List of surviving veterans of World War I
The following is a list of known surviving veterans of World War I (WWI) (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918). The total number of participating personnel is estimated by the Encyclopedia Britannica at 65,038,810. There were approximately 9,750,103 military casualties 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. Other WWI-era veterans are listed separately. This policy may vary from the policy in actual use in some countries.
112-year-old Briton Henry Allingham, born 6 June 1896, is currently the oldest living verified WWI veteran. Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico (21 August 1891 – 24 January 2007), who died aged 115, is the oldest authenticated veteran, from any conflict, to have ever lived. On 27 May 2008, the last Central Powers' veteran, Franz Künstler of Austria-Hungary, died at age 107.
Verified veterans of World War I—8 veterans
On 27 June 2006, the British Government approved a National Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey to take place after the death of the last known WWI veteran.[1] Similarly, on 21 November 2006, the Canadian House of Commons approved a state funeral for the last WWI veteran to have served in the Canadian forces to die.[2] This will now go to John Babcock should he accept it. On 19 March 2008, Frank Buckles was approved for burial at Arlington National Cemetery upon his eventual death.[3] Although John Campbell Ross is the last known Australian veteran, he did not see active service and the Australian state funeral was given for William Evan Allan on 25 October 2005.[4]
Residence |
Name |
Date of Birth |
Age |
Nationality |
Force served |
Notes |
Australia |
Choules, Claude Stanley |
01901-03-03 3 March 1901 |
108 |
English |
Royal Navy |
Joined up in 1916. Last witness to the scuttling of the fleet. Moved to Australia in 1926 and served with Australian Navy in WWII. Lives in Perth, Western Australia.[5][6] |
Australia |
Ross, John Campbell (Jack) |
01899-03-11 11 March 1899 |
110 |
Australian |
Australian Army 1st AIF |
Last Australian digger. Joined up in 1918 as wireless operator[7] but did not see action. Served in Home Guard in WWII. Australia's oldest man. Lives in Bendigo, Victoria.[8] |
United Kingdom |
Allingham, Henry William |
01896-06-06 6 June 1896 |
113 |
English |
12 Squadron RNAS (later RAF) |
Last airman. Joined up in 1915. Last witness to Battle of Jutland and Battle of the Somme. Europe's oldest man and oldest ever Englishman. Lives in Brighton, Sussex.[9][10] |
United Kingdom |
Hughes, Netherwood (Ned) |
01900-06-12 12 June 1900 |
109 |
English |
British Army 51st Manchester Regiment |
Called up in 1918. Did not see action (was still in training). Lives in Accrington, Lancashire.[11][12] |
United Kingdom |
Patch, Henry John (Harry) |
01898-06-17 17 June 1898 |
111 |
English |
British Army
7th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry |
Called up in 1917. Last veteran to serve in the trenches and last to be wounded in action. Last survivor of Battle of Passchendaele. Fireman in WWII. Lives in Wells, Somerset.[13][14][15] |
United Kingdom |
Stone, William Frederick (Bill) |
01900-09-23 23 September 1900 |
109 |
English |
Royal Navy |
Joined up in 1918. Did not see action (was still in training), but is also WWII veteran. Lives in Reading, Berkshire.[16][17] |
United States |
Babcock, John Henry Foster (Jack) |
01900-07-23 23 July 1900 |
109 |
Canadian |
First 146th, CEF, then Boys Battalion |
Last Canadian veteran. Joined up in 1916. Completed training, but did not see action (held back in Britain due to age). Moved to US in 1924 and lives in Spokane, Washington.[18][19] |
United States |
Buckles, Frank Woodruff |
01901-02-01 1 February 1901 |
108 |
American |
United States Army 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment |
Last US doughboy. Joined up in 1917. Drove ambulance near Western Front. Held prisoner in WWII. Lives in Charles Town, West Virginia.[20][21] |
Unverified World War I veteran claims—2 veterans
These are claims that were included in the press, but have not been verified by a government-sanctioned body or actual records located. To be a claim there must be at least a citation.
