There are only four British soldiers left now from the great war. One of FIVE remaining First World War veterans has died. Leicester-born Sydney Lucas died on Tuesday in his adopted home town of Rosebud, near Melbourne, Australia. He was 108. Of the five million men and women who served in Britain's armed forces in the First World War, only four are still alive. Henry Allingham, 112, Harry Patch, 110, and Bill Stone, 108, live in Britain while Claude Choules, 107, lives in Australia. Health permitting, the three British-based veterans will lead a two-minute silence at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate Armistice Day next Tuesday. Liam Creedon, Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ing-first-world-war-veterans-dies-998208.html Henry Allingham, the oldest, is a great old man. He is as sharp as a tack, and talks about the war as though it happened yesterday.
We should give very old people great respect, because they connect us directly to the past. In a way, they make the past present. Once all of these men are dead, we will still be able to say "It must have been terrible in the trenches in the first world war.", but we will have no-one to communicate it to us directly. There's a difference. I thought when I heard the news that it was Henry Allingham that had died. He has been famous in the UK over the past few years. I felt like it was a grandfather that had gone.
Three of the remaining centenarians were at the Cenotaph on tuesday. A beautiful ceremony, spoiled only a little by the presence of the politicians who have sent our young men into an unnecessary brace of modern wars.
Now Henry Allingham has died, aged 113. A great old man, with a lovely character, who will be greatly missed. He was the last volunteer, and a member of the original RAF. The only veteran left now is Harry Patch.
When Harry Patch, who is 111, dies, he should get a state funeral in honour of all the First World War dead. Harry puts his long life down to clean living. He said: “I neither smoke, drink nor gamble. The three sins, leave them alone.” “For many years in Shropshire, I lived quite close to the Welsh mountains. Fresh air, no petrol and no cars, that’s the secret.” (From the BBC site) Henry, in contrast put his longevity down to "Cigarettes, Whisky and Wild Wild women" I think he was joking.
whoa, I didn't know any WWI vets were still alive. So is Harry Patch the only one left alive in the world or in his country?
Henry John "Harry" Patch (born 17 June 1898) is a British supercentenarian, the oldest man in Britain and the last surviving soldier to have fought in the trenches of the First World War.[1] “ Any one of them could have been me. Millions of men came to fight in this war and I find it incredible that I am the only one left. „ —Commenting on graves at a Flanders war cemetery, July 2007, [2] As of July 2009 Patch is one of the last two surviving British veterans of the First World War along with Claude Choules. He is, at the age of 111, the third-oldest verified man in the world, the oldest man in Europe and one of the 70 oldest men ever. Wiki
Harry Patch has now died. All three who were at last years remembrance day, gone in one year. They were very very old men. Harry Patch did not want a military funeral, but he will have a ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The last British veteran left is now Claude Choules, who lives in Australia. Claude Stanley Choules (born 3 March 1901) is, at age 108, the last seaman from World War I, and the last veteran in the world to have served in both world wars. Choules is also the only remaining British WWI veteran, and the last veteran living in Australia. From Wiki Maybe I shouldn't mention him. This thread seems to be the kiss of death to veterans.
Not sure. Nobody is talking about Choules at the moment. I've never seen him on British TV. Possibly Harry was the last British soldier/airman/seaman with battle experience in WWI. He was very anti war. I will be interested to see whether his funeral has many Military influences. I don't think he would have liked that. If it has been highjacked and consists of pageantry, I'll be bloody annoyed. He commemorated WWI on a different date to the rest of us. The date when his three friends were blown to pieces.
There are two other veterans left, neither of whom saw active combat. The other two are American Frank Buckles, 108, and Canadian John Babcock, 109, who both live in the United States.
