End of an Era -- Last RAF "Battle of Britain" Pilot Passes

[Old No7]

This story might mean a bit more to Gamekeeper or Nath, but it has special meaning to me since my late father served on an RAF air base north of London during WWII. The pilots and ground pounders of the famed Eagle Squadrons adopted the Brits customs and slang, and he always said "It was a nice little war when with the Brits, as we had much better chow, ample beer and very good officers". All that went to heck after the U.S.'s 8th Air Force took over flight operations, but that did bring in the P47 Thunderbolts and later the P51 Mustangs.

Dad was quite fond of his days with the Brits in the RAF and the Spitfires (except the pilots would pee on the tail wheel "for good luck" and that caused some issues). I have a few original Eagle Squadron and RAF patches in my collection -- as well as a couple of whiskey glasses with the RAF's motto: "Per Ardua Ad Astra", which translates to "Through Adversity to the Stars" on them -- and I shall raise a glass and toast Group Captain Hemingway (RIP) for his service and long life.

Cheers to all.

Old No7

End of an Era -- Last RAF "Battle of Britain" Pilot Passes

The last surviving Battle of Britain pilot, John 'Paddy' Hemingway, has died at the age of 105. Mr Hemingway, who is originally from Dublin, joined the Royal Air Force as a teenager before World War Two. At 21, he was a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain, a three-month period when air force personnel defended the skies against a large-scale assault by the German air force, the Luftwaffe.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to Mr Hemingway, saying that his courage and those of all RAF pilots "Helped end WWII and secure our freedom". In a statement, the Royal Air Force said that Mr Hemingway "Passed away peacefully" on Monday. His passing marks "The end of an era and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II", they added.

Grp Capt Hemingway, in front of a Hawker Hurricane

RAF Grp Capt.jpg

[Griff]

Hand Salute!

[gamekeeper]

Thanks for posting Darryl I had not seen this on the news, hard to believe that all those young men have passed on, I had teachers that had served in the RAF during the war and heard first hand some of the stories.The UK will always be in debt to all those who served to defeat Adolf Hitler.
I will certainly raise a glass to Group Captain Hemingway and to all those who helped keep our little island free.

[Bill in Oregon]

Friend just sent this. I'll hoist a pint in the gentleman's memory!
Speaking of Dunkirk, I recently attended a meeting of the Sons of the American Revolution, Gadsden Chapter, and one of the fellows had just returned from a conference in Denver at which one of the speakers was a retired US Army colonel who, as an 8-year-old lad in Ramsgate, England, stole aboard one of the "little boats" and crossed the Channel to Dunkirk during the evacuation. His family later emigrated to the US and he became a citizen and joined the Army. Pretty amazing.

A bit more detail:
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/th ... dGOxkIQ_bw

[Bruce Scott]

"The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

All hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day; but we must never forget that all the time, night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim their attacks, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the whole of the technical and war-making structure of the Nazi power".

Prime Minister Winston Churchill, 20 August 1940

[OldWin]

The last of a very special group of men.
Thank you sir! And God Speed to you.

[KWK]

He survived 5 years of flying military aircraft in war and went on to live to 105: Remarkable luck! I didn't know any of those pilots were still alive. I drink only once a week, and I'll lift a toast with my friends this Friday.

[Echo154]

I met one while I was in Germany. He was rather Kurt(pun intended) until he heard me talk and realized I was an American…..apparently he didn’t care for Germans unless they were former Luftwaffe pilots….mutual respect I suppose….I “ blew the froth off a few” with him,on me of course….neat gentleman…very hard life!