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The last living veteran of World War I (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) was Florence Green, a British woman who served in the Allied armed forces, and who died on 4 February 2012, aged 110.[1] The last combat veteran was Claude Choules who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110.[2] The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. The last Central Powers veteran, Franz Künstler of Austria-Hungary, died on 27 May 2008 at the age of 107.
The total number of participating personnel is estimated by the Encyclopædia Britannica at 65,038,810. There were approximately 9,750,103 military deaths during the conflict.
Veterans, for this purpose, are defined as people who were members of the armed forces of one of the combatant nations up to and including the date of the Armistice. This policy may vary from the policy in actual use in some countries. There is one living World War I-era veteran, listed below.
Last 10 veterans
editThe last 10 surviving veterans of World War I is shown in the table below.
Country served | Name | Born | Died | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | Green, Florence Beatrice | 19 February 1901 | 4 February 2012 (110) | Last veteran. Worked as a waitress in the Women's Royal Air Force.[3] Lived in North Lynn, Norfolk.[4] |
United Kingdom | Choules, Claude Stanley | 3 March 1901 | 5 May 2011 (110) | Last living combatant of World War I.[5] Last seaman. Last veteran who served in both World Wars. Last male veteran. Joined in 1916. Last witness to the German Naval surrender. Moved to Australia in 1926 and served with Royal Australian Navy in World War II. Lived in Perth, Western Australia.[6][7][8][9] |
United States | Buckles, Frank Woodruff | 1 February 1901 | 27 February 2011 (110) | United States Army 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment Last American veteran. Joined in 1917. Ambulance driver near Western Front. Held prisoner in World War II as a civilian. Lived in Charles Town, West Virginia.[10][11][12] |
Canada | Babcock, John Henry Foster (Jack) | 23 July 1900 | 18 February 2010 (109) | Last Canadian veteran. Declined state funeral. Joined in 1916. Served first in 146th, CEF, then transferred to Boys Battalion. Completed training in UK but did not see action due to age. Moved to US in 1924. Lived in Spokane, Washington.[13][14][15][16] |
United Kingdom | Patch, Henry John (Harry) | 17 June 1898 | 25 July 2009 (111) | Last Tommy. Served in the British Army under the 7th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Last veteran to serve in trenches and to be wounded in action. Called up in 1916. Last survivor of Battle of Passchendaele. Fireman in World War II. Europe's oldest man upon death. Lived in Wells, Somerset.[17][18][19][20] |
United Kingdom | Allingham, Henry William | 6 June 1896 | 18 July 2009 (113) | Last airman. Served in the 12 Squadron RNAS (later RAF). Joined in 1915 as mechanic. Last veteran of the Battle of Jutland. World's oldest man and oldest ever British man. Oldest veteran ever to see action. Lived in Brighton, Sussex.[21][22][23] |
Australia | Ross, John Campbell (Jack) | 11 March 1899 | 3 June 2009 (110) | Last Australian digger and the last veteran of any status to serve Australia in the conflict. Joined in early 1918 as wireless operator, but did not see action. Served in Home Guard in World War II. Australia's oldest person. Lived in Bendigo, Victoria.[24][25][26][27] |
United Kingdom | Hughes, Netherwood (Ned) | 12 June 1900 | 4 April 2009 (108) | Called up to the 51st Manchester Regiment in mid 1918 as truck driver. Did not see action as he was still in training. Lived in Accrington, Lancashire.[28][29] |
United Kingdom | Stone, William Frederick (Bill) | 23 September 1900 | 10 January 2009 (108) | Joined Royal Navy in 1918. Did not see action as he was still in training, but was also a World War II veteran. Lived in Reading, Berkshire at the time of his death.[30][31] |
Russia | Krichevsky, Mikhail Efimovich | 25 February 1897 | 26 December 2008 (111) |
Served for Russia. Joined up in 1917. Accounts differ as to whether he was sent to the Austro-Hungarian front. After October Revolution returned home. Ukraine's oldest man. Lived in Donetsk.[32][33] |
Last veterans by nation
editThe last surviving veteran of World War I per country is shown in the table below.
