Battle of Britain 85th Anniversary Commemoration Display

The Battle of Britain 85th anniversary commemoration display, 19th September 2025

Remembering the few with an RAF Spitfire display

After the fall of France and the British evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940, Germany was poised to invade the United Kingdom. But standing in their way were the brave fighter pilots of RAF command.

And when the two armies met in the air, the most desperate and ferocious period of World War II aerial combat commenced – the Battle of Britain, which took place from 10^th July to 31^st October 1940.

The Spitfire and Hurricane pilots in the skies were supported by a vast ground crew of riggers, armourers and engineers. Their fighter aircraft were ferried to and from maintenance depots by the men and women of the Air Transport Auxiliary. And the vigilant Observer Corps scanned the skies 24 hours a day searching for enemy aircraft.

Without the contributions of every man and woman who defended Britain from Axis invasion, the world as we know it today would look very different indeed.

That’s why our Spitfire H.F. IXe SM520 (G-ILDA) joined with the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) in September 2025 to commemorate the conflict’s 85^th anniversary.

And sat behind G-ILDA’s controls was a very special guest – astronaut Tim Peake.

The day of the Battle of Britain 85th anniversary flight

15^th September is generally recognised as Battle of Britain Day.

That’s when this year’s RAF Spitfire display commemorating WWII pilots was originally going to take place. But poor weather and strong winds meant it had to be delayed.

Thankfully, Friday 19^th September 2025 provided perfect weather for the Battle of Britain Day flypast to go ahead.

The formation was led by Squadron Leader Mark Sugden, MBE, piloting the BBMF’s historic Spitfire P7350. This fighter is the last airworthy Spitfire that actually flew in the Battle of Britain in 1940, making it a truly important piece of Spitfire history!

Completing the aircraft line-up were two further fighters from the BBMF – a Spitfire Mk XIX and a Hawker Hurricane – and G-ILDA from Spitfires.com.

Our plane, a two-seat Spitfire specially painted in Battle of Britain scheme for this year’s British aviation tribute, was piloted by Tim Peake.

An ex-military pilot himself, Tim joined the RAF airshow commemoration to help shine a light on the importance of remembering this period of UK history.

He said:

As a military pilot, it was a huge honour for me to take part in today's Battle of Britain memorial flight and to recognize the sacrifice and incredible contribution of so many brave men and women during the summer of 1940. Not just air crew, but ground crew, flight controllers and so many more who helped to achieve that success.

It's hard to overstate the debt of gratitude that we owe those brave people and today's flight went a long way in recognizing their incredible contribution and keeping their memories alive.

Departing from Lee on Solent airfield in Hampshire, the Battle of Britain Day 85^th anniversary flight travelled along the south coast towards Folkestone.

The display commenced at 11:00 am over the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel Le Ferne near Folkstone, where a huge crowd had gathered to share in our aerial tribute to the Few.

And once the display was over, G-ILDA returned to RAF Goodwood, home of Spitfires.com and another prominent airbase in the Battle of Britain.

The significance of the memorial: Commemorating the Few

The Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel Le Ferne is the UK’s national memorial to Churchill’s Few.

In August 1940, Winston Churchill delivered the famous quote during a speech to the House of Commons amid the Battle of Britain: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

This quote is a tribute to the sacrifice and courage of a small number of Allied aircrew who stood against the overwhelming power of the German Luftwaffe to protect the British public – and the world.

The memorial commemorating the heroic and selfless deeds of the Few sits on top of the white cliffs, looking towards France. It was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 9^th July 1993 in remembrance of WWII air combat.

Following the Battle of Britain Day flypast, Mark Sugden said:

“This flypast was all about remembering the Battle of Britain, Churchill’s Few who fought in the most decisive battle of the Second World War. They proved through resilience, determination, that the German war machine could be beaten. They were outnumbered but not outclassed. We must never forget their efforts and their bravery.”

Remembering the last of the Few: A tribute to PAddy Hemingway

Group Captain John Allman 'Paddy' Hemingway as a young man

2025 has been a poignant year in British aviation history. That’s because it saw the passing of the last of Churchill’s Few, Paddy Hemingway, on 17 March, at 105 years old.

Group Captain John Allman Hemingway, DFC, AE – known as Paddy Hemingway – was an Irish fighter pilot who served in the RAF during the Second World War.

Paddy took part in many of the key conflicts in WWII. He flew in the Battle of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, and served as an air fighter controller in the Allied Invasion of Italy and the Invasion of Normandy.

He was shot down 4 times during the war, and forced to bail out several more.

But every time he raced to get back in the pilot seat!

Paddy Hemingway and the Battle of Britain

Paddy was born in Dublin on 17^th July 1919.

He was accepted into the RAF in March 1938 at 18 years old. And he received his wings a year later at 19 years old.  

From there, the young pilot entered service with No 85 Squadron RAF in France.

Shortly after beginning service, on 11^th May 1940 Paddy was forced to make a crash landing near Maastricht in the Dutch/Belgian border region after his aeroplane was damaged by anti-aircraft flak. After that, he walked for 3 days to get to a British base.

When he arrived, the British army brought him to Lille-Seclin, and he returned to England two days later.

That meant he was in the country just as the Battle of Britain was about to begin.

On 18^th August 1940, known as The Hardest Day in the Battle of Britain, Paddy’s Hurricane V7249 was shot down by a Junkers Ju 88 near the Thames estuary.

The crew of a Lightship saw his bail out from the failing plane and sent a lifeboat out to rescue him. But after two hours of searching with no sight of Paddy, the crew gave up hope.

Suddenly, they heard a noise. And when they followed it, they found Paddy and pulled him on board. After that, Paddy returned to his squadron ready to take the pilot’s seat once again.

Just over a week later, at 3:00 pm on 26^th August 1940, Paddy was shot down once again, this time over the Essex marshes. He bailed out and was rescued by the Home Guard. And by 10:30 pm that same day, Paddy was back with the No 85 Squadron once again.

After the Battle of Britain, Paddy continued to fly. And on 29^th July 1942, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in London by His Majesty King George VI.

But as was becoming habit for Paddy, his journey was anything but smooth. That’s because the RAF flight he had boarded to reach London crashed during take-off! Thankfully, Paddy survived unharmed.

Paddy received several promotions in the years following World War II, climbing the ranks from flight lieutenant in January 1946 up to group captain in January 1969. He retired in September that same year.

With the last of the Few now gone, it’s up to the people of today to carry their torch and remember the brave pilots who kept our country safe.

Commemorate the Few with a Spitfire flight experience

Even if you weren’t in attendance for the Battle of Britain 85^th anniversary flight, you can keep the spirit of the Few alive with your own Spitfire flight experience.

With 10 airbases nationwide, you can fly the same skies over the English Channel or choose another destination that fascinates you.

And it’s not just a ride along. You can fly the plane yourself with no experience required!

Book your Spitfire flight experience today to celebrate the legacy of Britain’s most iconic WWII fighter aircraft.