John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway, Last Surviving Pilot of the Battle of Britain, Dies at 105

John “Paddy” Hemingway, the last living pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain during World War II, has passed away at the age of 105. The UK’s Royal Air Force confirmed that Hemingway died peacefully on Monday, marking the end of an era.

Hemingway was one of the courageous pilots known as “The Few,” a term coined by British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the men who defended Britain against the relentless attacks of Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe in 1940.

Churchill famously stated, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” acknowledging their extraordinary sacrifice.

Tributes poured in from across the world, including from Prince William and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Prince William shared a heartfelt message on social media, stating, “We owe so much to Paddy and his generation for our freedoms today. Their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered. We shall never forget them.”

Born in 1919 in Dublin, Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom, Hemingway enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1938, just a year before the outbreak of World War II. In 1940, he famously downed a German Luftwaffe aircraft, but his Hurricane fighter was severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire, forcing him to make an emergency landing.

That same year, during the Battle of Britain, Hemingway became one of the frontline pilots, facing daily assaults from German aircraft. During a series of intense dogfights in August 1940, he had to bail out of his Hurricane twice—once landing in the sea and another time in marshland.

For his bravery, Hemingway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Despite his heroics, he always downplayed his role, often referring to himself as the “Lucky Irishman,” a man simply doing his job alongside countless others of his generation.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “Eighty years ago, the courage and determination of Paddy and all our brave RAF pilots helped bring an end to the Second World War. Their sense of duty and service secured our freedom, and we shall never forget them.”