Britain's most successful fighter ace of the Second World War, Air Vice-Marshal Johnnie Johnson, has died at the age of 85.

Johnson notched up a record 38 confirmed "kills" on his way to becoming the RAF's "Top Gun" in the war.

But he overcame an inauspicious start, having crashed his first Spitfire just four days after flying it for the first time.

The village bobby's son from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, also said he was originally rejected by the Auxiliary Air Force because he did not hunt.

He was eventually called up by the RAF Volunteer Reserves, joining his first operational squadron in the summer of 1940.

His flying was initially hampered by a rugby injury and when he reported the injury he was suspected of having a lack of moral fibre. But he underwent an operation to allow him to get back in the air and shot down his first Messerschmidt over France under the leadership of Sir Douglas Bader, with whom he became great friends.

He went on to command a Canadian wing and fought valiantly in the skies over western Europe. In 1944 he famously hung beer barrels from the wings of his plane and flew back to base with some vital liquid refreshments for his men.

His remarkable flying record included never being shot out of the sky during 1,000 sorties, although he said he was once hit when outnumbered by six Messerschmidts.

His friend Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris said the record-breaking pilot died at his home in Derbyshire on Tuesday after an illness.

In later life he gave presentations and lectured on his experiences at venues around the United Kingdom. In 1997 he attended a reunion of fighter pilots from both sides that fought in the Battle of Britain, at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington.

Together with Hajo Herrmann, a former Luftwaffe Colonel, he watched a Spitfire fighter take part in a flypast with its adversary, the Messerschmitt 109.

Yorkshire Air Museum director, Ian Reed, said: "He was lively character and if he didn't like you he wasn't scared to tell you.

"Among the many brave pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain he was surely one of the fieriest and best."

Updated: 12:59 Thursday, February 01, 2001