He eventually passed a medical exam and returned to active service, becoming one of Britain's most successful fighter pilots.

[3] Thinking of it later in life, Page suspected they discouraged him because they had suffered the loss of their brother, who had been a fighter pilot in the Great War.

Two weeks after the outbreak of the Second World War, Page received his call-up papers and joined the RAF with the rank of acting pilot officer.

With no training on advanced fighters, he and another young pilot were worked up on Spitfires and gained operational status while at 66 Squadron.

Describing his first flight, Page offered "The Hurricane rose gracefully and easily into the air, and I had the immediate sensation that here was a lady with very few vices.

"[7] He found the cockpit layout similar, and it was easier to see over the nose of the aircraft, making taxiing and takeoffs less troublesome.

In addition, the Merlin engine in the Hurricane was cooled more reliably while on the ground, which meant he no longer had to worry about overheating the glycol when taxiing and preparing to take off.

Retracting the wheels was far easier, as in the Hurricane the function was motorized, whereas in the Spitfire the pilot had to work a hand screw.

High-octane fuel ignited and spewed into the cockpit, covering Page while he attempted to release from his harness and bail out.

Landing in the channel he managed to get free of his parachute and stay afloat until he was picked up by the boat of a small merchant ship.

After being picked up from the icy sea in near-mortal agony, he was taken to the burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.

The name of the club was chosen to reflect the experimental nature of the plastic surgery techniques being developed for the reconstructive work carried out on burn patients at East Grinstead.

Wrote Page: "The objects of the club are to promote good fellowship among, and to maintain contact with, approved frequenters of Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital.

The ground crew waited patiently, and his flight instructor was confused by his hesitation, asking if Page could hear him, and was the R/T working.

While at the Air Fighting Development Unit Page met Squadron Leader James MacLachlan, a pilot who had lost his left arm after an air-battle over Malta in 1941.

The AFDU had in their inventory an Allison powered North American Mustang Mark I. MacLachlan came up with the idea of flying an early morning solo low level patrol over occupied France to attack unsuspecting German aircraft from below as they returned to base.

[19] Page returned to East Grinstead to remove further scar tissue from one of his hands, and spent several weeks recuperating there.

There Page trained the squadron in dive bombing, and they put the skill to use attacking V-1 sites in the Calais region.

Page's flight attacked, but as the first Spitfire flew past its target it came under the guns of the twin 30 mm cannons of the night fighter, was set fire and crashed into the ground.

A second Spitfire attempted a head-on attack, but it too was hit by the heavy guns of the Messerschmitt and crash-landed in a grassy field.

Coming over the airfield, flak harassed the Spitfires, but Page managed to put several hits on the airplane as Jabs made a hard landing and escaped, with his crew.

This worked as an excuse Page used to take his aircraft out with one or two companions to do "gun checks", resulting in many strafing attacks on German traffic and occasional air fights.

[26] In September 1944 Page and his squadron were operating from a forward airfield flying ground support missions for the 1st Airborne Division at the Battle of Arnhem.

Page's face struck the gun-sight with enough force to break it free from its mounting, and he suffered a fracture to one of his vertebra as well.

[29] Later he was made an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau[30] by Wilhelmina, Queen of The Netherlands for his part in the Battle of Arnhem.

"[28] After Page was released from hospital in early 1945 he was sent on a lecture tour of the United States to boost Anglo-American relations.

In 1947 he was appointed personal assistant to Sir Guy Garrod, the senior RAF officer at the United Nations Military Staff Committee in New York.

In retirement, as well as remaining the driving force of the Guinea Pig Club, Page founded the Battle of Britain Trust.

This raised more than £1 million, with which the Battle of Britain memorial was erected overlooking the Straits of Dover, to commemorate those who kept Nazi Germany at bay.

The book carried the dedication "To Archie McIndoe, whose surgeon's fingers gave me back my pilot's hands."