Last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain dies at 105

The last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain in 1940 has died at the age of 105. This was confirmed Tuesday by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) which described his death as "the end of an era."

John "Paddy" Hemingway died Monday, the RAF said in a statement released to international news media. The veteran was part of a group of pilots known as "The Few," a term coined by Winston Churchill, Britain's prime minister at the time.

These pilots were those who participated in the air defense of the United Kingdom during the Second World War.

Hemingway was born in Dublin in 1919, and joined the RAF in 1938, a year before the outbreak of the conflict in Europe. In 1940, during the Battle of Britain, he shot down a German Luftwaffe plane, but his Hurricane was hit by gunfire and had to make an emergency landing, the RAF outlined in its brief.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to him on his social media on Tuesday, stressing that he "never considered himself a hero," but "a man who was simply doing his job, like so many others of his generation." The politician added that "His sense of duty and service guaranteed our freedom and we will never forget them."

Also Prince William, heir to the British throne, wrote a farewell message on X for John Hemingway: "We owe much to Paddy and his generation for the freedoms we enjoy today. We will always remember his bravery and sacrifice."