John Hemingway: Last surviving Battle of Britain pilot dies aged 105

'End of an era': Last surviving Battle of Britain pilot dies

5 hours ago Share Save Jessica Lawrence BBC News NI Share Save

Royal Air Force John 'Paddy' Hemingway died on Monday, the RAF confirmed

The last surviving Battle of Britain pilot, John "Paddy" Hemingway, has died at the age of 105. Mr Hemingway, who was originally from Dublin, joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a teenager before World War Two. At 21, he was a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain, a three-month period when air force personnel defended the skies against a large-scale assault by the German air force, the Luftwaffe. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Mr Hemingway, saying his courage and those of all RAF pilots had "helped end WWII and secure our freedom".

The Prince of Wales also paid tribute, saying that "we owe so much to Paddy and his generation for our freedoms today". Prince William added that "their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered". The Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly described Mr Hemingway as "an absolute hero". Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly she said: "My goodness when you read his obituary, the things that he experienced." She added that the sacrifices of Mr Hemingway's generation were "absolutely incredible".

Those who fought in the three-and-a-half-month battle came to be known as "The Few" after a speech by the then Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," he said of their sacrifices in battle. In a statement, the RAF said that Mr Hemingway had "passed away peacefully" on Monday.

Speaking to BBC News NI in 2023, Gp Capt Hemingway said he had never looked for fame for being part of "The Few".

The pilot's squadron shot down 90 enemy aircraft during an 11-day period in May 1940, and provided fighter cover during the Battle of France. During the war, Gp Capt Hemingway was shot down four times. During dogfights – or one-on-one aerial combats - in August 1940, Mr Hemingway was forced to bail out of his Hurricane single-seat fighter on two occasions, landing in the sea off the coast of Essex and in marshland. The wreckage of his Hurricane was recovered in 2019 with the control column and the gun-button still set to "fire". In July 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross - awarded to RAF personnel for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty while flying on active operations. On the way to receive his medal from the King, he was forced to escape from a Blenheim aircraft, which crashed during take-off.

While serving with the 85 Squadron in RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, Mr Hemingway was forced to bail out of his Havoc night fighter at 600ft (183m) due to instrument failure in bad weather. He broke his hand on the tail section and his parachute failed to open, with the chute catching on the branches of a tree. He was forced to bail out a fourth time while fighting near Ravenna, Italy, when his Spitfire was hit multiple times. He landed in enemy territory, and made contact with Italian citizens, who helped him back to the Allies. Speaking to BBC News NI in 2023, Gp Capt Hemingway said he had never looked for fame for being part of "The Few". "I don't think we ever assumed greatness of any form," he said. "We were just fighting a war which we were trained to fight." Mr Hemingway said that his biggest regret was the loss of friends, in particular that of Richard "Dickie" Lee in August 1940.

RAF John 'Paddy' Hemingway was the last surviving member of 'The Few'