A former Battle of Britain hero has met with the daughter of a little girl who helped him escape from German forces nearly 80 years ago after his Spitfire was shot down over Italy.
Irishman John Hemingway, known as Paddy, had already survived once when he was shot down in his Hurricane by the Luftwaffe as he defended English skies in 1940.
Now 104-year-old John, the last surviving pilot from The Few, had a heart-tugging reunion with the family who saved him when he was shot down again in April 1945.
Pilot Officer John had been on a reconnaissance mission tracking the retreat of German troops from Ferrara as Allied forces drove them out of Italy.
But his Mk IX Spitfire was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and John bailed out behind German lines, badly gashing his legs.
He was about to be captured by Nazi troops when nine-year-old Carla Fabbri from nearby Copparo spotted him and led him to a small farmhouse.
Single-handedly she found him food and civilian clothes so he could disguise himself as a local as she directed him back to Allied lines.
Decades later John sought out Carla in an appeal in local Italian newspapers so he could finally thank her for saving his life.
But, say reports, she had died before he could find her.
His plea, however, did not go unanswered, and on 20th June John was able to hug Carla’s daughter Lina Volpi in an emotional reunion at his home in Foxrock Village near Dublin.
Lina remembered her mother’s wartime stories word for word so even 79 years later she knew John immediately and what he had meant to her mum.
As a special memento, she brought him some of the wreckage of his Spitfire mounted in a frame, unearthed from the crash site by Archeologi dell’Aria
Lina told local media: “When he saw it, his eyes lit up. When I shook his hand, I immediately thought that the same hand, 79 years ago, had held my mother’s, and at that moment, I felt her very close.
“It was an emotion truly difficult to describe.”
Lina and her own daughter Lidia Mastellari also brought John delicacies from their home town – a traditional cookie called brazadela and sweet peaches in chocolate.
Lina said: “There was a person at the meeting whose mother was Italian but knew very little Italian, which made communication complicated but perhaps more exciting, with many ‘I’m very happy’ and ‘I’m very lucky’ from both sides.”
Lina said although her mother was a very modest person, it would have made her very happy to know she was remembered.
She said: “I thanked Paddy because I never felt my mother so close.”
Lina continued: “He showed me the medals from all his campaigns but said that the Italian one was the most beautiful, as it connected him with strong and generous people.
“Despite being 104 years old, he is a clear-headed and patient person: he managed to taste and appreciate the brazadela cookie.
“Paddy honoured me with his autograph.
“Next month, he will turn 105, having lived with great heart and generosity.”
And she said his and her mother’s story should be an inspiration for today’s young people.
She said: “Do not forget, and tell your children this story.”
Determined John survived the entire war flying Hurricanes and Spitfires, where the life expectancy for pilots was just four weeks.
He lived to see his Battle of Britain Hurricane found in Pitsea Marshes, Essesx, decades later and is now hoping to see it rebuilt next year.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