Country | Name | Death date | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Saci Ben Hocine Mahdi[34] | June 1998 | 100 years |
Austria | August Bischof[35] | 4 March 2006 | 107 years |
Australia | John Campbell Ross[36] | 3 June 2009 | 110 years |
Barbados | George Blackman[37] | March 2003 | 105 years |
Belgium | Cyrillus-Camillus Barbary[38] | 16 September 2004 | 105 years |
Canada | John Babcock[39] | 18 February 2010 | 109 years |
Czechoslovakia | Alois Vocásek[40] | 9 August 2003 | 107 years |
Denmark | Lorenz Gram[41] | 26 December 2004 | 105 years |
Estonia | Juhan Kallaste[42] | 28 August 1999 | 107 years |
France | Lazare Ponticelli[43]
(Last to be officially recognized as a poilu.) |
12 March 2008 | 110 years |
France | Pierre Picault[44] | 20 November 2008 | 109 years |
Germany | Erich Kästner[45] | 1 January 2008 | 107 years |
Guyana | Gershom Browne[46][47] | 6 December 2000 | 102 years |
Hungary | Franz Künstler[48] | 27 May 2008 | 107 years |
Italy | Delfino Borroni[49] | 26 October 2008 | 110 years |
Jamaica | Stanley Stair[50][51] | April 2008 | 107 years |
Netherlands | Bert van Sloten[52] | September 2005 | 105 years |
Newfoundland and Labrador | Wallace Pike[53] | 11 April 1999 | 99 years |
New Zealand | Bright Williams[54] | 13 February 2003 | 105 years |
Philippines | Eracleo Alimpolo[55][56] | 2 October 2002 | 104 years |
Poland | Stanisław Wycech[57] | 12 January 2008 | 105 years |
Portugal | José Ladeira[58] | 5 May 2003 | 107 years |
Romania | Gheorghe Pănculescu[59] | 9 January 2007 | 104 years |
Russian Federation | Dmitry Malozemov[60] | 13 May 1998 | 101 years |
Senegal | Abdoulaye N'Diaye[34] | 10 November 1998 | 104 years |
Serbia | Aleksa Radovanović[61] | 22 June 2004 | 105 years |
Slovenia | Ivan Kovačič[62] | 16 April 2001 | 103 years |
South Africa | Norman Kark[63][64] | March 2000 | 102 years |
Thailand | Yod Sangrungruang[65] | 9 October 2003 | 106 years |
Turkey | Yakup Satar[66] | 2 April 2008 | 110 years |
Ukraine | Mikhail Krichevsky[67][68] | 26 December 2008 | 111 years |
United Kingdom | Florence Green[69] | 4 February 2012 | 110 years |
United States | Frank Buckles[70] | 27 February 2011 | 110 years |
References
edit- ^ Blackmore, David (7 February 2012). "Norfolk First World War Veteran Dies". EDP24. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ Carman, Gerry (6 May 2011). "Last man who served in two world wars dies, 110". The Age. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ "Last WWI combat veteran Claude Choules dies aged 110". BBC News. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ "Norfolk first world war veteran dies aged 110". Eastern Daily Press. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ Choules, Claude The Last of the Last Mainstream Publishing pg 11 (introduction) & pg 61
- ^ "Veteran, 107, is last man to serve in both world wars". Worcester News. 8 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
- ^ Booth, Gary (13 May 2002). "500 km by bike to demolish Albany". Navy News. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
- ^ Claude, 108 ... last of the WW1 heroes
- ^ Agence France-Presse (27 July 2009). "Claude Choules says WWI was 'boring'". The Australian. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
Mr Choules was informed by his 80-year-old daughter Anne Pow over the weekend that the death of 111-year-old Harry Patch, Britain's last soldier who fought in the Great War's infamous trenches, had made him the country's sole survivor.
- ^ "Oldest Living Heroes Remembered". CBS News. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
- ^ Reynolds, Dean, and Stuart, Elizabeth (2 December 2006). "Last WWI Veterans Get Their Due". ABC News. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Courson, Paul (28 February 2011). "Last living U.S. World War I veteran dies". CNN. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "Oldest Canadian World War I veteran dies". WKOW. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ "Canada's last WW I veteran dies". CBC News. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ Elliot, Ian (19 February 2010). "Last World War I vet Babcock dies at 109". The Kingston Whig Standard. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ Geranios, Nicholas K (20 February 2010). "John Babcock, 108; Canada's last known veteran of WWI". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "WWI veteran celebrates 108 years". BBC Online News. 30 October 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
- ^ "Veteran, 109, revisits WWI trench". BBC Online News. 29 July 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
- ^ Patch, Harry (2007). The Last Fighting Tommy. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-9115-3.
