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

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 has paid tribute to Mr Hemingway, saying that his courage and those of all RAF pilots "helped end WWII and secure our freedom".

Those who fought in the three-and-a-half-month battle came to be known as 'The Few' after a speech by prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," he had said of their sacrifices in battle.

In a statement, the RAF said that Mr Hemingway "passed away peacefully" on Monday.

The pilot's squadron shot down 90 enemy aircraft during an 11-day period in May 1940, and provided fighter cover for allied troops 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 aircraft] 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 in active operations.

On the way to receive his medal from the King, he was forced to escape from a Blenheim aircraft, which had crashed during take-off.

While serving with the 85 Squadron in RAF Hunsdon near 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 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 the loss of his friend, Richard "Dickie" Lee in August 1940.

The RAF said that Mr Hemingway's passing marks "the end of an era and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II", they added.

"His courage in the face of overwhelming odds demonstrated his sense of duty and the importance of British resilience."

The statement said that Mr Hemingway "always had a twinkle in his eyes as he recalled the fun times with colleagues in France and London".

"This quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual may not have wanted to be the last of 'The Few', but he embodied the spirit of all those who flew sorties over this green and pleasant land," it added.

Chief of RAF Air Staff, Sir Rich Knighton, said he had spent time with Mr Hemingway in Dublin earlier this year.

"Paddy was an amazing character whose life story embodies all that was and remains great about the Royal Air Force."