LONDON (AP) — The last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain has died, severing the last living link to the few thousand young men who fought the Nazi air force to a standstill amid fears that Britain might be forced to capitulate during the early months of World War II.
John "Paddy'' Hemingway, an Irish national who enlisted in the Royal Air Force before the war began, died Monday at his home in Dublin, the RAF said. He was 105.
Hemingway was just 20 years old when he and his comrades in the Royal Air Force took to the skies to fight off wave after wave of Nazi aircraft that sought to pound Britain into submission during the summer and autumn of 1940.
In August of that year, when German bombers were relentlessly targeting airfields in southern England and the outcome of the battle was still in doubt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously stood before the House of Commons to pay tribute to the young pilots who were defending Britain.
“The gratitude of every home in our island, in our empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion,” Churchill said. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Britain has ever since revered “the few” for saving the country during its moment of peril. The Battle of Britain Memorial on the English Channel coast lists the names 2,941 Allied airmen who took part in the battle.
During dogfights with German aircraft in August of 1940, Hemingway was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricane fighter, once landing in the sea off the east coast of England before returning to his squadron to resume the fight, the RAF said. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry in 1941.
But Hemingway dismissed suggestions of bravery and heroism, saying he was a pilot and had a job to do.
“The world was at war, and you couldn’t go somewhere and say, ‘I’m at peace and I don’t fight wars,’” he said in a 2020 interview with the BBC.
“The main skill was luck. You had to be lucky, no matter how good you were. For instance, my boss, Dickie Lee, was the best pilot I’ve every seen, but he was shot down and killed. So he had no luck. I had bags of luck.”
Born July 17, 1919, in the Rathmines area of Dublin, Hemingway enlisted in the RAF in 1938.
He first saw action during the Nazi invasion of France, when he flew fighter cover for retreating British forces.
Following the Battle of Britain he worked as a controller, helping to direct the RAF’s response to German attacks. At the end of the war, Hemingway served as commander of No. 43 Squadron, which flew Spitfires in northern Italy.
Hemingway remained in the RAF after the war and retired in 1969 after more than 30 years of service.
FILE - The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John 'Paddy' Hemingway DFC celebrating his 105th birthday at the British Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, July 17, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP, File)
FILE - The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John 'Paddy' Hemingway DFC celebrating his 105th birthday at the British Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, July 17, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP, File)
FILE - The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John 'Paddy' Hemingway DFC celebrating his 105th birthday at the British Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, July 17, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP, File)
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Medium-pacer Tushar Deshpande held his nerve bowling the last over to give Rajasthan Royals a thrilling six-run win against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.
Gujarat needed 11 runs from the final over and Deshpande conceded only four for Rajasthan's second win from two matches and top spot in the table on net run-rate from Delhi Capitals, who beat Mumbai Indians earlier.
Rajasthan notched 210-6 thanks to Dhruv Jurel's 75 off 42 balls and Yashasvi Jaiswal's 55 off 36.
Gujarat, on the back of Sai Sudharsan’s 73 off 44 and tailenders Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, mounted a terrific comeback to reduce the chase to a reachable 15 off the last 12 balls.
But Rajasthan's England pacer Jofra Archer allowed only four runs in the 19th over, and Deshpande, who played two Twenty20s for India in 2024, was given the last over. He also allowed only four and closed with two dot balls and Khan's wicket. With Gujarat stranded at 204-8, Deshpande thumped his chest in jubilation.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians by six wickets in the national capital and went top of the table for approximately four hours.
Sameer Rizvi blew away Mumbai with 90 runs off 51 balls to help set up Delhi's second win from two matches.
The impact player followed his unbeaten 70 against Lucknow SuperGiants on Wednesday with seven sixes and seven boundaries in his highest IPL score.
Delhi raced to 164-4 and a six-wicket win with 11 balls to spare in reply to Mumbai's 162-6 and a first loss in the young season for the five-time champion.
Rajasthan opted to bat first and Jaiswal and 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi launched 70 runs off 38 balls for the first wicket.
Suryavanshi scored 31 off 18 including five fours and a six before he miscued to deep midwicket.
Jaiswal took over to score 50 off 32 balls including three sixes and six boundaries.
Jaiswal and Jurel combined for 56 into the 12th over before Jaiswal was bowled by Rabada. Jurel carried Rajasthan past 200 in the 19th over before he nicked behind in the 20th. Jurel hit five sixes and five fours.
Gujarat captain Shubman Gill was missing owing to a muscle spasm and Sudharsan led the way with 50 off 33 in an opening stand of 78 with Kumar Kushagra.
When Sudharsan holed out in the 11th over, Gujarat started losing steam.
Impact substitute Ravi Bishnoi, the wrist spinner, picked 4-41 in four overs to reduce Gujarat to 133-5 in the 14th over.
But Khan and Rabada fought hard to take the game into the final overs, where they were trumped by Archer and Deshpande.
Rizvi started his innings conservatively, taking 20 balls to get his eye in. He came in with Delhi in trouble at 7-2 in the second over. Rizvi joined opener Pathum Nissanka, who was the initial aggressor in their 66-run stand.
When Nissanka top-edged a pull straight up on 44 at 73-3, Rizvi took charge of the chase at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Rizvi hit 50 off 31 balls to lead Delhi to 100 in the 12th over. He appeared set for his maiden IPL hundred and was 10 runs away when he went looking for his eighth six and was caught at long-off off the bowling of Corbin Bosch in the 17th over. Mumbai players applauded Rizvi as he left.
“Rizvi never let us get back into the game,” Mumbai stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav said.
Rizvi said he'd worked on his weaknesses, especially against fast bowlers, before his third IPL. “I took time, got set and then played my shots," he said. "I tried to watch the ball as long as possible. Did the same in the last game.”
Mumbai was made to bat first and finished with a score Yadav felt was 15-20 runs short.
Mukesh Kumar (2-26) struck twice in the third over, bagging Ryan Rickelton on 9 and taking a return catch from Tilak Varma for a two-ball duck.
Yadav and Rohit Sharma combined for 53 off 40 balls but the slowish Delhi pitch didn’t allow the Mumbai stars to run away with the scoring rate.
Delhi skipper Axar Patel got the breakthrough when Sharma slapped him to cover and Nitish Rana took a tough chance above his head in the 10th over.
Yadav got 51 off 36 but was out lbw to Lungi Ngidi and Mumbai faded.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Rajasthan Royals' Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Rajasthan Royals' Dhruv Jurel plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Rajasthan Royals Tushar Deshpande celebrates the wicket of Gujarat Titans' Rashid Khan during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi celebrates his fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
