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Tributes pour for Battle of Britain’s “Last of the Few”, who died at age 105 in Dublin

Captain Hemingway “Per Ardua ad Astra” Group, was born in Dublin in 1919, joined RAF in 1938, a true gentleman, amazing character and outstanding example

The Prince and Princess of Wales, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are among the many people who have taken to social media to pay their respects to Group Captain John “Paddy” Hemingway, the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain. The RAF veteran, who also took part in the Battle of France and in Italy, died at the age of 105.

Considered a legend in aviation history by many, Gp Capt Hemingway became known as one of The Few following a speech by Prime Minister Winston Churchill on 20 August 1940. He was a pilot in the Battle of Britain at age 21.

Those who fought in the three-and-a-half-month battle came to be known as “The Few,” following on then PM, 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..

Following the Second World War pilot's death on St Patrick's Day, the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a tribute to Gp Capt Hemingway. They said: “We owe so much to Paddy and his generation for our freedoms today. Their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered. We shall never forget them.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Paddy Hemingway, saying his courage and those of all RAF pilots had “helped end WWII and secure our freedom”.

The Royal Air Force paid tribute to one of its most revered pilots, saying: “He never saw his role in the Battle of Britain as anything other than doing the job he was trained to do.  ”He didn't see it as an epoch-making moment in the history of the RAF or the United Kingdom. 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.“ 

Between July and October 1940, the nation's pilots faced unknown horrors in the skies above the south of England, defending the UK against Nazi oppression. 

BFBS the Forces Station broadcaster Fiona Cameron spoke to Gp Capt Hemingway at his nursing home near Dublin in May 2017 about his memories of the time he spent as a fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain. 

Dublin-born Gp Capt Hemingway joined the RAF in 1938 and was chosen to be a single-seat fighter pilot which he said, suited him quite well, saying: ”I fought the war alone. I just like being alone. 

“When we were learning to fly in the Royal Air Force there were 30 on the course, three of us were chosen as fighter pilots.  ”The rest were bomber pilots who got on well with the crews. Three of us were absolutely impossible and we went on fighters - and I was one of those three.“ 

During the Battle of Britain, Gp Capt Hemingway served with No. 85 Squadron RAF and was shot down four times. He also had three narrow escapes.

”One of them, I was night flying at the time and my operator, he made it out and got his seat caught in a bucket by two o'clock in the morning with rain pouring down,“ he explained. 
”He ended up marrying his nurse so not only did he curse me, but he praised me.“

During intense aerial battles in August 1940, Gp Capt Hemingway was forced to parachute out of his Hurricane twice, landing in the sea off the Essex coast on one occasion and the other time in a marshy area. 

A year later, Gp Capt Hemingway was forced to bail out of his Havoc night fighter at an altitude of 600ft due to a malfunction in his instruments during bad weather. 

After injuring his hand when it struck the tail section of the aircraft his parachute then deployed incorrectly. He was thankfully saved from severe injury as the parachute became caught in the branches of a tree. 

Gp Capt Hemingway was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross by King George VI in July 1941 for ”gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations“. 

The centenarian dedicated his life to the RAF until he retired as group captain in 1969. He said: ”I decided that when I was 50, I'd been there long enough 
“I wanted to do things you can't do in the Air Force.” 

His military career saw him become station commander of RAF Leconfield, joining the Air Ministry and, after the war, because of his writing skills he joined the diplomatic staff in Turkey. 
He said: “With a name like Hemingway, I ought to be able to write. If somebody says absolute nonsense, I can have something that makes sense accurately in a very short time.” 

Gp Capt Hemingway was full of praise for the branch of the Armed Forces that took him around the world. About his career in the RAF he said: “You're doing nothing except enjoying yourself, it's a very good career. They pay you too, not badly paid.” 

Captain Paddy Hemingway passed away the same month, when the first Supermarine Spitfire took to the air in March 1936, and in the year 2025 when Britain prepares with allies to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

It is interesting to remember that in support of the Allied war effort during World War II, the people of the Falklands donated over £50,000 (£3 million today) for the purchase of ten Spitfires for the RAF.