Dubliner John Hemingway's peaceful death on Monday 17th March 2025, aged 105, formally closed a very important chapter of UK history (perhaps also the world). He was the last surviving RAF fighter pilot who fought throughout the entire Battle Of Britain, a battle for supremacy in the skies over England in the first year of WW2. His death reminds us of Europe's collective debt of thanks to all allied combatants of the brief but very intense Battle Of Britain.
Despite being injured and shot down 4 times, he and relatively few fighter pilots (100s) and their support personnel, prevented the expected invasion of England by the NAZI forces of Germany. The significance of this battle will never be underestimated, for had the NAZIs endured, the subsequent history of Europe (certainly) and then the world would have promised misery, subjugation and "elimination" for millions of people.
"Paddy" served the RAF from 1938 to 1969 and rightfully will hold the honour of being "one of the few", now the last of the few; though John said he was most proud to be the last surviving Irishman of that battle .
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| John at the start of his RAF service |
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| RIP Group Captain John "Paddy" Hemingway DFC (17/07/1919 - 16/03/2025) |
Yahoo! have written the best obituary to John, the the BBC did OK.
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