In August 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid tribute to the Royal Air Force pilots who defended Britain during the Battle of Britain. He famously noted their sacrifices, stating, 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.' Recently, John A. Hemingway, the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot, passed away at 105. Hemingway, who flew Hurricane fighters, was instrumental in defending Britain against a German invasion attempt, which ultimately failed due to RAF's resilience despite being vastly outnumbered by the Luftwaffe.
Addressing the British House of Commons in August 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid tribute to the pilots of the Royal Air Force who were staving off an impending German invasion of the British Isles in what would be known as the Battle of Britain.
When John A. Hemingway died in Dublin on Monday at 105 the Royal Air Force announced his death he was the last known survivor of the few, nearly 3,000 pilots and crew who saved Britain in the early stages of World War II.
Mr. Hemingway, who was known as Paddy, piloted Hurricane fighters in the battle, which took place in the skies above Britain between July 10 and Oct. 31, 1940.
Flying over France, Britain and Italy in World War II, Mr. Hemingway was shot down four times between 1940 and 1945. He received Britain's Distinguished Flying Cross in July 1941 for downing and damaging German planes.
But he postponed it indefinitely when the R.A.F. vastly outnumbered at the height of battle, with 749 fighter aircrafts compared with the Luftwaffe's 2,550 beat back German bombers and fighters.
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