World War II Veterans

[Miracle Aligner 249]

35 minutes ago, Kenny McCormick said:

Does anyone know just how many WWII vets are left in the UK? 

 

There's an estimate half a million over 90s in the UK.

 

Legitimate conscripts (those of age) would need to be at least 93 years of age to have served. And they would be an outlier as that was rear end of the war. 

 

Realistically anywhere between a few hundred and a few thousand maybe? 

 

[The Great Cornholio 874]

2 minutes ago, Arsewipe said:

Probably low five figures I would imagine although the youngest have to be in their early 90s now.

According to 2019 figures: we have approx. 500,000 people living in the UK who are over 90. We also have 14,430 people who are over 100. The ages of living WWII vets range from 93 to 105. You've got a percentage of people like my great grandfather (who is still alive at 94) who were involved in the war but did not fight in it. I reckon most of the pieces are there for an accurate estimation, although we'll probably find out in the 2021 census next year (depending on how long COVID lasts).

[Arsewipe 202]

2 hours ago, Kenny McCormick said:

According to 2019 figures: we have approx. 500,000 people living in the UK who are over 90. We also have 14,430 people who are over 100. The ages of living WWII vets range from 93 to 105. You've got a percentage of people like my great grandfather (who is still alive at 94) who were involved in the war but did not fight in it. I reckon most of the pieces are there for an accurate estimation, although we'll probably find out in the 2021 census next year (depending on how long COVID lasts).

Well going off that, say about 300,000 are 93 or older, however probably two thirds of them will be female. So say 100,000 men, how may will have been "active" and saw combat?  I'd imagine my guess won't be far off.

 

The last one won't die till the early 2040s.

[Toast 16,040]

4 hours ago, Arsewipe said:

Well going off that, say about 300,000 are 93 or older, however probably two thirds of them will be female. So say 100,000 men, how may will have been "active" and saw combat?  I'd imagine my guess won't be far off.

 

The last one won't die till the early 2040s.

 

And?

You don't have to have been in combat to be classed as a veteran.  Just to have "done your bit" in service.  And thousands of women did.  They count.

 

[The Old Crem 3,538]

1 hour ago, Toast said:

 

And?

You don't have have been in combat to be classed as a veteran.  Just to have "done your bit" in service.  And thousands of women did.  They count.

 

Especially young middle class women (All the women in my family  during ww2 had kids by 21 so their service was factory work.)

 

 

[Toast 16,040]

Even the Queen.

[Bentrovato 1,083]

3 minutes ago, Toast said:

Even the Queen.

Wasn't she a lorry driver who went around picking up male prostitutes and then beating them to death with a hammer?

[Arsewipe 202]

12 hours ago, Toast said:

 

And?

You don't have to have been in combat to be classed as a veteran.  Just to have "done your bit" in service.  And thousands of women did.  They count.

 

So if some Doris snuffs it aged 116 in 2043 she'll be classed as the last veteran even if she only made the teas in some airfield canteen? Fuck off man!

[DemBones 36]

1 hour ago, Arsewipe said:

So if some Doris snuffs it aged 116 in 2043 she'll be classed as the last veteran even if she only made the teas in some airfield canteen? Fuck off man!

 

That ship’s already sailed, mate. The last veteran (officially) from WWI was a lady from the Women’s RAF who worked as a steward. She outlived the last combat veteran by about 9 months.

[Arsewipe 202]

8 hours ago, DemBones said:

 

That ship’s already sailed, mate. The last veteran (officially) from WWI was a lady from the Women’s RAF who worked as a steward. She outlived the last combat veteran by about 9 months.

But that's total bollocks really isn't it. Fair enough I know plenty of Russian women fought on the front lines but canteen staff ffs.....

[roaming_comrade 471]

10 hours ago, Arsewipe said:

So if some Doris snuffs it aged 116 in 2043 she'll be classed as the last veteran even if she only made the teas in some airfield canteen? Fuck off man!

Indeed, the last living veteran of WW1 was a woman too, a field nurse to be precise.

[Ulitzer95 12,398]

11 hours ago, Arsewipe said:

So if some Doris snuffs it aged 116 in 2043 she'll be classed as the last veteran even if she only made the teas in some airfield canteen? Fuck off man!

I've never met anyone in the armed forces that takes this view. If you're a serving member, it's sealed. It doesn't matter if you make the dinner, or blow the bassoon or shoot the enemy, it's a combined effort.

Anyway, even if you do disagree with it, all of Harry Patch's write ups made clear he was the last Tommy. He got extensive coverage both in life and death, breaking news notifications from the BBC and Sky, and even had Blur write a theme for him! By comparison Florence Green got a few write ups but coverage of her was never extensive. I think the boys in the field will always get the recognition they deserve.

[TomTomTelekom 3,717]

Russian Pilot and "Hero of the soviet union" Sergei Kramarenko died at 97 years:

http://mvdmos.ru/content/ushyol-iz-zhizni-geroy-sovetskogo-soyuza-veteran-velikoy-otechestvennoy-i-koreyskoy-voyn

He was last living soviet fliying ace of Korean war.

