arghton 6,697 Posted May 6, 2021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Arad Yitzhak Arad, former Soviet partisan and Director of Yad Vashem 1972-1993 dead at 94 https://www.newsru.co.il/israel/06may2021/arad.html 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,371 Posted May 9, 2021 Edgar Harrell, the last surviving Marine of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, has died. He was 96. https://www.fox6now.com/news/last-surviving-marine-of-uss-indianapolis-sinking-edgar-harrell-dies 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulitzer95 12,577 Posted May 10, 2021 On 07/04/2021 at 21:40, arghton said: I was wondering how many recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross are alive or could be alive... WIKIPEDIA: Karl-Günther von Hase (born 1917) German Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1970-1977. Won't hopefully die off radar. *snip* Karl-Günther von Hase (wiki) has died, aged 103. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,697 Posted May 11, 2021 https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/9edafd37-b61d-436a-a3d1-dc640f8be468 Hemmi Jaara, a Finnish 96-year old WWII veteran has died. An active man in many WWII veteran associations, Jaara was also known for his rare love story: Jaara met his future wife, Eila, in an "senior meeting" in 2016. After talking to each other they found out they were both born on the same day, Seventh of November 1924. They got married the same year and were married until Eila Jaara's death on the 1st of July 2020. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulitzer95 12,577 Posted May 14, 2021 On 04/05/2021 at 18:52, arghton said: Current WWII "lasts" and detailed mentions of what they are the last of: John Hemingway (b. 1919) Last surviving airman of the Battle of Britain, 1940 (The Few). 3000 were awarded the "Battle of Britain" clasp. Traute Lafrenz (b. 1919) Last surviving member of the White Rose, an anti-Nazi group. There were atleast 25 members. Aliza Melamed Vitis-Shomron (b. 1928) Last Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943) participant. 56065 were killed or captured. Emanuele Di Porto (b. 1931) Last survivor of the Raid of the Ghetto of Rome, 1943. 1259 people were detained, 16 survived. Robert Hébras (b. 1925) Last survivor of Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, 1944. 642 of the 652 inhabitants of the town died, 10 survived. Teruo Murakami (b. 1920/1921) Last participant of the Cowra breakout, 1944, when 1104 Japanese POWs attempted to escape a prison camp. Around 545 escaped, 235 died. William "Bill" Leibold (b. 1923?) Last survivor of the sinking of submarine USS Tang. Nine survived out of the crew of 87. Luciano "Louis" C. Graziano (b. 1922/1923) Last witness of the German Surrender ceremony. Galina Brock-Beltsova (b. 1924/1925) Last pilot of the Night Witches, (588th Night Bomber Regiment) an all-female bomber regiment. 261 people served in the regiment, 32 died in WWII. Edward Shames (b. 1922) Last officer of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion ("Screaming Eagles") in WWII. Hubert Germain (b. 1920) Last surviving Companion of the Order of Liberation. 1038 people were awarded this, 270 posthumously. George "Johnny" Johnston (b. 1921) Last surviving member of the original 617 Squadron and last participant of the "Dambusters" raid (Operation Chastise) of 1943. 80 of the 133 dambusters survived Operation Chastise. John Cruickshank (b. 1920) Last WWII Victoria Cross recipient. Awarded 182 times to 181 recipients during WWII. Kenneth Mayhew (b. 1917) Last WWII Military Order of William knight out of the around 190 awarded. Hershel W. WIlliams (b. 1923) Last WWII Medal of Honour recipient. 464 were awarded, 266 posthumously. Kenneth Mayhew dead at 104. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gooseberry Crumble 5,337 Posted May 30, 2021 Alfred White , believed to be the last surviving veteran present at Dunkirk and the D day landings has died aged 98. