by Mick the Ram

The group of airmen who became known as “The Few” for their heroic exploits in the Battle of Britain, has lost its last surviving member with the death of John “Paddy” Hemingway, who has sadly passed away peacefully at the age of 105.

The nickname was coined in 1940 by the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill, recognising the incredible effort by a severely depleted Royal Air Force (RAF).

Mr Hemingway, who was originally from Dublin, had joined the services as a teenager shortly before the outbreak of World War Two.

He was a 21-year-old fighter pilot when, over a three-month period, he and his squadron played a major part in defending the skies against a large-scale assault by the German air force, the Luftwaffe.

In July 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross – awarded to personnel for an act or acts of valour, courage, or devotion to duty, while flying on active operations.

Glowing tributes have been made by the Prince of Wales, and the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

Churchill’s rallying cry

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” That was one of the most famous of the many quotes of the second World War, delivered by Sir Winston Churchill, as he paid tribute to the bravery, skill and sacrifice of the RAF fighters.

Very much part of that group was John “Paddy” Hemingway who distinguished himself throughout the whole campaign.

Front-line squadron

Born in Dublin in 1919, Mr Hemingway dedicated his life to service, enlisting into the RAF in 1938 and becoming one of the young pilots to fight in the Battle of France, which preceded the Battle of Britain.

It was Number 85 Squadron, under a new commanding officer, Peter Townsend, which became one of the front-line squadrons of the 11 Group (Fighter Command) who would respond to the daily attacks from Nazi aircraft over the skies of southern England.

Downed four times

Captain Hemingway’s logbook records showed that he and his fellow airmen undertook up to five daily sorties, as they valiantly defended their country from enemy attack. He was actually shot down four times during the entire conflict, the first two of which occurred during one-on-one aerial combats, or dogfights as they became known, in the Battle of Britain.

In August 1940, he was forced to bail out of his Hurricane single-seat fighter on two occasions, landing in the sea off the coast of Essex the first time and then again into marshland.

Amazingly the wreckage of his aircraft was recovered in 2019 with the control column and the gun-button still set to “fire”.

Group Captain

The hero pilot went on to serve as an air fighter controller during the D-Day operations and then in 1945, he joined the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.

After the war he became an officer, commanding RAF Leconfield and eventually attained the rank of Group Captain.

End of an era

In a statement from the RAF they said that Mr Hemingway’s passing marked “the end of an era and was a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II.”

They added that his courage “in the face of overwhelming odds demonstrated his sense of duty and the importance of British resilience.”

“Twinkle in the eye”

It was obvious how popular the Captain was as they ended their remarks by saying: “Mr Hemingway always had a twinkle in his eyes as he recalled the fun times with colleagues in France and London.”

They said he was a “quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual, who 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.”

“Just doing a job”

The man himself was humble and modest about his achievements, once being quoted as saying: “I don’t think we ever assumed greatness of any form, we were just fighting a war which we were trained to fight.”

He called himself the “Lucky Irishman” and preferred to speak of the “joyous memories” made with his peers, many of whom never returned home.

Recognising importance of comradeship

Chief of RAF Air Staff Sir Rich Knighton passed condolences to Hemingway’s family and friends and said he was thankful that he was able to meet and spend time with the man.

“Throughout his life he inspired those he knew and served with, as this was a generation who understood the importance of service and comradeship.

“It was a generation who believed that with hard work, clarity of purpose and a determination to succeed, they would not lose.”

Life to be celebrated

Paddy’s son Brian made the point that his father was in great form right up to the end in his care home back in Dublin.

“He never felt that there was anything special about him; he always thought the special ones were the friends who never returned, and now he is back with his squadron. It is very sad, but his is a life to be both celebrated and mourned.”

Tributes

Prince William shared a message on social media in which he paid tribute to Paddy, remarking how the country owed so much to him and his generation for the “freedoms of today”, adding that their “bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered.”

The PM also paid his respects, commending Paddy’s courage and that of all the RAF pilots of the time, in helping win WWII.  

Battle won

The Battle of Britain was a major air campaign fought largely over southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940.

After the remarkable evacuation of troops from the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk and the fall of France, the Nazis planned to gain air supremacy over the English Channel in preparation for the invasion of Great Britain.

Although vastly outnumbered, the skill and tenacity of the RAF Fighter Command pilots, flying iconic aircraft including the Hurricane and Spitfire, saw them out-manoeuvre the German Luftwaffe and ultimately force Adolf Hitler to abandon his plans.