Jack Hemmings AFC (10 Aug 1921 – 24 Jan 2025)

Jack at the D-Day 80 service at Bayeux Cathedral, France, in June 2024 (credit: Jo Lamb)

Tributes have been pouring in for beloved MAF co-founder Jack Hemmings AFC who died peacefully in his sleep on Friday 24 January at the age of 103. The former RAF squadron leader and pilot achieved so much. We look back on Jack’s incredible life.

In MAF’s 80^th year, the last surviving co-founder of the charity, Jack Hemmings AFC, passed away on 24 January at the age of 103.

Born on 10 August 1921 in Bentham, Yorkshire, to Herbert and Elsie Hemmings, Jack would go on to join the Royal Air Force in 1941 at the age of 19.

Jack wearing his Royal Air Force uniform during World War II (credit: MAF Archive)

At the height of World War II, Jack flew Airspeed Oxfords, Lockheed Hudson and Dakota aircraft. The trusted pilot was promoted to squadron leader of 353 Squadron and was stationed in then Calcutta, tasked with protecting the Bay of Bengal. After becoming a flight commander, Jack was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1946 for ‘exemplary gallantry while flying’.

A lifetime of achievement

Out of the ashes of war, Jack and others like him wanted to use aviation for good, so they established Mission Aviation Fellowship in 1945, which has since become the world’s largest humanitarian airline.

Jack and fellow MAF co-founder Stuart King, undertook the first humanitarian survey flight across central Africa in 1948 to assess the needs of some of the world’s most isolated communities. They set off in a wooden Miles Gemini aircraft named the Mildmay Pathfinder.

Jack (L) & Stuart (R) in front of the Mildmay Pathfinder in Jan 1948 (credit: MAF Archive)

Amongst Jack’s many other achievements, he won the Dungeness to Le Touquet Air Race in 1985. In 1992 – at the age of 71- he trained in aerobatics (aerial acrobatics) and in 2017, he received the RAF’s Master Air Pilot Award.

In 2021, he performed aerobatics for his 100^th birthday. The following year, he took control of a Miles Gemini for the first time in nearly 75 years. For his 101^st birthday, he took control of a Robin DR400. When he took control of a Spitfire last year aged 102, it’s believed he was the oldest British pilot to do so.

To date, Jack has raised over £50,000 for MAF through his fundraising flights.

Jack performing ‘victory rolls’ in a Spitfire in Feb 2024 (credit: Jonathan Buckmaster)

A few close shaves

During his flying career, Jack survived several near-death experiences. He was pulled unconscious from the burning wreckage of a Hudson that encountered an engine failure on take-off.

During World War II whilst flying over Taungup in Burma, his Hudson was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Again, he was pulled unconscious from the wreckage.

Six months into their African humanitarian flight survey in 1948, Jack and Stuart hit a banana tree as they were flying over the Burundi mountains. Their Gemini aircraft was destroyed but miraculously, both men were left unscathed.

In 1997, when co-piloting his Sipa aircraft, one of the wheels fell off the undercarriage causing a catastrophic crash on landing, which broke his neck and ribs. His surgeon said he was unlikely to walk or fly again. Jack proved him wrong, although he did lose nearly an inch in height.

As a result of his death-defying escapades, Jack was affectionately known as ‘Crasher Jack’.

Tributes

Jack was the oldest pilot to fly a Spitfire in Feb 2024 (credit: Jonathan Buckmaster)

Tributes have been pouring in for this remarkable man:

Graeme Muscat – Red Arrows squadron leader
‘To meet an aviator like Jack who has been involved for more than eight decades is a rare and inspiring opportunity.  His selflessness and dedication deserve respect and recognition. The leadership and determination he has shown during both wartime and peace are inspiring. Meeting pilots like Jack and witnessing the positive impact he has achieved through aviation spurs us on to do great things. We can only hope to achieve a fraction of what Jack has.’

Paddy O’Connell – ‘Sunday’ BBC Radio 4 presenter
‘Jack continued to fly the flag for his country and his remarkable generation.  I met him at Biggin Hill in the cold for Radio 4 when he became the oldest man to co-pilot a Spitfire. He wanted to use his time on causes which were bigger than him and which showed credit to aviators, engineers and charity workers.  A true hero and role model.’

