Date of birth:

July 1919 (Dublin, Ireland)

Service number:

40702

Nationality:

Irish

John Hemingway was born in Dublin in July 1919, was appointed to a short service commission in the Royal Air Force in April 1938 and joined No. 85 Squadron in December of the same year.
He subsequently served in that unit - part of the Advanced Air Striking Force - out in France, and claimed a "share" in a Do. 17 on 11 May 1940, but was compelled to make a forced-landing on the same day, when he was slightly wounded after his Hurricane was hit by flak. As it transpired, this was not to be the only occasion on which Hemingway’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire, and during the frantic days of the Battle of Britain he was twice compelled to take to his parachute - firstly on 18 August 1940, when his Hurricane was hit by the return fire of Ju. 88s over the Thames Estuary and again on the 26th, when shot down by a Me. 109 over Eastchurch. On the former occasion he was fortunate to be fished out of the sea by a passing ship, 12 miles east of Clacton.
Later that year, and still under the leadership of Peter Townsend, No. 85 converted to a night fighter role in Havocs (Douglas A-20),
His final wartime appointment was as C.O. of No. 43 "Fighting Cocks" Squadron, out in Italy in 1945, where he had the misfortune to undertake his third parachute descent when his Spitfire was hit by ground fire on 23 April.
After the war Hemingway stayed in the RAY. Amongst others he was appointed as Base Commander of RAF Leconfield from January 1966 until September 1968. His last posting was with the Combined Military Planning Staff from October 1968 until June 1969.
After that he and was placed on the Retired List in September 1969.
Little is known regarding his life after the RAF.

Promotions:
7th May, 1938: Pilot Officer (P)
7th March, 1939: Pilot Officer (commission)
3th September, 1940: Flying Officer
3th September, 1941: Flight Lieutenant (war sub)
1st January, 1944: Squadron Leader (temp)
6th March, 1946: Squadron Leader (war sub)
5th August, 1947 : Squadron Leader
1st July, 1954: Wing Commander
1st January, 1969: Group Captain

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• - The London Gazette Issue 35206 published on the 1 July 1941
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35284 published on the 23 September 1941
  - Dix Noonan Web
  - The Battle of Britain
  - Photo ID