John “Paddy” Hemingway, the last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain, has died at the age of 105, the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) announced. He “passed away peacefully” on Monday, with the RAF describing his death as “the end of an era.”

Hemingway was among “The Few,” the RAF pilots who defended Britain against Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe in 1940. The term was coined by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who famously said, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Prince William and Prime Minister Keir Starmer led tributes to Hemingway, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery. “We owe so much to Paddy and his generation for our freedoms today,” Prince William wrote on social media. “Their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered. We shall never forget them.”

Starmer also praised Hemingway’s service, saying, “Eighty years ago, the courage and determination of Paddy and all our brave RAF pilots helped bring an end to the Second World War.” He noted that Hemingway never considered himself a hero, often calling himself the “Lucky Irishman.”

Born in Dublin in 1919, Hemingway enlisted in the RAF in 1938. During the Battle of Britain, he survived multiple close calls, including bailing out of his Hurricane fighter twice in August 1940. He later served as an air fighter controller during the 1944 D-Day operations.

The RAF described him as “a quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual” who embodied the spirit of those who fought for freedom. His passing marks “a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II.”