World War II Veterans

[YoungWillz 21,046]

Sir Donald Gosling's goose is cooked: https://www.forces.net/news/wwii-veteran-and-navy-charity-benefactor-sir-donald-gosling-dies

 

Royal Navy, eventually elevated to Vice-Admiral.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

"Lucky" Harry Garrett finally ran out of luck - aged 101: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/sevenoaks/news/tributes-pour-in-for-veteran-lucky-harry-212158/

[YoungWillz 21,046]

Death Notice for a Norman Griffiths: http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/236030/griffiths

 

Probably nobody significant, but it does mention his participation in the Battle of Alam el Halfa, which is worth a read if you are interested in that sort of thing.

[The Old Crem 3,605]

Lord Bramall has died aged 95.

[gcreptile 10,972]

Last living member of the Hiroshima bombing crew, Russel Gackenback, has died at 96:

https://www.fox13news.com/news/last-living-link-to-hiroshima-bombing-mission-passes-away

[TomTomTelekom 3,727]

American navy admiral James L. Holloway dead at 97 years:

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/people/chiefs-of-naval-operations/admiral-james-l--holloway-iii/lifetime-service.html

[time 8,602]

John Lorimer, DSO, last surviving mini-submariner from the raid on the Tirpitz, Operation Source, has died aged 97. His was one of two subs which successfully  managed to lay their mines (of ten that set out).

[Octopus of Odstock 2,197]

On 02/12/2013 at 19:24, TAFKAG said:

And another one - Edward 'Babe' Heffron.

 

Can't be many Band of Brothers left now - Roderick Strohl has gone. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/mcall/194627368

 

There used a Wikipedia page of the surviving Veterans but I haven't seen anything recently of who might be left. Edward Shames I think and maybe a few others. 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Octopus of Odstock

[time 8,602]

On 20/07/2018 at 02:03, YoungWillz said:

With the loss of Tom Neil and Geoffrey Wellum, of the surviving Few of the Battle of Britain there seem to remain:

 

Flt Lt William Terence Clark (b. 1919)

Wg Cmdr John "Tim" Elkington (b. 1920)

Wg Cmdr Paul Farnes (b. 1918)

Sqn Ldr John Stewart Hart (b. 1916)

Flt Lt William Robert Kent Hughes (b. ??)

Flt Lt Maurice Mounsdon (b. c1918)

 

Flt Lt Maurice Mounsdon dies age 101

I thought on first viewing that the three remaining 'few' were named in the twitter thread but I can't find the reference now.

 

The Battle of Britain historical society website offers three names in addition to Flt Lt Mounsdon - 

Flight Lieutenant William Terence Clark, DFM, 219 Squadron, Blenheims 

Wing Commander Paul Caswell Farnes DFM, British, 501 Squadron, Hurricanes 

Flying Officer John Allman Hemingway DFC - 85 Squadron Hurricanes, Irish

 

which differs from YW's list of last year, with only Clark in common.

 

[arrowsmith 445]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/07/us/pearl-harbor-uss-arizona-lauren-bruner-trnd/index.html

 

I haven’t looked into this deeply but this article claims only three remaining USS Arizona survivors are living. I wouldn’t have thought it was quite so few. 

[YoungWillz 21,046]

1 hour ago, time said:

Flt Lt Maurice Mounsdon dies age 101

I thought on first viewing that the three remaining 'few' were named in the twitter thread but I can't find the reference now.

 

The Battle of Britain historical society website offers three names in addition to Flt Lt Mounsdon - 

Flight Lieutenant William Terence Clark, DFM, 219 Squadron, Blenheims 

Wing Commander Paul Caswell Farnes DFM, British, 501 Squadron, Hurricanes 

Flying Officer John Allman Hemingway DFC - 85 Squadron Hurricanes, Irish

 

which differs from YW's list of last year, with only Clark in common.

 

If you look closely, Farnes is on my list, later corrected by Ulitzer I think who added two more names at that time which probably included Hemingway.

 

Alas, I think I had used a Mirror or Mail article for survivors, rather than a better source. Couldn't be arsed updating my list.

