A BATTLE of Britain fighter pilot and long term volunteer for Altrincham Police Station died last week.

Joseph William Machin, known to his friends as ‘Bill’ died on January 12, just over a week after celebrating his 94th birthday.

Bill served as a pilot, flying a Hurricane fighter out of RAF Tangmere. The same Chichester base as one of the Second War's most iconic pilot's and hero's Douglas Bader.

One of his police friends in later years, Andrew Parsonage said: "Bill was quite reluctant to discuss his flying days, but he did describe crash landing a hurricane in a ploughed field and walking away from it.

"A Hurricane pilot flying out of Tangmere would have been in the thick of it. Bill sported a wonderfully flamboyant moustache, and would explode if anyone suggested he flew Spitfires responding: 'I flew a bloody Hurricane'."

Asthma cut short Bill’s time as a fighter pilot but he continued to work at the barracks.

Following the war, Bill worked as a financial advisor and mortgage broker, as well as working in his leisure time as a marshal at Oulton Park, where he was also known to race Jaguar XK cars, which he once raced against Stirling Moss.

After one of Bill's neighbours was burgled in 1990, he turned up at Altrincham police to find out what he could do to help. This led to the formation of the Crime Prevention Panel of which Bill was a founding member.

Over the next 20 years Bill volunteered his time to helping the public and was a well known sight at his crime prevention stall on Altrincham market.

He was also a stalwart of the local Home Watch scheme in Trafford.

Bill lived alone following the death of his wife in the early 90s but always gave a loving home to a pet dog which he would get from the rescue home.

Andrew added: "Bill will be fondly remembered for his good humour, selflessness and his refusal to slow down."

Jackie Newton, a neighbour of Bill’s for 30 years, said: “Bill was a great, great character, a highly intelligent man with a love of the English language.”

“Bill was a gentleman of the old school, always holding the door open for people and standing when a lady left the dinner table.”

GMP neighbourhood policing team, Inspector John Cave, said: “He was amazingly dedicated and on visiting him at the crime prevention market stall and seeing him in action was a lesson to us all, and he was there even in the coldest of weather.”

“His contribution as a volunteer was outstanding and Altrincham Police very much appreciated all the work Bill did with us. He is sadly missed.”

Bill’s funeral will be held at Altrincham Crematorium, on Tuesday January 27 at 2.30pm.