01 January 2009

The last eight veterans of WWI

This time last year there were 23 known World War I veterans alive. Today there are just eight still alive. 2007 saw the deaths of all three central powers veterans, the last French, the last Italian and the last Jamaican veterans (click here for a full list).

The Wikipedians tracking the last veterans of WWI count anyone who was in uniform at the time of the armistice. This means that it records those who may not be considered a veteran by their country. However it does provide a consistent baseline.

Australian

John Campbell Ross. Ross enlisted in February 1918 and served as a wireless operator. However, he never left Australia or saw active service so he is not recognised as a veteran by the Australian government

Canadian

John Babcock Babcock attempted to enlist in 1915 (aged 15). He was placed in a Young Soldiers Battalion in August 1917 and was then transferred to the UK where he continued training until the end of the war. He therefore never saw active service. He has lived in the US since the 1920s.Tthe Canadian government has authorised a state funeral for him should he accept it.

American

Frank Buckles Buckles enlisted in the US army at the age of 16 and saw service in France as an ambulance driver. He has been approved for burial in Arlington Cemetery. Buckles survived Japanese internment in WWII

British

Henry Allingham . Allingham is the last survivor of the Royal Naval Air Service and of Jutland, the last surviving founder member of the Royal Air Force and the oldest ever surviving member of the British Armed Forces

Harry Patch Harry Patch is the last fighting Tommy and the last survivor of the Western Front. He served in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry seeing active service at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.

Claude Choules Now living in Australia, Choules enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1916 and served on the Battleship HMS Revenge. He witnessed the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919. Choules also saw service in WWII in the Royal Australian Navy.

Bill Stone Stone enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1918 but was still in training when the war ended. He also served in WWII.

Netherwood Hughes A driver, Hughes was called up in 1918 but was still in training when the war ended.

In addition there are two others who may have served in WWI but their service is unverified:

  • Ukrainian Mikhail Krichevsky claims to have been called up in 1917 seeing active service on the Austro-Hungarian front;
  • Briton Doug Terrey claims to have joined up in 1917 serving as a dispatch rider.

10 comments:

James Higham said...

What about the Germans, Jams?

jams o donnell said...

The last German died on New Year 2008

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

The BBC put out a very touching programme about Henry Allingham recently.

Happy New Year, jams.

RobW said...

Incredible -- it's really weird to think about it.

Always On Watch said...

It's amazing that even a few of these WWI vets are still alive.

jams o donnell said...

Happy New Year Welshcakes. Initially it is a surprise AOW, Rob but then teh last American Civil War Vet died in teh 1950s and the last Boer war vet in the 1990s

Anonymous said...

Which all just brings to mind that it is really young boys and girls who go to war and fight for our countries. Yeah, I know there are old geezers leading them, but it is our youth who do the majority of the fighting. Wonderful post Jams. Hope to see more like this. Happy New Year!

jams o donnell said...

thanks iPentimento. Sadly thee wil be more like this as I record their passing/

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Harry Patch is one of the most fantastic names ever!

I'm going to remember that one next time I play a round of Mad Libs.

Netherwood takes a close second.

jams o donnell said...

Haha EWBL. He's a wonderful old fellow too!