A BATTLE of Britain hero from Wirral, whose brave actions were the inspiration behind scenes in Hollywood blockbuster Dunkirk, is to be honoured with a permanent memorial.

Jack Potter, from Wallasey, was among the brave pilots who took part in the rescue of 200 service personnel from HMS Basilisk when it was sunk by German aircraft during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

A memorial recognising his bravery will be unveiled on Seacombe Promenade next Wednesday.

Guests attending the ceremony will include members of his family, who are travelling from as far afield as Australia and Canada.

The tribute has been provided by Wirral Council.

Driving force behind the memorial was Cllr Jerry Williams, Wirral's heritage champion, who has managed to trace surviving family and friends of the airman, whose story forms the narrative of one of the pilots in 2017 film Dunkirk whose engine seizes and ditches into the sea.

After the Second World War, Jack moved to Brighton, where he died in 1977.

An appeal through the media to find surviving friends and family of the Oldershaw School old boy led Cllr Williams to Jack Potter's son, who lives in Brighton.

He has been delighted to learn of his father's auspicious past and will be attending to see the memorial unveiled.

Cllr Jerry Williams, said: "Although Jack is not mentioned by name in the film Dunkirk, the pilot ditching his spitfire into the sea during the film is based on him.

"He had an illustrious war record.

"At Dunkirk, he destroyed a Messerchmitt; less than a week later, his engine seized 15 miles from the English coast and he ditched into the sea, later being picked up and landed at Dover.

"During the Battle of Britain, he ditched into the Channel again, picked up by a German vessel, and spent the rest of his war in a Prisoner of War Camp."

It is thought that efforts by the RAF saved more than a third of a million soldiers at Dunkirk.

They intercepted large numbers of German Luftwaffe planes as they were machine gunning land and sea as soldiers awaited evacuation.

Cllr Williams says: "Jack survived the war and died in Brighton in 1977.

"Around this time I was corresponding with Battle of Britain pilots, collecting signatures, and wrote to Jack.

"Sadly his relatives said he had just died, but they sent me a copy of his signature."