[arrowsmith 445]

21 minutes ago, arrowsmith said:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/07/us/pearl-harbor-uss-arizona-lauren-bruner-trnd/index.html

 

I haven’t looked into this deeply but this article claims only three remaining USS Arizona survivors are living. I wouldn’t have thought it was quite so few. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/06/us/pearl-harbor-survivor-uss-arizona-trnd/index.html

 

This article gives names and ages:

Donald Stratton 97

Lou Conter 98 (attended the anniversary in 2019)

Ken Potts 100

 

[time 8,602]

7 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

If you look closely, Farnes is on my list, later corrected by Ulitzer I think who added two more names at that time which probably included Hemingway.

 

Alas, I think I had used a Mirror or Mail article for survivors, rather than a better source. Couldn't be arsed updating my list.

Apologies, I was reading my list as Caswell rather than Farnes.

[Etushispushingupdaisies 136]

https://m.lenta.ru/news/2019/12/25/umer/ Russian general, Chairman of Military Sciences' Academy and  former Deputy Chief of Red Army Staff, Makhmut Gareev, is dead at 96

[TomTomTelekom 3,727]

Canadian aviation legend during WW2 Russell Bannock dead at 100 years:

https://www.skiesmag.com/news/remembering-aviation-legend-russell-bannock/

[Sir Creep 7,070]

13 hours ago, TomTomTelekom said:

Canadian aviation legend during WW2 Russell Bannock dead at 100 years:

https://www.skiesmag.com/news/remembering-aviation-legend-russell-bannock/

 

"After returning home from the Second World War, Russ Bannock joined de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada as the OEM’s chief test pilot and operations manager."

 

Oh its a fucking sign from the Gods!!  

[JQW 282]

9 hours ago, Sir Creep said:

 

"After returning home from the Second World War, Russ Bannock joined de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada as the OEM’s chief test pilot and operations manager."

 

Oh its a fucking sign from the Gods!!  

 

The de Havilland Aircraft Company was founded by Geoffrey de Havilland, Olivia's cousin. I can recall seeing a news story sometime in the late 1990s / early 2000s on a commemoration of the De Havilland Mosquito, and Olivia was one of the attendees. 

[The Old Crem 3,605]

8 minutes ago, JQW said:

 

The de Havilland Aircraft Company was founded by Geoffrey de Havilland, Olivia's cousin. I can recall seeing a news story sometime in the late 1990s / early 2000s on a commemoration of the De Havilland Mosquito, and Olivia was one of the attendees. 

Yeah. Their dad's were half brothers.

[Toast 16,140]

I did not know that.  I had rather assumed that in Olivia's case it was a stage name, but was never interested enough to check.

[YoungWillz 21,046]

Sometime popular pick and some are waiting for the 10/10 Deadpool.

 

Alun Gwynne Jones, Baron Chalfont Times Obituary: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-chalfont-obituary-r5r3mgz8d

 

And....go claim your points!

[alt obits guy 3,371]

Sophie Yazzie, a member of the Navajo Nation and one of the oldest surviving female World War II veterans, has died.  She was 105.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/us/female-navajo-veteran-dies-trnd/index.html

 

[Ulitzer95 12,620]

On 08/12/2019 at 02:43, YoungWillz said:

If you look closely, Farnes is on my list, later corrected by Ulitzer I think who added two more names at that time which probably included Hemingway.

 

Alas, I think I had used a Mirror or Mail article for survivors, rather than a better source. Couldn't be arsed updating my list.

Paul Farnes has died aged 101.

[Joey Russ 7,227]

10 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Paul Farnes has died aged 101.

Times obit for DDP

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

16 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Paul Farnes has died aged 101.

 

 

YOWSER!!

 

Deathrace and HPDP points for me too - fairly sure during a lull in the fighting he performed a morris dance in a panto in the officers' mess

[Ulitzer95 12,620]

Given that he was the only one well enough to attend any of the recent commemorations it isn’t unthinkable that the remaining Few will pass this year.

Edit: For clarity, there are now just TWO surviving Airmen:

1) William Clark b. Apr 1919
2) John Hemingway b. Jul 1919