Continue reading]]>

Paul Caswell Powe Farnes (Photo Oem89 (CC BY-SA 4.0))

Wing Commander Paul Caswell Powe Farnes, the last surviving ace of the Battle of Britain, passed away on 28 January 2020 aged 101. His death takes place only a few weeks after that of Maurice Mounsdon, and there are now only two surviving Royal Air Force pilots of the Battle of Britain: F/L William Clark and F/O John Hemingway.

Born on 16 July 1918, Paul Farnes joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in April 1938. He was mobilized in July 1939 and was assigned to No 501 Squadron RAF . He took part in the Battle of France, claiming two shared victories against bombers and an individual victory against a Heinkel He 111. After the retreat from France, he took part in the battle of Britain, claiming another five aerial victories, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in October 1940.

He later served in Malta, North Africa and the United-Kingdom. After the war, he remained in the RAF until his retirement in 1958 with the rank of Wing Commander.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Paul Farnes.

Sources:

• The Telegraph | Wing Commander Paul Farnes, Second World War fighter ace – obituary
• The Washington Post | Paul Farnes, last surviving ace of the Battle of Britain, dies at 101
• Wikipedia | Paul Farnes
• BBC | Battle of Britain ace fighter pilot Paul Farnes dies aged 101