A RETIRED sergeant major is donating money from his first novel to help comrades injured in Afghanistan.

Andy Johnson retired from the Coldstream Guards after 24 years last March and has begun a new career as a writer.

His debut novel, Seelowe Nord: The Germans Are Coming, which has just been published, is about the proposed German invasion of Britain in 1940.

Andy plans to donate at least 20 per cent of the profits to military charities, including the Army Benevolent Fund and the Casualty Fund of the Coldstream Guards, to care for those who have been wounded and disabled in current conflicts.

Andy, aged 40, who lives in Baddeley Green, has seen service in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan and has lost many friends in conflict.

He said: "I wanted to give something back to my old regiment. Six of my friends have been killed in Afghanistan in the last six months and others have lost limbs."

Originally from York, Andy enlisted in the Coldstream Guards aged 16 and served in the regiment, based at Windsor, for the whole of his career, retiring as a regimental sergeant major.

He has also been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his exemplary service over the last quarter of a century.

He settled in Staffordshire five years ago with Stoke-born wife Clare and children Scott, aged 10, and seven-year-old Sophie.

Andy said: "I had tried to write for a few years and had a few factual articles published in military journals.

"When I stepped on to Civvy Street, and with the 70th anniversary of the proposed invasion coming up, I decided to get my idea down in a book.

"The idea stems from as far back as my childhood in Yorkshire. We would go to the east coast on holiday and I remember seeing all these old pill boxes from the war.

"Then a few years ago we planned to do a fictional training exercise on the coast using this backdrop. It didn't go ahead, but I had the scenario ready in my head and it was the outline of my book."

Andy started writing in March last year and the book, published by Spiderwize, hit the shelves this February. Spiderwize offer a self-publishing service and the books are being printed on demand. He has already sold 100 signed copies and orders are flooding in through websites and bookshops, helping it top the WH Smith online war fiction bestsellers list.

The book is dedicated to the officers and soldiers of the task force in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

He added: "The response has been really exciting for me as a new author.

"I am already writing a prequel to the book based around Dunkirk and I have been working on a book for a couple of years about the Staffordshire regiment in the English Civil War.

"My Army colleagues have all been very supportive. Most of them are still in Afghanistan until next month."

Wife Clare, aged 37, said: "I am really proud. After seeing him write for about 12 years, it is really exciting to finally see his book and it makes up for all the hard work.

"We are glad to have him at home with us full time now and that he is doing something he really enjoys, while still giving back to the Army."

One of Andy's former commanding officers, Major John Mayhead, served with him for 18 years and they saw tours of Northern Ireland and Iraq together.

He said: "I have read the book and I couldn't put it down. It is absolutely brilliant. I love the historical drama premise and the characters and atmosphere are so real."

The book is available from online retailers as well as high street book shops.