Posted on 05/17/2020 4:03:49 PM PDT by bitt
Dubliner John Hemingway (100) fought in the Battle of Britain
Irishman John Hemingway is now the last of the second World War “Few” who fought in the Battle of Britain still alive.
It follows the death in a Yorkshire care home of Flight Lieutenant Terry Clark (101) on the eve of the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on Thursday.
The “Few” were so called by Britain’s wartime prime minister Winston Churchill in reference to the 3,000 men from the Royal Air Force (RAF) who repulsed the German Luftwaffe during the summer and autumn of 1940 and prevented a Nazi invasion of Britain.
Mr Churchill’s paid tribute to them in his much quoted speech in August 1940 in which he stated: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much been owed by so many to so few”.
The RAF Benevolent Fund controller Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot confirmed to the the BBC that Mr Hemingway is now the last surviving member of The Few.
Mr Hemingway (100) lives in a nursing home in Foxrock, Co Dublin. He was informed yesterday of the death of Mr Clark and that he is now the last survivor of the Few. He expressed his condolences to Mr Clark’s family.
Born in St Kevin’s Gardens in Dartry on July 17th, 1919, Mr Hemingway attended St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir School where he was “an unsuccessful choirboy”. He later attended St Andrew’s College, then located on St Stephen’s Green.
After being accepted into the RAF, he began training in Brough, Yorkshire, in January 1939. Having completed flight training school, Pilot Officer Mr Hemingway was posted to No. 85 Squadron in Debden, flying Hurricanes.
(Excerpt) Read more at irishtimes.com ...
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Well done a John.
Good health!
Didn’t the Irish support Hitler?
Time marches on.
My Da, who fought in N Africa and Italy, would be 109. All MDs were called; age mattered little..
they “officially” were neutral
They saved Britain from invasion. If the Luftwaffe could have established air supremacy over the Channel and Southern England, Hitler would have launched the invasion, reasoning the Luftwaffe could have kept the Royal Navy at bay.
The Irish Free State was officially neutral. DeValera did sign the book of condolence for Hitler. But over 40,000 Irish volunteers fought in British uniform during World War II.
Apparently at least sixteen of ‘em didn’t.
Didn’t some Yanks fly for the Brits in the the Battle for Brittan? Seems I recall that in the old 1988 BBC mini series “Piece of Cake”
He is one of the last vestiges of a world now gone.
I know some flew for Canada and some for France.
Time is going so rapidly. It only seemed a few years ago we were talking of the last survivors of WWI.
Bit of trivia Midsummer Murder main character played Moggy in Piece of Cake.
“The RAF recognises seven aircrew personnel who were from the United States as having taken part in the Battle of Britain.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-British_personnel_in_the_RAF_during_the_Battle_of_Britain
Neutral, but more often than not, helpful to the Allied Cause.
http://www.malinhead.net/Cranborne_Report.htm
The Germans had limited air time over England. The RAF had a lot of time on station. The Germans planned poorly on that one.
My life has been a walk in the park...strike that...a handsome cab ride in the park, by comparison.
If Hitler would have listened to his generals, things would have turned out differently.
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