HERO Battle of Britain pilot Group Captain John “Paddy” Hemingway — the Last of the Few — died yesterday aged 105.
He was the only surviving fighter airman out of the thousands who defended Britain from Germany’s Luftwaffe onslaught in 1940 — who were hailed as “The Few” by grateful Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Captain ‘Paddy’ served with 85 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, was shot down four times and survived two crash landings during World War Two[/caption]
Mr Hemingway died in the Dublin care home where he had lived for eight years, his family confirmed last night.
He served with 85 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, was shot down four times and survived two crash landings during World War Two.
At the height of the Battle of Britain, Hemingway – then a 21-year-old Pilot Officer – was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricane fighter plane in the space of a week.
He was even involved in an air crash on the way to receive a medal for gallantry from King George VI at Buckingham Palace.
In 1945 he was shot down in Italy and escaped being captured when he dressed as a farm worker and a young girl walked him past German soldiers.
The wreckage of one of his planes, which nose-dived into Essex marshes after he was shot down in a battle against German bombers has been recovered and is being rebuilt.
Father-of-three Paddy, who died on St Patrick’s Day, maintained he survived the war as he “had the luck of the Irish”.
Last night his son Brian Hemingway said: “Dad was 105 and had a remarkable and long life.
“He suffered from pneumonia and died at 5.45 on Monday evening.”
