World War I Veteran(s)

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

"There's no secret to enjoying a long life, my advice would be just to live a clean life," he said.

 

Might explain his absence from the Miners Arms on those two occasions I challenged him to a fight.

[Ninja Turnip 0]

Life isn't about how long you get, but what you do with the time you have. Live for today i say, tomorrow never comes anyway.

[Godot 149]

It's the 90th anniversary of the first day of the battle of the Somme on July 1st, the last big WW1 memorial event where there might be a chance of a veteran taking part. The Thiepval monument has the names of 75,000 British and Commonwealth dead who have no known grave. Some 20,000 allied troops and I know not how many Germans died on that one day of battle. Not many survivors left now. Are any left from the Somme?

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

Are any left from the Somme?

 

Not any more, I don't think.

 

Harry Patch fought at Passachendale, but I think the last Somme survivor died last year.

 

EDIT

 

After researching a bit further, there is one. Maurice Floquet, a Frenchman, now 111, is not only the sole remaining Somme survivor but probably the last survivor who joined the war at its start in 1914.

[Guest Guest]

There were some people who served in both World Wars. Am I right in assuming none of the smattering of WW1 vets fall into this category.

 

If so, does anyone know when the last person in this group died?

 

In the UK there are two still alive who served in both wars. Kenneth Cummins, born 1900, served in Royal Naval Reserve in 1918 escorting troopships in the South Atlantic. Joined P&O Lines between the wars. Served on troopships in Second War. Returned to P&O after WW2. William Stone joined Royal Navy 1918, later took part in escorting Russian convoys, Dunkirk evacuation and Sicily landings. Left Navy in 1945. see HMS Hood Association for details of his life.

[Windsor 2,233]

I would imagine that most of the WW1 veterans alive today had service in both wars.

 

There was a range of posts they could take which entitled them to the Defence Medal and thus war service.

 

Most of the veterans alive today would have been aged between 40-50 so they were hardly pensioners and more than able to serve in the Home Guard and other various efforts.

[Lady Die 63]

Just seen on BBC News website that the death of the last WWII veteran will be marked by a state funeral. Link

 

Not sure why they can't do the same for the last WWI veteran.

 

EDIT : It is WWI. There was a typo on the BBC website! And it's not a state funeral, it's a memorial service.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

EDIT : It is WWI. There was a typo on the BBC website! And it's not a state funeral, it's a memorial service.

 

I think that's the best solution. Otherwise you'd have people coming out of the woodwork saying such & such was a veteran and we'd have loads of state funerals. Allingham & Patch, who have as good a chance as any of being that last one were against a state funeral anyway.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Aye, I think it's the best way too. But, could our veterans ever have a more fitting memorial than this?

[Tempus Fugit 214]

George Johnson, probably California's last WWI veteran.

 

Died aged 112.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

The total's under 60 for the first time.

 

Basically, it's 57 verified WWI veterans.

 

PLUS;

3 who joined up AFTER WWI, but the US still count as WWI era.

2 who are even bigger fakers than Jane Tomlinson and are basically talking bullshit about their lives.

4 Poles who aren't verified, and one of whom is almost certainly dead.

 

Even taking the Poles into account, at least one of them looks on very dodgy ground, so, depending on your point of view, there's just 57 or 59 veterans left - rapidly dwindling, but not perhaps as much as we thought at the start of the year.

 

Thus, I feel confident there will still be 5-10 veterans left to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of WWI in 2008. Whether they will be ones that actually fought (ie Harry Patch) or ones in training (ie a lot of them), we shall see.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

More WW1 veterans found.

 

One of those rediscovered, Francois Jaffre, has died, on the 22 September.

 

The lack of newspaper coverage thus far means picking a WWI survivor for a DP is a bit dodgy, as the media will coo at them some of the time, but not all of the time - Harry Newcombe a case in point.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Surviving British combatants mind; Harry Patch, Henry Allingham are certs for obits and coverage. I F*****g hope they are anyway, my Old and in the Way CPDP team is banking on one result from that brace this year. Winter's comin' cold damp mornings, old old lungs, c'mon guys!

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Observer reported yesterday that Henry Allingham went to Germany to meet the oldest surviving vet over there and will be travelling to France to lay another wreath soon. In their words he was 'setting the pace,' re the surviving vets.

 

Go Henry!

 

Edited to include a link to the Daily Mirror 'exclusive' on the same story, here.

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

"Respect."

 

Possibly the most misused and abused word in the English language. At the weekend I took my young niece out and about in London Town. On the back of the bus we were travelling on, a motley collection of pissants and crackheads were falling into the usual routine of petty infighting and threatened violence, in which every other word was F**k, C**t and W**ker.

 

" You better F*****g give me some F*****g respect, you C**t."

 

" I ain't giving you no F*****g respect, I'll F*****g bat ya, you C**t." etc.

 

 

It must be said that I have more respect for Mr. Allingham for his ability to live the good life, despite all he has been through as part of the 'Lost Generation' than I will ever had for these amoebae. Respect must be earned, not demanded. Let's hope that when he finally leves us, Henry has a dirty Scotch in one hand, a dirty lass on the end of his tallywhacker and a collection of his favourite songs blasting out through a whacking pair of speakers.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

And he's on the back of a bus saying to the young uns.....'Check this out you c**ts!'

[Godot 149]

As remembrance Sunday approaches this site featuring WW1 colour photographs makes the Great War seem not quite so distant. Not many battlefield scenes though.

[Canadian Paul 97]

As remembrance Sunday approaches this site featuring WW1 colour photographs makes the Great War seem not quite so distant. Not many battlefield scenes though.

 

Fascinating. I think that all the glorious WWII movies have eclipsed the first Great War... someone should really do an epic in colour about WWI and bring it to life... these photographs are distinctly unique but, as can be expected with the technology of the time, not really much for action shots.

 

Where's Saving Private Heinz?

[Banshees Scream 110]

George Johnson, probably California's last WWI veteran.

 

Died aged 112.

 

112 years old. What a life. But what to think of it?

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

Maurice Floquet, France's oldest man of all time, 3rd oldest man in the world, and who was the only living WWI veteran who fought in all the years of the war, from 1914-1918 is dead. Link (In French)

[themaninblack 2,112]

Maurice Floquet, France's oldest man of all time, 3rd oldest man in the world, and who was the only living WWI veteran who fought in all the years of the war, from 1914-1918 is dead. Link (In French)

 

Not long now eh?

 

Who wants to wager when the last WWI veteran goes over the top for the last time?

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

Floquet was also the last survivor of the Somme.

 

 

Oh..... last veteran to die... Probably about 2009/2010.

 

But what you might see in 2007, is a lot dying, but the handful that remain, remain for some while.

[themaninblack 2,112]

Floquet was also the last survivor of the Somme.

 

 

Oh..... last veteran to die... Probably about 2009/2010.

 

But what you might see in 2007, is a lot dying, but the handful that remain, remain for some while.

 

Yeah, I think about 2011 (imagine if the last death was on 11/11/11?)

 

What's the betting at least one newspaper (prob Guardian/Independent) would have

the front page headline 'The Last Post'?

 

Make no mistake, when the last one goes we'll all know about it......

[Canadian Paul 97]

Governor honours Florida's oldest veteran.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

OoO: But what you might see in 2007, is a lot dying.

 

There's a shitload of deadpool points riding on that very chance. I've got Allingham and Patch, amongst others, in my theme team on the CPDP, given my current luck that'd be a break.