Crediting 'the luck of the Irish,' Paddy Hemingway said he survived being shot down twice during the battle and twice more during combat in North Africa and Italy.
The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway DFC celebrated his 105th birthday at the British Embassy in Dublin Ireland. [Courtesy: Royal Air Force]
Key Takeaways:
John Allman “Paddy” Hemingway, the last known fighter pilot from the 1940 Battle of Britain, recently celebrated his 105th birthday.
He flew Hawker Hurricanes with the RAF’s No. 85 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, surviving being shot down twice and destroying at least two enemy aircraft.
Hemingway had a distinguished RAF career that extended beyond the Battle of Britain, serving in North Africa and Italy, as an air controller during the Normandy invasion, commanding squadrons, and retiring as a group captain in 1969.
On Wednesday, the last known remaining fighter pilot from the 1940 Battle of Britain celebrated his 105th birthday.
Retired Royal Air Force (RAF) group captain John Allman “Paddy” Hemingway was born in Ireland in 1919. In summer 1940, Hemingway turned 21 while flying Hawker Hurricanes with the RAF’s No. 85 Squadron, led by then squadron commander Peter Townsend.
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