One of Britain's last Spitfire fighter pilots, Ken Wilkinson, has died at the age of 99. The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust (BBMT) said Mr Wilkinson from Solihull, West Midlands, passed away on Monday,
The BBMT, in a statement, announced the death of Mr Wilkinson 'with great sadness', with Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Chief of the Air Staff saying: "On behalf of a grateful nation and the whole of the RAF, I would like to pay tribute to Flying Officer Ken Wilkinson AE who has sadly passed away.
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"Ken, as one of 'the few', represented an extraordinary generation to whom we owe a great debt that should never be forgotten, our freedom being won by their sacrifices. Our heartfelt condolences are offered to his family and friends, Ken will be sadly missed by us all."
'The few' was the name that Winston Churchill gave to those who flew in the Battle of Britain. The quote says: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
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Mr Wilkinson was born in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, and seemed destined for a life flying planes. He was the son of an aircraft manufacturer and spent his childhood watching aircraft tests, but joined the RAF and was selected to pilot a Spitfire when war broke out in 1939.
He was assigned to 616 and 619 Squadrons in East Anglia, protecting the industrial cities of central England from the nightly attacks by the German Luftwaffe.
Speaking in 2015, he said: "I was one of the lucky ones. I saw friends fall out of the sky, aircraft go up in flames ... terrible things.
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"I didn't carry any lucky charms, but I did wear a pair of my wife's knickers around my neck" he added.
After the war, he became a chartered surveyor. He was an active member of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association right up until his death. The Battle of Britain Memorial trust described him as 'a true gentleman who we shall miss dearly'.
Flying Officer Ken Wilkinson is survived by his daughter, Penny and his grandson, Piers.
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