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/05/29/last-surviving-british-veteran-dunkirk-evacuation-normandy-landings/ 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 21,029 Posted June 3, 2021 BBC Breakfast favourite and DDP Pick Harry Billinge on hoping to see a memorial built in his lifetime and stating he "may not have much longer" (yeah, right): https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/adored-st-austell-veteran-harry-5484121 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcreptile 10,964 Posted June 6, 2021 Last living liberator of Auschwitz, David Dushman, dead at 98: https://amp.rte.ie/amp/1226352/ https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article231625427/David-Dushman-Letzter-Befreier-von-Auschwitz-mit-98-Jahren-gestorben.html 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Whitehouse 872 Posted June 7, 2021 On 06/06/2021 at 20:28, gcreptile said: Last living liberator of Auschwitz, David Dushman, dead at 98: https://amp.rte.ie/amp/1226352/ https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article231625427/David-Dushman-Letzter-Befreier-von-Auschwitz-mit-98-Jahren-gestorben.html Wikipedia mentions a certain Ivan Martynushin as the last one alive. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,697 Posted June 13, 2021 Witold Kieżun, Home Army soldier dead at 99. Taken POW by the Nazis twice but managed to escape. Send to a gulag but survived. "During his stay in the camp, Witold Kieżun contracted pneumonia, typhoid fever, typhus, dystrophy, scabies, mumps and Beriberi." With Pope John Paul II in 1991 in Burundi. Worked as a advisor to multiple Polish politicians and President of Burundi Pierre Buyoya (1949-2020) 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
time 8,595 Posted June 17, 2021 David Hughes, reportedly the GBs oldest sailor and a D-Day landing veteran, has died aged 106 (p/w) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulitzer95 12,577 Posted June 23, 2021 Daniel Ivin (wiki), Croatian writer, politician and human rights activist, dead at 89. Child soldier during World War II and he was the youngest name on the List of notable surviving veterans of World War II on Wiki. Ivin was born in 1932. The youngest names on there now are 8 individuals born in 1930... meaning that there are no notable WWII vets under 90 now? 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,697 Posted June 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said: Ivin was born in 1932. The youngest names on there now are 8 individuals born in 1930... meaning that there are no notable WWII vets under 90 now? Maybe, unless they've forgot to include some. Youngest name on the list seems to be Eberhard Eimler (b. 30th of November 1930) a German Air Force general. Oldest is Lawrence Brooks (b. 1909) known for longevity. Oldest known for other reasons than longevity is Boris Pahor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drol 11,923 Posted June 26, 2021 On 02/08/2020 at 14:39, 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. Shocked that no one noticed the passing of Charles G. Cleveland on May 22, aged 93. Cleveland was the last surviving flying ace from the Korean war. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,697 Posted June 27, 2021 On 04/05/2021 at 20:52, arghton said: Current WWII "lasts" and detailed mentions of what they are the last of: ... Galina Brock-Beltsova (b. 1924/1925) Last pilot of the Night Witches, (588th Night Bomber Regiment) an all-female bomber regiment. 261 people served in the regiment, 32 died in WWII. ... https://ria.ru/20200509/1571144175.html Article about her from May 2020. She's in a wheelchair in most new photos, but can still stand. April 2021: The veterans in the picture are, from left to right: Yevgeny Kuropatkov (b. 1923?), Battle of Stalingrad veteran Roger Dore (b. ca. 1922) French WWII veteran Nikolai Kulpov (b. 1922/1923) Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment veteran Charles Norman Shay (b. 1924) Native American veteran, in a wheelchair in the picture but attended D-Day celebration this June as the only veteran to attend, so he's still in a quite good shape. Brock-Beletsova next to Shay. Man on the right wasn't mentioned in the caption. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,644 Posted June 30, 2021 Last River Kwai veteran gone, according to this report 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 21,029 Posted June 30, 2021 17 minutes ago, maryportfuncity said: Last River Kwai veteran gone, according to this report His life was hardly abridged too far. (Yes I know that was a different movie about a different thing, but hey...