An era closed on March 17 2025, with the passing of the last surviving pilot to participate in the Battle of Britain.

Group Captain John Allman ‘Paddy’ Hemingway, DFC, passed away peacefully at the age of 105 in south Dublin in Ireland. He was the last survivor of the almost 3,000 pilots that fought in the skies during the Battle of Britain. Nearly 500 lost their lives during the Battle and another 800 did not see the end of the war.

High praise

Hailing from Dublin, he joined the pre-war RAF and became a fighter pilot aged 21 in 1940. As well as flying Hawker Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain with 85 Squadron, he flew in the Battle of Dunkirk and the Allied invasions of Italy and Normandy. He survived being shot down four times.

The British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, was among the many paying tribute to ‘Paddy’, saying his courage and those of all RAF pilots had “helped end World War Two and secure our freedom.” The Prince of Wales said: “We owe so much to ‘Paddy’ and his generation for our freedoms today…their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered.”

In a statement, the RAF described Hemingway’s passing as “the end of an era and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War Two”, adding that “his courage in the face of overwhelming odds demonstrated his sense of duty and the importance of British resilience.”

The RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight recalled being “honoured to reunite him with the Hawker Hurricane – his office during the summer of 1940, when we visited Ireland in 2022. ‘Paddy’s heroic service record earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1941, and he was also instrumental in planning the D-Day landings. His passing should continue to make us reflect on the sacrifices that he, and all of those who served, made during the war.”

From France to Italy

Hemingway flew one of the first sorties of the war, taking off from Debden, Essex at midnight on the day it was declared, September 3, 1939, for a defensive patrol, landing after 50 minutes without seeing an enemy aircraft. Days later 85 Squadron was deployed to northern France to support the British Expeditionary Force, with ‘Paddy’ claiming a Heinkel He 111 on May 10, 1940, as German forces advanced through the Low Countries. He shared in the destruction of a Dornier Do 17 the following day, but later the same day was shot down near Maastricht. He returned to Britian on May 17.

Posted to 253 Squadron at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, he flew patrols around Dunkirk, before rejoining 85 Squadron at Debden in mid-June 1940. He was shot down in combat with a Junkers Ju 88 on August 18 during the Battle of Britain, coming down in the North Sea. He was again shot down eight days later, while engaging Dornier Do 17s protected by Messerschmitt Bf 109Es near the Kent coast. Wreckage from the Hurricane he was flying, P3966, was salvaged in March 2019, with John viewing the progress at the dig via a live link from his home.

In February 1945, John was posted to 43 Squadron in northern Italy flying Supermarine Spitfire IXs, surviving his fourth shoot down on April 23. He remained in the post-war RAF, being promoted to wing commander on December 6, 1945, and, after leaving 43 Squadron (which at that point was based at Klagenfurt in Austria) went on to head 244 Wing.

Later during his career he was posted to the Middle East and also served in the Air Ministry in London, before becoming a senior staff officer within NATO Headquarters in France. In 1966 he became the station commander at RAF Leconfield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, eventually retiring with the rank of group captain in September 1969.

Following the death of his wife, Bridget, in 1998, ‘Paddy’ left for Canada to live with his daughter, but returned to his native Ireland in 2011. His whereabouts and fate were unknown until early 2018, when his family came forward to confirm he was in Ireland in response to the celebrations that marked the 100th anniversary of the RAF.

Speaking to Jonny Cracknall during an interview conducted in October 2019, ‘Paddy’ stated, “I feel privileged to have met so many amazing young men and pilots – many of whom perished. The battle should not be about me, but all who served.” He went on to sum up the lessons he had learnt during his long life saying: “I can’t say don’t drink, or don’t fool about with people or don’t fly and get shot at – I’ve done everything... and I’m an Irishman. The only advice I can give to people is to be Irish!”