[maryportfuncity 10,585]

On 19/05/2020 at 11:03, Arsewipe said:

Probably low five figures I would imagine although the youngest have to be in their early 90s now.

 

 

Aye, I'm seeing reality tv gold involving casting equal numbers of male and females in this group away to a holiday island, pairing them off and then filming them as they scramble down into bunkers whilst old piston-engined bombers level the fuck out of the ground above them. 

 

Fucking beats me why I was sacked from every development production job I ever got!

[Miracle Aligner 249]

On 19/05/2020 at 14:19, Toast said:

 

And?

You don't have to have been in combat to be classed as a veteran.  Just to have "done your bit" in service.  And thousands of women did.  They count.

  

 

Not everything is sexism.

 

Women weren't in combat roles, therefore when you talking about WW2 Veterans in the traditional sense they're not combat veterans.

 

The Doris's who worked in factories served vital roles, but they aren't veterans - same as Vera Lynn won't be a veteran if she outlives all the blokes who were actually getting shot.

[drol 11,734]

The Korean war is becoming and old affair and maybe deserves a thread. You know, Medal of Honor recipients, South Korean and Chinese military...

 

A few suggestions are China's last flying ace Wang Hai (1926) and US last flying ace (I think) Charles G. Cleveland (1927), South Korea last general Paik Sun-yup (1920) and China's contingent commander Wan Haifeng (1920).

[The Old Crem 3,538]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-52788564

Veteran WW2 paratrooper Sandy Cortmann dies at 97

[Ulitzer95 12,398]

Ludwig Bauer has died aged 97.

He used to have a Wiki page (before it got deleted).

Mentioning him because I think there is now a very small handful of Knights Cross recipients still living. 

The only two I know by name:

*Gerhard Sommer, turns 99 this month
*Hugo Broch, 98, who people better know as the Luftwaffe ace who got to fulfil his life-long dream of flying in a spitfire aged 95, with the help of Dan Snow

[alt obits guy 3,361]

Jim Jarvis, the oldest remaining survivor of the USS Indianapolis disaster, has died.  He was 98. Jarvis was a member of the US Navy was serving aboard the USS Indianapolis when it was struck by two Japanese torpedoes on July 30, 1945. His death leaves only nine remaining from that moment in history.

 

https://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/jim-jarvis-1921-2020-oldest-remaining-survivor-of-wwii-uss-indianapolis-disaster/

 

[drol 11,734]

On 21/05/2020 at 18:27, drol said:

The Korean war is becoming and old affair and maybe deserves a thread. You know, Medal of Honor recipients, South Korean and Chinese military...

 

A few suggestions are China's last flying ace Wang Hai (1926) and US last flying ace (I think) Charles G. Cleveland (1927), South Korea last general Paik Sun-yup (1920) and China's contingent commander Wan Haifeng (1920).

Paik Sun-yup burial plans  are being discussed in South Korea, probably indicating he is not doing too well.

[Man About The Forum 78]

Final British service person who was at the Japanese surrender...how many not named the Duke of Edinburgh?

[time 8,555]

The last surviving member of WWII-era bomber command has died aged 99. Peggy Edwards was a staff sergeant in the bomber command ops room.

[drol 11,734]

On 05/07/2020 at 11:31, drol said:

Paik Sun-yup burial plans  are being discussed in South Korea, probably indicating he is not doing too well.

Dead as reported elsewhere.

[drol 11,734]

On 21/05/2020 at 18:27, drol said:

The Korean war is becoming and old affair and maybe deserves a thread. You know, Medal of Honor recipients, South Korean and Chinese military...

 

A few suggestions are China's last flying ace Wang Hai (1926) and US last flying ace (I think) Charles G. Cleveland (1927), South Korea last general Paik Sun-yup (1920) and China's contingent commander Wan Haifeng (1920).

Last Korean War Chinese flying ace Wang Hai has died at 94. He would have received big honours later this year.

 

Leaves Charles G. Cleveland as the last surviving flying ace from the war. URSS Sergei Kramarenko died earlier this year. Also leaves Wan Haifeng and Chi Haotian as the last PLA generals in service during Tienanmen crackdown.

[Sir Creep 7,068]

6 hours ago, drol said:

Last Korean War Chinese flying ace Wang Hai has died at 94. He would have received big honours later this year.

 

Leaves Charles G. Cleveland as the last surviving flying ace from the war. URSS Sergei Kramarenko died earlier this year. Also leaves Wan Haifeng and Chi Haotian as the last PLA generals in service during Tienanmen crackdown.

Is URSS some gdamn Gen Y thing?  It’s USSR just ask the fucking Beatles.  We are English speaking folk around here so stick that alt name  up your arsesky. I’m sure Sergei never spent a day fighting for the URSS fuxsake.

SirC