Last WWII British Pilot Dies at 105
- 【Yahoo 新聞報道】英國皇家空軍（Royal Air Force, RAF）表示，最後一名在不列顛戰役（Battle of Britain）生還的飛行員海明威（John "Paddy" Hemingway）已經在周一（17 日）於出生地愛爾蘭都柏林安詳離世，終年 105 歲。皇家空軍表示，海明威先生的去世標誌著「一個時代的結束」，並深刻提醒大家那些在二戰中「為自由而戰的人所作出的犧牲」。英國首相施紀賢（Keir Starmer）亦向海明威致敬，指他和所有皇家空軍飛行員的勇氣幫助了結束二戰，「確保了我們的自由」。
- 海明威在 1919 年 7 月於都柏林出生，1938 年 3 月加入 RAF。不列顛戰役在他 21 歲當年爆發，為了抵擋納粹德軍對英國的進攻計劃，英方派出近 2,000 架軍機，跟軍機數量多 1 倍的軸心國交戰 3 個多月，而海明威當時是其中一名戰鬥機飛行員，最終英國戰勝，德國放棄了入侵英國本土的作戰計劃。
- 戰時服役期間，海明威有過 5 次從飛機逃生的經歷。其中兩次發生在 1940 年 8 月的空戰，他被迫從他的颶風式（Hurricane）單座戰鬥機跳傘，分別降落在泰晤士河口跟肯特郡的沿岸。他的颶風式戰鬥機殘骸於 2019 年被尋回，控制桿和開火的按鈕仍然設置為 "Fire"。
【Yahoo 新聞報道】英國皇家空軍（Royal Air Force, RAF）表示，最後一名在不列顛戰役（Battle of Britain）生還的飛行員海明威（John “Paddy” Hemingway）已經在周一（17 日）於出生地愛爾蘭都柏林安詳離世，終年 105 歲。皇家空軍表示，海明威先生的去世標誌著「一個時代的結束」，並深刻提醒大家那些在二戰中「為自由而戰的人所作出的犧牲」。英國首相施紀賢（Keir Starmer）亦向海明威致敬，指他和所有皇家空軍飛行員的勇氣幫助了結束二戰，「確保了我們的自由」。
海明威在 1919 年 7 月於都柏林出生，1938 年 3 月加入 RAF。不列顛戰役在他 21 歲當年爆發，為了抵擋納粹德軍對英國的進攻計劃，英方派出近 2,000 架軍機，跟軍機數量多 1 倍的軸心國交戰 3 個多月，而海明威當時是其中一名戰鬥機飛行員，最終英國戰勝，德國放棄了入侵英國本土的作戰計劃。
服役期間多次跳傘逃生
戰時服役期間，海明威有過 5 次從飛機逃生的經歷。其中兩次發生在 1940 年 8 月的空戰，他被迫從他的颶風式（Hurricane）單座戰鬥機跳傘，分別降落在泰晤士河口跟肯特郡的沿岸。他的颶風式戰鬥機殘骸於 2019 年被尋回，控制桿和開火的按鈕仍然設置為 “Fire”。
在 1941 年 7 月，海明威獲頒卓越飛行十字勳章（Distinguished Flying Cross），以表彰他在執行作戰任務時的英勇行為，不過他在前往獲勳的旅途登上一架飛機，飛機因為在起飛不久墜毀，他當時又要趕忙逃命。
後來，海明威在赫福郡附近的皇家空軍漢斯登（Hunsdon）基地服役，他駕駛的飛機因為惡劣天氣導致儀器故障，他被迫在 600 英呎高空跳傘，但降落傘又被樹枝勾住未能打開，讓他受了輕傷。最後一次，他駕駛噴火式戰機（Spitfire）在意大利作戰期間，因為戰機多次中彈而再一次跳傘，迫降在敵方領土，但幸得當地居民幫助，他最終順利返回盟軍隊列當中。
退役前升至空軍上校
在二戰後，海明威繼續留在英國空軍，隨後被派到中東，亦曾經被派到北約。在退役前他任職英國空軍部1969 年初被擢升為空軍上校，同年 9 月退役。海明威之後曾經跟太太與 3 名孩子搬到加拿大居住，但在 2011 年返到他的出生地愛爾蘭。隨着老兵 William Clark 在
Here’s a breakdown of the article focusing on creating informative Q&A:
Q&A:
Q1: Who was John “Paddy” Hemingway, and why is his passing significant?
A1: John “Paddy” Hemingway was the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain. His death marks “the end of an era” according to the Royal Air Force (RAF) and serves as a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom during World War II. He was a member of the RAF and fought against Nazi Germany’s attempted invasion of Britain, ultimately contributing to the Allied victory.
Q2: When and where did John Hemingway die, and how old was he?
A2: John Hemingway died peacefully on Monday, June 17th, in his birthplace of Dublin, Ireland. He was 105 years old.
Q3: What was the Battle of Britain, and what role did Hemingway play in it?
A3: The Battle of Britain (1940) was a crucial air campaign in which the RAF defended the United Kingdom against the German Luftwaffe’s attempts to gain air superiority in planning for a potential invasion. Hemingway was a fighter pilot during this battle, piloting a Hurricane fighter plane. He was one of roughly 2,000 British fighter pilots facing a much larger Axis force. The RAF’s success in this battle forced Germany to abandon its invasion plans.
Q4: How many times did Hemingway have to escape from his aircraft during his service, and can you describe a specific incident?
A4: Hemingway had to bail out of his aircraft five times during the war. On one occasion, in August 1940, during air combat, he was forced to parachute from his Hurricane fighter twice in the same month, landing in the Thames Estuary and near the Kent coast. In 2019, the wreckage of one of his Hurricanes was found, its firing controls still set to “Fire”.
Q5: What award did Hemingway receive for his service, and what almost happened on the way to receive it?
A5: Hemingway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in July 1941 for acts of valor in combat missions. Ironically,the plane he was travelling on to receive the award crashed shortly after takeoff,forcing him to escape again.
Q6: What other close calls did Hemingway experience during his military service?
A6: Besides the Thames and Kent incidents, Hemingway experienced multiple near-death escapes during his military service:
While stationed at RAF Hunsdon, instrument failure due to bad weather forced him to parachute at 600 feet, but his parachute snagged on a tree, causing minor injuries.
While flying a Spitfire in Italy, his plane was hit multiple times, forcing him to bail out over enemy territory; local people aided him in returning to Allied forces.
Q7: What rank did Hemingway achieve before retiring from the RAF, and what did he do after his military service?
A7: Hemingway rose to the rank of Group Captain (equivalent to Colonel in the US Air Force) before retiring from the RAF in september 1969. After his military career, he lived in Canada with his wife and three children before returning to Ireland in 2011.
Q8: How is Hemingway remembered by UK leaders?
A8: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to Hemingway, acknowledging the courage of him and fellow RAF pilots ended the Second World War and secured freedoms for all.