{{cite book}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111
- ^ Smith, David (29 October 2006). "Great War foes embrace as friends". The Observer. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
- ^ Mccaffrey, Julie (30 October 2006). "Old Enemies.. New Friends". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
- ^ "Oldest WWI veteran dies aged 113". BBC News. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- ^ "Last Aussie digger to fight in WWI dies". The Age. 18 October 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
- ^ Turnbull, Jeff (11 March 2008). "Oldest Digger celebrates turning 109". news.com.au. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
- ^ "Australia's oldest man Jack Ross dies aged 110". theage.com.au. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
- ^ "Australia's oldest man, 110, dies". BBC News. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
- ^ Kenyon, Lisa (20 June 2008). "Old Ned's still in top gear for his 108th milestone". Accrington Observer. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
- ^ Bingham, John (20 November 2008). "'New' First World War veteran comes to light through internet". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
- ^ Stone, Bill (11 January 2009). "Naval and Other Memories of William Frederick Stone". H.M.S. Hood Association. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
- ^ BBC News (29 January 2009). "Funeral of World War I veteran". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
- ^ "Последний в мире ветеран Первой мировой живет в Донецке (In Russian)". 22 February 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
- ^ Mikhail Krichevsky obituary(In Russian)
- ^ a b "Tirailleurs" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "Autriche" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "Australia's oldest man and Digger Jack Ross dies aged 110". The Age. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ Simon Rogers. "Caribbean veteran of first world war dies at 105". Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Belgique" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ Goldstein, Richard (24 February 2010). "..John Babcock, Last Canadian World War I Veteran, Dies at 109". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ Thomsen, Leif (2 January 2007). "DSK" (in Danish). Genforenings- og Grænsemuseet. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ Viivik, Allar (1 September 1999). "Viljandis suri vanim eestlane" (in Estonian). Õhtuleht. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ "france" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ^ "france" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "Germany's 'last' WWI veteran dies". BBC. 2008-01. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Granger, David (5 October 2008). "The Guyana Legion". The Guyana Legion. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "People… Lives remembered". Stabroek News. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "Franz Künstler, Veteran of 2 Wars, Dies at 107". The New York Times. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ "Delfino Borroni: Italy's last surviving veteran of the First World War". The Times. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ "Death notice for Stanley Stair". Luceaonline.com. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ Nieuws van het Westelijk Front (2008-07). "Onbekende veteraan uit Eerste Wereldoorlog overleden" (in Dutch). De Eerste Wereldoorlog 1914 - 1918.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Ralf Roggeveen (20 September 2005). "Obituary: Bert van Sloten". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Last of Newfoundland's WW1 vets passes away". CBC. 19 April 1999. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "The last Great War veterans". RNZRSA. 2003-02. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Last Filipino Veteran". Members.tripod.com. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Eracleo ALIMPOLO". Family Search. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Poland's WWI veteran Stanislaw passes away". Oman Tribune. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ Silva, Carlos (7 September 2005). "1643 portugueses mortos na grande guerra em França" (in Portuguese). Fórum de Genealogia. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
Filipe Prista Lucas, a GRG correspondent says quote (translated from Portuguese) "According to the information I hold, the last Portuguese veteran of World War I he died in 2003. His name was Jose Luis Ladeira, and died on May 5, 2003, in Goshen Valley, Miranda do Corvo, 107 years old."
- ^ "ROUMANIE" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ Osipov, Sergei (12 November 2008). "Последний герой Первой мировой. "AиФ" нашёл могилу самого стойкого солдата Великой войны" (in Russian). Аргументы и факты. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
- ^ Racić, M. (2004-06-26/27). "ODLAZAK POSLEDNJEG SRPSKOG SOLUNCA" (in Serbian). Kurir. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Autres Pays" (in French). Ders Des Ders. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ Printing World (17 April 2000). "Longest serving Stationer dies at the wonderful age of 102". Highbeam Business. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ Ashley, Mike (11 November 2010). "Collecting Crime: London Mystery Magazine - Part Two". Crime Time. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ "Last WW1 veteran dies". Taipei Times. 11 October 2003. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Yakup Satar". The Times. 3 April 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ "Последний в мире ветеран Первой мировой живет в Донецке (фото)" (in Russian). Интернет-газета Донбасса. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ "Oldest known Ukrainian Jew dies at 111". JTA. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Last surviving veteran of First World War dies aged 110". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ Courson, Paul (28 February 2011). "Last living U.S. World War I veteran dies". CNN. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
External links
edit- The Great War Society
- The Western Front Association
- The Western Front Association – US branch
- The Great War Primary Documents Archive
- Public Radio Exchange (PRX) Walter Cronkite interviews some last surviving veterans of WWI
- World War One "The Great War"