THE FEW become One!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Civ/HAL/SHY/FYY/PWK/AAS/WAD/AVI/GPT/BZN/BSN/WAD/BAS/FLK/WIT/MND/WAD/WIT/WAD/Civ
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
THE FEW become One!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,836
Received 2,804 Likes
on
1,194 Posts
Covered also in The Irish Times (10th May)
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/irel...-few-1.4249763
JAS
Irishman is now sole survivor of Winston Churchill’s second World War “Few”
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.
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.
JAS
I wonder if anyone has any information about the last known survivors of the over 50 Royal Navy and Royal Marines Fleet Air Arm officers and men, including four "aces", who flew in the Battle of Britain with 804 NAS and 808 NAS and several Royal Air Force fighter squadrons.
Jack
Jack
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Hoofddorp The Netherlands
Age: 70
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you for posting.
The phrase "Battle of Britain pilot" rolls off the tongue, but Clark's death is a reminder that navigators (observers) and air gunners were also among those who qualified for the Battle of Britain clasp. Most of these served on Blenheim squadrons, many of which were transferred from Coastal to Fighter Command during the battle. Indeed when I dealt in medals, the only Battle of Britain group which ever passed through my hands had been awarded to a Blenheim air gunner,and it also had the 'Atlantic" clasp on the recipient's Aircrew Europe Star.
RIP
RIP
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,836
Received 2,804 Likes
on
1,194 Posts
Take a bow, Nutty - pun intended! Your first post on the subject led me to the second link, so well done on posting it as well. Just a pity the lady doesn't play the dark blue "Reveille"....
Jack
Jack
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,836
Received 2,804 Likes
on
1,194 Posts
She plays Rouse which is it under another name I believe.
That is quite beautiful. Thank you!
FAA Museum Perhaps?
I wonder if anyone has any information about the last known survivors of the over 50 Royal Navy and Royal Marines Fleet Air Arm officers and men, including four "aces", who flew in the Battle of Britain with 804 NAS and 808 NAS and several Royal Air Force fighter squadrons.
Jack
Jack
TN.
Gluttons for punishment can hear the full dark blue "Reveille" at No 13 and "Rouse" at No 14 on
I was always amused that there was a bugle call for "Belay the Last Bugle Call"!
Meanwhile, back on track, VMT for the thought TN - I might put them to the test.
Jack
Jack
Can't help being struck by the irony that the last of the Battle of Britain pilots is an Irishman. How very Irish! ☘️
Last edited by XV490; 11th May 2020 at 16:23.
Indeed, and it is only been in recent years that the Irish government has sought to put right the appalling treatment it meted out to those of its citizens, and there were many, who joined the allied forces in their fight against the Nazis, preferring that to staying home in safety. Members of the Irish armed forces who joined the British Army, Royal Navy or RAF were treated as deserters, and were punished on their return to Ireland after the war. One of those punishments was that they were barred from any employment in the public service for a period of seven years. It was as late as 2013 that the Irish Government enacted an amnesty which admitted that those so called "deserters" had been harshly treated" Thankfully now the general Irish attitude to WW2 is far removed from that of the DeValera government, which sought to appease those of its citizens whose hatred of the British led them to support the German cause. I speak as someone of Irish ancestry who sees that country's actions during and after WW2 as a stain on its history.
Tankertrashnav – de Valera also famously expressed his condolences on Hitler's death to the German embassy in Dublin.
So much has changed in the Republic of Ireland in the past 75 years – particularly since 2000. My mother (born in Co Monaghan in 1910) would not recognise it.
So much has changed in the Republic of Ireland in the past 75 years – particularly since 2000. My mother (born in Co Monaghan in 1910) would not recognise it.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Somewhere flat
Age: 68
Posts: 5,558
Likes: 0
Received 45 Likes
on
30 Posts
I wonder if anyone has any information about the last known survivors of the over 50 Royal Navy and Royal Marines Fleet Air Arm officers and men, including four "aces", who flew in the Battle of Britain with 804 NAS and 808 NAS and several Royal Air Force fighter squadrons.
Jack
Jack
To say nothing of the aircrew of Bomber Command who were also referred to as "The Few" in Churchill's speech.
