A 102-year-old World War Two veteran has said he fears the world is returning to those ‘difficult times’ as he remembers his hero D-Day friend.
Jack Hemmings, 102-years-old, is one of Britain’s oldest wartime pilots said his time serving in the Second World War was ‘the making of him’.
He helped lead a squadron protecting the Bay of Bengal in India so ships could continue to deliver goods to and from the UK without being destroyed.
Despite his time in the military being one of the important periods of his life, he fears the UK is only inching closer to the horrors of another world war.
Speaking at Normandy, France on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy beach landings, Mr Hemmings told Metro: ‘I am worried we have already returned to the difficult times of war.
‘If someone wants to invade us – they will. Leaders need to start preparing and devote all their energy into striving for peace.’
But he says the answer does not lie in Rishi Sunak’s promise to bring back National Service if the Conservative Party win the July 4 General Election.
Mr Hemmings said: ‘I can’t see any logic or reason behind it. It can help lead people out of a narrow life and give them the opportunity to see the world, but that’s it.
‘There is no justification for it, it’ll just take people away from living their daily lives as they want to.’
During his trip to Normandy, Mr Hemmings will be remembering his late friend Stuart King, who thought on the beaches and single-handedly captured a group of German soldiers after falling into a group of them in a trench.
Mr King sadly passed away in 2020 without a proper funeral.
Remembering his friend, Mr Hemmings said: ‘He was incredibly brave on D-Day, ducking under the shower of machine gun fire, and his squadron was constantly under attack.
‘He fell into a trench full of German soldiers, and without missing a beat he pulled out his shot gun and they all surrendered to him.
‘To his comrade’s surprise he managed to make his way back to them, but with about six German soldiers with their arms in the air.’
Mr Hemmings will be retracing his best friend’s steps to Normandy for the first time, honouring and remembering Stuart and others who served in the liberation of France.
The D-Day landings helped turn the tide in favour of the allied forces, with 156,000 troops landing on the beach by sea and air.
It would ultimately defeat Nazi Germany and liberate Western Europe, leading to the end of the Second World War.
Mr Hemmings first joined the Royal Air Force in 1941, and was charged with protecting the Bag of Bengal from Japanese invasion until 1946.
After leaving the service he received the Air Forces Cross for exemplary gallantry while flying and joined the MAF helps fly aid to those in need in Africa.
While in the army, Mr Hemmings was subject to a number of near-death experiences, including being shot while in the air.
‘I had the distinction of being the only one to be seriously hit by enemy fire. There was a loud bang behind my head as something in the radio exploded.
‘I was knocked flat out. I don’t recall the rest, but the chaps kindly pulled me out.’
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