Nigel Farage has paid tribute to John "Paddy" Hemingway, the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot, who died aged 105 on Monday.
The Reform UK leader said the RAF veterans have "something incredibly romantic in our folk history".
The Royal Air Force announced that Hemingway "passed away peacefully", describing his death as "the end of an era".
Hemingway was among the pilots known as "The Few" who defended Britain against Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe in 1940.
Speaking to GB News, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "There’s just something incredibly romantic in our folk history about this particular group of people.
"I also think the Spitfire is part of that. There are now more Spitfires flying than there have been for decades because they’re restoring old ones and putting them back in the air.
"The distinctive sound of the Merlin engine, the beauty of the shape there’s just something about it. Even though it’s associated with war and death, there’s still something romantic about the Spitfire now.
"I met him once, at Hendon, at the RAF Museum. But I knew some of the others very well.
"It’s a great shame, because the 80th anniversary of the battle, of course, fell during lockdown. So, like the little museum in Shoreham that I’m part of, we weren’t able to celebrate the 80th in the way we’d have liked.
"I Just read Robert Hardman’s piece in today’s Daily Mail, a three-page interview with Hemingway, aged 104, who was shot down four times and escaped through German lines in Italy.
"What can we learn? What we can learn is that even when the odds are against you, which they were, if you’re determined, if you believe in what you’re doing, and you have the right cause, you can win through."
The RAF described him as a "quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual" who "embodied the spirit of all those who flew sorties" over Britain.
Hemingway's wartime exploits were remarkable. In 1940, he downed a German Luftwaffe plane but his Hurricane fighter was hit by anti-aircraft fire, forcing a landing.
He destroyed a German airliner in 1940 and downed another Luftwaffe plane the following day.
During intense dogfights in August 1940, Hemingway was forced to bail out of his Hurricanes twice, landing once in the sea and another time in marshland.
As a member of 'Eleven Group', his logbook recorded a staggering five daily attacks at the height of the confrontation.
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The Reform UK leader said the RAF veterans have "something incredibly romantic in our folk history".
The Royal Air Force announced that Hemingway "passed away peacefully", describing his death as "the end of an era".
Hemingway was among the pilots known as "The Few" who defended Britain against Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe in 1940.
Speaking to GB News, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "There’s just something incredibly romantic in our folk history about this particular group of people.
"I also think the Spitfire is part of that. There are now more Spitfires flying than there have been for decades because they’re restoring old ones and putting them back in the air.
"The distinctive sound of the Merlin engine, the beauty of the shape there’s just something about it. Even though it’s associated with war and death, there’s still something romantic about the Spitfire now.
"I met him once, at Hendon, at the RAF Museum. But I knew some of the others very well.
"It’s a great shame, because the 80th anniversary of the battle, of course, fell during lockdown. So, like the little museum in Shoreham that I’m part of, we weren’t able to celebrate the 80th in the way we’d have liked.
"I Just read Robert Hardman’s piece in today’s Daily Mail, a three-page interview with Hemingway, aged 104, who was shot down four times and escaped through German lines in Italy.
"What can we learn? What we can learn is that even when the odds are against you, which they were, if you’re determined, if you believe in what you’re doing, and you have the right cause, you can win through."
The RAF described him as a "quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual" who "embodied the spirit of all those who flew sorties" over Britain.
Hemingway's wartime exploits were remarkable. In 1940, he downed a German Luftwaffe plane but his Hurricane fighter was hit by anti-aircraft fire, forcing a landing.
He destroyed a German airliner in 1940 and downed another Luftwaffe plane the following day.
During intense dogfights in August 1940, Hemingway was forced to bail out of his Hurricanes twice, landing once in the sea and another time in marshland.
As a member of 'Eleven Group', his logbook recorded a staggering five daily attacks at the height of the confrontation.
Find Out More...