John "Paddy" Hemingway RIP

bnt

Dublin-born John "Paddy" Hemingway DFC (1919-2025), the last of "The Few" who fought in the Battle of Britain (1940), has died at the age of 105. The Irish Times has the story here, and there's a detailed tribute on the RAF website here.

(The IT says he flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, but the RAF says he flew Hurricanes, and I'm inclined to believe the RAF on this topic. He flew Spitfires later in the war, getting shot down over Italy in 1945.)

"I don't think we ever assumed greatness of any form. We were just fighting a war which we were trained to fight."

As Churchill put it: "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few."

Confused11811

He died on St Paddy's Day in Dublin. You can't get more Irish than that. He's laughing in Heaven

Sid 1984

The word 'hero' is so loosely banded about these days, but I think it is fair to say that it absolutely applies to John 'Paddy' Hemingway and to so many of his generation.

RIP.

BaywatchHQ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123274503#Comment_123274503

The most important place in regards to St Patrick is Downpatrick co.Down not Dublin.

peneau

Rest in Peace Gp Capt Hemingway and thank you.

purplepanda

A real legend RIP Sir & eternal respect to all the those that fought against Nazi Tyranny.

I'm glad I listened to all the auld lads & their war stories when I was young. Despite it not being very cool amongst some of my peers.

Exiled Rebel

Only 19 when he first got into a cockpit. Incredible heroism and shot down 4 times during the war - how the hell did he survive.

A distant relative died a few years ago who used to tell me stories of his experiences during the war. He was too young for active service but old enough for the home guard. He described driving into central London with a colleague one evening when they got caught up in a German air raid. Bombs going off left right and centre. He describes how himself and herself polished a bottle of whiskey afterwards. A truly frightening experience driving down the pall mall with buildings on fire all around them. On another occasion a German fighter crashed on a nearby street. While the pilot was being apprehended he jumped into the cockpit and took the pilots luger as a memento.

After the war he was stationed in Austria where they had to deal with millions of refugees and having to try and feed them. It really shook him. He hated the Germans to his very last day.

They were an incredible generation, what they went through we can only imagine.

corner of hells

A relative of mine was responsible for the destruction of11 Luftwaffe aircraft in the second world war

He was the worst aircraft mechanic the Luftwaffe had