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.

The last surviving Battle of Britain pilot, John "Paddy" Hemingway, has died at the age of 105. Mr Hemingway, who was originally from Dublin, joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a teenager before World War Two.

Group Captain John “Paddy” Hemingway, who has died aged 105, was the last surviving pilot of “The Few”, the men of Fighter Command who fought in the Battle of Britain. During his wartime career as a fighter pilot,