The Venerable Dr (Air Vice-Marshal) Giles Legood – Chaplain-in-Chief at the RAF
‘Jack has made an immensurable difference to the lives of many across numerous low-income countries. As one of the founders of MAF, Mr Hemmings has shaped the organisation for nearly 80 years through hard work and personal sacrifice. Indeed, many owe their lives to him and the legacy he has created. His quiet humility, yet determination to make a difference, is inspirational.’

Jack reunites with a Lockheed Hudson at RAF Museum-Nov 2023 (credit: S.Dunsmore)

Kate Hemmings – Jack’s wife
‘When I think of my lovely husband and all the things he did way into his eighties – he earned a ‘flying cross’ before the age of 24, joined MAF and ran a youth group in midlife. When he was 78, he went to Bangladesh to help build a hospital ship. At 80+ he was chair of ARRC in Rye – a charity helping people with disabilities. Oh my lovely Jack, this world will be very strange without you, but you’ve left it a better place for having lavished 103 years of love into it.’

Adrian Hemmings – Jack’s son
‘I remember him as a loving and affectionate father, whose stories in my childhood were filled with adventure and triumph over adversity. He instilled in us a deep respect for others and a genuine interest in people. When he married Kate, his curiosity about the world continued as they travelled in their motor home. He remained playful and humorous throughout his life, always making others feel welcome. It wasn’t until I saw the tiny Gemini aircraft in 2022, that I truly grasped the enormity of his journey to Africa.’

‘Grandpa Jack was a man of boundless energy, joy and love who filled every moment he could with adventure.  Whether hurtling down hills with us on a toboggan, whisking us off to France in his aeroplane for lunch with friends, or building a magnificent treehouse in his 80s, his vitality and passion for life inspired us deeply.

‘When asked in school to write about our hero, rather than choosing a footballer or pop star, all three of us wrote about Grandpa Jack.  Our childhood was filled with magical moments – scanning the sky to spot him doing aerobatics in his plane.  We stood on the trampoline holding handmade signs, hoping he would spot us. Every time we see a little plane in the sky, we will think of him and proudly tell the legend of our remarkable Grandpa Jack.’

William, Beatrice and Olivia Hemmings – Jack’s grandchildren

Runa Khan – founder and CEO of NGO, ‘Friendship’ in Bangladesh – met Jack when he helped convert a river barge into a floating hospital
‘At 78, Jack not only became the first volunteer of Friendship, but took on one of the most demanding and crucial roles. His meticulous discipline, exemplary dedication and ability to inspire those around him ensured the timely and successful completion of the ship. He brought not only technical expertise but also humility, and moral fortitude. His actions were a catalyst for a movement that continues to change lives to this day. Jack embodied the very essence of what it means to serve others.’

Donovan Palmer – CEO of MAF UK
‘I had the privilege of meeting Jack at home shortly after I joined MAF in 2023. I was struck by his humility and deep devotion to those living in isolation and the possibilities that aircraft present to help them. Jack’s life will have impacted more people across the world than he will ever know. It is hugely sad for MAF to lose one of our pioneering founders, but we can be confident that Jack is now enjoying the promises of heaven.’

A few months before he died, Jack summed up his incredible legacy:

‘During our survey in 1948, we could have imagined perhaps half a dozen aircraft in Africa. Today, one cannot count the number of people whose lives have been enriched by MAF’s services. MAF is the Good Samaritan of the skies – aircraft can do a lot of good in a world full of problems.

‘I’ve never got into an aircraft and regretted it. I love flying because I have a feeling of detachment from all the world’s problems. Seeing aircraft used as weapons of war – as we did as young RAF airmen – reminds me of MAF’s initial purpose: to use aeroplanes to bring peace and hope to needy places.’

The late Jack Hemmings AFC (10 Aug 1921 – 24 Jan 2025)

Jack is survived by his wife Kate, son Adrian and three grandchildren – William, Beatrice and Olivia. A thanksgiving service and a private funeral will take place in the coming weeks.

If you would like to donate to MAF in Jack’s memory, please give here.

Jack (R) & Stuart (L) in MAF’s office in Folkestone in Nov 2019 (credit: Jenny Davies)

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