Last month saw the last of "The Few" pass way. John 'Paddy' Hemingway, the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain died at the age of 105. John was one of many aircrews who defended our country in its hour of need. Taking to the skies time and again to repel the Nazis and thwart their invasion of these islands and protecting the freedoms we hold dear today.
For me, John's death brought into sharp focus how close we are as a Nation to losing the living memory of the war. Most of us, myself included, learned mostly about the war from studying it at school.
A few of us may have sat at the feet of our grandparents or parents and heard tales of daring do, or witnessed the quiet dignity of a loved one pulling on a beret and a jacket full of exotic medals for Remembrance Day. But as the years progress the faces become frailer and fewer in number.
Our Nation has a real opportunity this year, 80 years from the end of the Second World War, to inject a sense of national pride.
To build a foundation of understanding. And to use the final remaining, living memories of the greatest generation to not only restore a sense of nationhood but to teach the younger generation about the reality of war in Europe, the real sense of threat we faced and what our forefathers did to defend us.
And we should do it through a bank holiday. Whilst this may sound trivial, amidst the likely coverage of VE-Day, which will be on a Thursday in May, the truth is, outside those who are deeply invested and interested in our National discourse, the day will pass most people by as they go to work or school.
Link to original, published on GB News on 08 April 2025.
