Paddy Finucane became the youngest Royal Air Force Wing commander at 21

Paddy Finucane was an Irish fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Nicknamed Spitfire Paddy, he distinguished himself during the Battle of Britain by accumulating at least 28 official victories and becoming in June 1942 the youngest Wing commander of the institution at the age of 21. His career ended on 15 July 1942 when his aircraft was damaged in combat, forcing him to ditch in the English Channel where he disappeared.