Thread: Last Canadian Battle of Britain Pilot Honoured

He’s believed to be the last Canadian Battle of Britain pilot
living in Canada, and today John Stewart Hart will be honoured with a CF-18 flyby over his home in Naramata near Penticton.

Hart recently celebrated his 100th birthday. The retired squadron leader fought in the Battle of Britain in the Second World War and helped save the United Kingdom from falling into the hands of Nazi Germany.

Hart flew the famous Supermarine Spitfire with the Royal Air Force.

The Naramata resident turned 100 on September 11, but the flyby is happening today to commemorate the 76 anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

“I just happened to be born in Sackville, N.B., 100 years ago, happened to be accepted to the RAF in 1939 and ended up flying Spitfires in the Battle of Britain, and I survived,” he said. “I would like to take this recognition and dedicate it to those who fought and died and to those who survived, that we do not forget them,” said Hart.

The flyby will take place at 2 p.m. over Naramata at no less than 1,000 feet for safety reasons.

Been watching two CF-18's buzzing the area a couple of hours ago...Fooking brilliant..."Straight at the house," at times, it seemed...My grandson ran screaming into the house from the sheer sound, as well...

The "Big Show" at 2:00 pm is less than an hour away...

Imagine flying one of those Spitfires and you're one of the last alive to have participated...

100 yrs old...Good on the old gent...

Yes, B B, we sure owe those good old fella's a lot.
A big thank you from peaches.

A great tribute to a fine man. Without him and many other foreign pilots flying with the RAF the Battle of Britain could so easily have been lost.
Salute.

Cheers, guys...I wonder how he felt...100 years old...And they put a pin on his house on the map on the wall and picked him out in the world's largest country, save one, and blasted over his pad, giving the old heart one good final charge...

How about a formation of 60 Hueys swooping down your valley in a proud salute as you crank up yer CCR and watch the escort fighters tip their wings overhead?...

Fast forward in time...Maybe...

I was driving when I heard the final roar...Unmistakable, that sound...Must've been after 4:00 pm...Thought they were long gone...

I pulled over...Everybody pulling over...Out the car...Eyes to the sky...

Watched 'til they were specks...And the reverberations were a memory of a time

Long ago...