[News] RIP John 'Paddy' Hemingway

[Lenny Rider]

The last surviving Battle of Britain pilot.


105 years old.

Truly a Great Britain

Rest in peace Sir, and thank you x

 

[Frutos]

Blue skies, sir.

 

[The Rattler]

Newcastle fan?

 

[LamieRobertson]

Now that is a ripe old age ..hopefully went peacefully….on the basis of his service it would be the least he deserved

 

[portlock seagull]

The last of the few died a year or two ago - am confused. Maybe he’s the last of all nationalities I dunno, regardless these guys are / were always my true heroes. Not some pampered overpaid footballer!

 

[GT49er]

Really? OK, in that case, RIP sir, much respect.

 

[Eeyore]

The last of the few died a year or two ago - am confused. Maybe he’s the last of all nationalities I dunno, regardless these guys are / were always my true heroes. Not some pampered overpaid footballer!

Looks like, for some reason, he wasn't placed in the few. I do wonder that some were missed.

 

[Seagull58]

The last of the few died a year or two ago - am confused. Maybe he’s the last of all nationalities I dunno, regardless these guys are / were always my true heroes. Not some pampered overpaid footballer!

Group Captain John Allman Hemingway, DFC, AE (17 July 1919 – 16 March 2025) was an Irish Royal Air Force fighter pilot. He served during the Second World War in the Battle of Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, the Allied invasion of Italy and the Invasion of Normandy. Following the death of Terry Clark in May 2020, Hemingway became the last verified surviving airman of the Battle of Britain. He was shot down four times during the Second World War.[1]

 

[Eeyore]

https://raf.mod.uk/news/articles/the-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-pilot-john-paddy-hemingway-dfc-passes-away/

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Thank you Sir. May you Rest in Peace.

 

[jakarta]

A Great generation that saved us from Fascism is passing away, RIP Paddy.

 

[Mr Bridger]

RIP Paddy, thanks for everything.
Shot down 4 times, parachute failed on one occasion, save by landing in a tree. He was only 21 when the war ended, can you image that?

 

[Is it PotG?]

RIP Sir, and thank you.

 

[Boroseagull]

The last of the few died a year or two ago - am confused. Maybe he’s the last of all nationalities I dunno, regardless these guys are / were always my true heroes. Not some pampered overpaid footballer!

From Times obituary;

For some years, when he was in his early nineties and out of touch with friends in England, Hemingway’s name was missing from the official list of Battle of Britain pilots who were still living. He was thought to have died until it was learnt that he was alive, aged 98, and living in a residential home on the outskirts of Dublin. He was still sporting the neatly clipped moustache he had grown for a bet at the start of the war.

 

[oneillco]

And how poignant that this proud Irish man died on St.Patrick's Day.

He was one of 80-100,000 men (including my uncle) from the south of Ireland (population around 3.5 million at the time) who volunteered for the British armed forces in WW2, the equivalent of 10 divisions. And many thousands of Irish women from the south came to Britain to nurse or work in munitions factories. My aunt worked at DeHaviland building Mosquitos.