Barrie Heath Sir Barrie Heath , DFC , AE ( 11 September 1916 – 22 February 1988 ) was a World War II Royal Air Force Spitfire pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain , and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross . After the war he had a successful career in industry , rising to become chairman of the industrial conglomerate GKN . In 1978 he received a knighthood for services to export . Early life . Heath was born in Kings Norton , Warwickshire on 11 September 1916 . His older brother Grahame was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and was killed in action in World War I . Battle of Britain . Heath saw active service in 1940 with No . 611 Squadron RAF , flying in Spitfire IIa P7883 " Grahame Heath " , which had been donated by his parents in memory of his brother . Such donations were not uncommon at the time ; many patriotic individuals as well as towns and other organisations were encouraged to donate the cost of an airframe . The cost of a Spitfire was set by the government at £5 , 000 , a very large sum at the time , although the real cost of manufacturing the aircraft was more than £10 , 000 . By way of honouring the donation , the aircraft was permitted to bear the name of the donor himself , or any other name they chose . Approximately 1500 " presentation " Spitfires were donated during the course of the war , representing about 17 % of total production . Criticised by squadron CO S / L James Ellis McComb for damaging his Spitfire on landing , Heath is said to have replied : " this is my Spit and I ' ll fly it any bloody way I like " . According to the official No . 611 Squadron RAF website , between June 1940 and February 1941 Heath shot down 4 enemy aircraft ( including two " probables " ) and damaged two others . He was made ' B ' Flight Commander in November 1940 . Early in 1941 he was posted to No . 64 Squadron , becoming CO in March 1941 . He was rested in September 1941 , transferring to Fighter Command HQ , and in late 1942 was Wing Commander , Tactics . In 1944 he became Wing Leader , 244 Wing in Italy , later commanding 324 Wing . In 1944 , as the tide of war turned in favour of the Allies , Heath ( by now Wing Commander Heath ) served with No . 43 Squadron RAF in France , known by its squadron insignia as the " fighting cocks " , or " les coqs Anglais " as the local French population dubbed it . By now the squadron ' s main role was ground attack , strafing and occasionally dive bombing enemy targets . On 9 September 1944 Heath , now No . 324 Wing Commander and flying Spitfire IX MJ628 , led a formation on the squadron ' s first sortie into German territory , strafing motor transport and railway communications . Post war career . After the war , Heath pursued a successful career in manufacturing industry . In 1946 he left the RAF and was appointed to the board of Hobourn aero components , Coventry . In 1960 he joined Triplex Safety Glass Ltd as their managing director and , in 1967 , joined the board of the parent company Pilkington Brothers . In 1975 he took over from Sir Raymond Brookes to became Chairman of the Industrial conglomerate GKN , and in 1978 he received a knighthood . Among the problems Heath had to contend with as Chairman were hyperinflation , the oil crisis , and declining demand for steel and automotive parts . In an article in Time magazine in May 1979 he was described as " one of Britain ' s most respected business leaders " , and as having " advised the new Conservative government ' not to rush in and try to bring in laws to restrict the unions . Such a course of action would be the death knell for British industry ' . " Tony Jeeves , a former colleague at GKN , described him as " a great boss , incredibly kind and generous but certainly did not suffer fools gladly . . . people either loved or hated him " . He retired from GKN in 1980 . Barrie Heath ' s son Duncan Heath is a leading talent agent in London , England . He is the co - chairman of the Independent Talent Group Ltd .