"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". Indeed, no truer words need be spoken to describe the heroics of those brave pilots who defended Britain's skies during the Battle of Britain - ensuring that Britain could live on to continue the struggle against Nazi Germany at the beginning of the Second World War. And the man of this episode, John Allman "Paddy" Hemingway, not only made his name known during this period, but lived such an incredible life that it was impossible not to do an episode on him.
Sadly, Hemingway passed away at the incredible age of 105 years old on March 17th, 2025. With his passing came the end of what Churchill called "The Few". He was the last verified British pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain, and the RAF rightly called his passing the "end of an era".
In memory of him and in honour of his service, join Arron this week as he recounts the incredible life of "Paddy" Hemingway. From his early life to his time in the RAF, diving headfirst into the Invasion of France and the Battle of Britain, then straight into his service as an air traffic controller for the D-Day Landings, his time near the end of the war in Italy, and his postwar life. And hear about how he, incredibly, survived being shot down four times - with two of those times happening behind enemy lines, and forcing Paddy to sneak his way back to friendly territory to continue the fight!
This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on social media! Just search for That's Old News on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X, or head to the linktree in the podcast's about section!
