comes along, because Worcester author and Battle of Britain authority Dilip Sarkar has helped publish a book by television personality Jan Leeming about one of the Free French’s fighter pilot heroes.

To be fair, virtually all the leg work leading to Free French Spitfire Hero (Pen and Sword £18.25) was done by Jan. After offering to sponsor a name on the Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Folkstone in Kent, she was allocated, quite randomly a French airman called René Mouchotte.

It was Jan’s diligent and extensive research into his background that produced first a TV documentary and now a book. In the course of seeking publication, she encountered Dilip, himself author of more than 40 books on the Battle of Britain and the Spitfire plane.

He immediately contacted his publishers and Free French Spitfire Hero was born. The book is based on Mouchotte’s own war diaries and cover’s Jan’s “search for Rene” as well as containing a foreword by Lord Peter Ricketts, Britain’s former Ambassador to France, with Dilip providing the preface.

He said: “Jan provides a deeply moving account of her personal journey, resulting in what amounts to what my good friend Professor Bernard-Marie Dupont, coincidentally also a Frenchman, once described as a ‘posthumous friendship’.

“That the story of this Free French Spitfire pilot, killed long ago, has so touched the heart of and moved someone who never met him in life, is extraordinary."

The Battle of Britain was already several weeks old when Mouchotte was posted to 245 Squadron, then based at Aldergrove, in September 1940.

He was promoted to captain in March 1942 and awarded the DFC. In January 1943, Mouchotte returned to Turnhouse to form and command 341 Squadron, which transferred to Biggin Hill. On May 15 1943, Mouchette and Squadron Leader E.F.J Charles shared the sector’s 1000th victory.

However on August 27, 1943 Mouchotte failed to return from a bomber escort to the proposed V2 launch site at Eperlecques, near St. Omer. He was reported ‘Missing’ but later evidence emerged that his body had been washed up on the beach at Middelkerke, Belgium.

Jan said: “My search for Rene has been a wonderful journey. Along the way I have made many friends and become a member of the extended RAF family. I am very grateful to all who have helped me and given unstintingly of their time. But for them the story may never have been told and certainly the reproduction of the diaries, with extra historical context and the record of my personal journey, would not have come to fruition. Thank you all and God Bless you Rene Mouchotte.”