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,644 Posted June 30, 2021 33 minutes ago, YoungWillz said: His life was hardly abridged too far. (Yes I know that was a different movie about a different thing, but hey...) Indeed. a man celebrated for his monumental erection, or summat Doubtless they'll mention it in the eulogy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,371 Posted July 13, 2021 Henry Parham, the last surviving Black combat veteran of D-Day, has died. He was 99. https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2021/07/12/Henry-Parham-last-surviving-Black-combat-veteran-of-D-Day-laid-to-rest-at-Monday-service/stories/202107120089 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,371 Posted August 1, 2021 Eric Carter, the last surviving member of Britain's Force Benedict mission during World War II, has died. He was 101. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/last-surviving-member-of-britains-force-benedict-mission-dies-at-101.html 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,697 Posted August 1, 2021 https://www.hs.fi/muistot/art-2000008154552.html Raul Kuutma, Estonian WWII veteran, activist and one of the 3500 Estonians who joined the Finnish army during WWII dead. One or two notable ones left, including 101-year old neopagan priest Addold Mossin. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulitzer95 12,577 Posted August 4, 2021 NY Times and various other outlets reporting the death of Col. Dave Severance (wiki), aged 102. Commander of the marine company that raised the giant American flag over the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II. Would later go on to serve in the Korean War, before finally retiring from military life in 1968. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,697 Posted August 18, 2021 On 23/06/2021 at 19:08, Ulitzer95 said: Daniel Ivin (wiki), Croatian writer, politician and human rights activist, dead at 89. Child soldier during World War II and he was the youngest name on the List of notable surviving veterans of World War II on Wiki. Ivin was born in 1932. The youngest names on there now are 8 individuals born in 1930... meaning that there are no notable WWII vets under 90 now? Now that I remember, one that could be a WWII vet: Rolf Steiner (3rd of January 1933-) Steiner claimed to fought as a Jungvolk volunteer in the Volkssturm (militia) in the last days of World War Two, but no evidence exists to support this claim outside of his own memoirs. A 1968 article in Time stated: "In the final days of World War II, he fought as a Hitler Youth in Germany’s last-ditch defense against the advancing U.S. Army." Later fought for France in the First Indochina War (since around 1951) and the Suez Crisis. During the Algerian War he became active in Organisation armée secrète, in the late 1960s he fought for Biafra during the Nigerian Civil war and during the First Sudanese Civil War he fought for Ananya. Mentioned in Forsyth's novel The Dogs of War among with a small group of others, including Mad Mike Hoare. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulitzer95 12,577 Posted August 18, 2021 Interesting. Thanks for posting. It’s likely that when we reach the stage of there being few WWII veterans left, it will be like the scenario we were faced with 10 years ago when we had “unverified WWI veterans”. A sad situation but unavoidable given the time and circumstances. Whilst we’re here though, the legend who is Frederick Forsyth. A very sound Eurosceptic Tory and yet someone who adamantly opposed the War in Iraq and called for Blair to be put on trial. A man of principle after my own heart. Hasn’t written a novel since 2018. 83 next week and heavily overweight. A good shout for next year I reckon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roaming_comrade 471 Posted August 18, 2021 32 minutes ago, arghton said: Now that I remember, one that could be a WWII vet: Rolf Steiner (3rd of January 1933-) Steiner claimed to fought as a Jungvolk volunteer in the Volkssturm (militia) in the last days of World War Two, but no evidence exists to support this claim outside of his own memoirs. A 1968 article in Time stated: "In the final days of World War II, he fought as a Hitler Youth in Germany’s last-ditch defense against the advancing U.S. Army." Later fought for France in the First Indochina War (since around 1951) and the Suez Crisis. During the Algerian War he became active in Organisation armée secrète, in the late 1960s he fought for Biafra during the Nigerian Civil war and during the First Sudanese Civil War he fought for Ananya. Mentioned in Forsyth's novel The Dogs of War among with a small group of others, including Mad Mike Hoare. this guy must hold a record for most wars participated in which he all lost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