World War I-era veterans—3 veterans
Listed here are those who joined the armed services after the Armistice date, but before the Treaty of Versailles; or where there is debate on their join-date; or whose military service is sometimes viewed as outside the scope of WWI, but are considered WWI-era vets by the press or by their respective governments; or who served in a related conflict.
World totals—13 veterans
- Verified claims of World War I and World War I Era: 11
- World War I (Veterans who joined by Armistice Day): 8
- World War I Era: 3
- Unverified claims: 2
See also
- Last surviving United States war veterans
- List of last surviving World War I veterans by country
- Surviving veterans of the Spanish Civil War
- List of notable last events
References
- ↑ "Last WWI veteran to be honoured". BBC News (2006-06-27). Retrieved on 2008-08-25.
- ↑ "First World War veterans don't want state funeral". CBC News (2007-01-02). Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
- ↑ "Arlington Cemetery makes historic exception for World War I veteran". Salem News (2008-04-08). Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
- ↑ "William Evan Allan: life of a boy sailor". Navy News (2005-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
- ↑ "World War I Veteran at UWA Art Show Opening". UWA Public Affairs (2006-02-08). Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ↑ Booth, Gary (2002-05-13). "500 km by bike to demolish Albany". Navy News. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ↑ "Last Aussie digger to fight in WWI dies". The Age (2005-10-18). Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ↑ Turnbull, Jeff (2008-03-11). "Oldest Digger celebrates turning 109". news.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-11-06.
- ↑ Smith, David (2006-10-29). "Great War foes embrace as friends". The Observer. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ↑ Mccaffrey, Julie (2006-10-30). "Old Enemies.. New Friends". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ↑ Kenyon, Lisa (2008-06-20). "Old Ned's still in top gear for his 108th milestone". Accrington Observer. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
- ↑ Bingham, John (2008-11-20). "'New' First World War veteran comes to light through internet". The Telegraph. Retrieved on 2008-12-01.
- ↑ "WWI veteran celebrates 108 years". BBC Online News (2006-10-30). Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ↑ "Veteran, 109, revisits WWI trench". BBC Online News (2007-07-29). Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ↑ Patch, Harry; van Emden, Richard (2007). The Last Fighting Tommy. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-9115-3.
- ↑ "Profile of William Frederick Stone". HMS Newfoundland Association. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ↑ Hamilton, George (2008-09-08). "World War One survivor collapses". Oxford Mail. Retrieved on 2008-11-16.
- ↑ "Lest We Forget". CBC News (2006-11-06). Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ↑ "Canada's last WW1 vet gets his citizenship back", CBC News (2008-05-09).
- ↑ "Oldest Living Heroes Remembered". CBS News (2006-11-11). Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ↑ Dean Reynolds and Elizabeth Stuart (2006-12-02). "Last WWI Veterans Get Their Due". ABC News. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ↑ "Последний в мире ветеран Первой мировой живет в Донецке" (2008-02-22). Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ↑ Sopova, Alice (04-11-04). "Старейший житель Донецка М.Е.КРИЧЕВСКИЙ: "Я работал на Махно"". Retrieved on 18-11-08.
- ↑ "Army remembers old soldier Doug". Southern Daily Echo (2003-06-27). Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
- ↑ "105th birthday - Mr Douglas Terrey". Marchwood Parish Council (28-09-08). Retrieved on 18-11-08.
- ↑ Seppälä, Anu (1999-12-24). "Arska, entering his third century and NOT “growing old gracefully”". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ↑ Kauppinen, Perttu (2002-08-06). "At age 105, Aarne Arvonen still knows how to enjoy life". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ↑ "Pan Józef ma 107 lat i czuje się znakomicie" (in Polish). Wirtualna Polska. Retrieved on 2007-03-16.
- ↑ "Niech żyje 200 lat!" (in Polish). Radio Zachód S.A.. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ↑ Stapleton, Ellen R. (2003-11-09). "Ky.'s oldest veteran, 102, still devoted to service". The Enquirer. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ↑ Associated Press. "WWI Vets Gallery". CNN. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
External links
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Lists of known World War I veterans' deaths by year |
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Numbers in brackets indicate the number of veterans known to die that year
1999 (750) · 2000 (484) · 2001 (309) · 2002 (200) · 2003 (161) · 2004 (166) · 2005 (96) · 2006 (52) · 2007 (35) · 2008 (15)
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