GettnHuge 2 Posted July 19, 2009 rink First World War veteran Henry Allingham, who became the world's oldest man last month, has died at the age of 113. As tributes poured in, Lord's cricket ground fell silent at the start of play in the Ashes match between England and Australia as a mark of respect for Mr Allingham, who died in his sleep early yesterday morning. He was one of the last three surviving British veterans of the First World War, the last surviving founder member of the RAF, the last man to have witnessed the Battle of Jutland and the last surviving member of the Royal Naval Air Service. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
remote controller 143 Posted July 19, 2009 God Bless the service of these GREAT men! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GettnHuge 2 Posted July 25, 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/07/25...obit/index.html LONDON, England (CNN) -- Harry Patch -- the last surviving British soldier from World War I -- died Saturday at the age of 111, Britain's Ministry of Defence said. Patch died peacefully at his care home in the southwestern English city of Wells, the ministry announced. His death came a week after fellow British World War I veteran Henry Allingham died at the age of 113. Patch was the last surviving soldier to have witnessed the horrors of trench warfare in the first World War He fought and was seriously wounded in Ypres, Belgium, in 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele, in which 70,000 of his fellow soldiers died -- including three of his close friends. Born in 1898, Patch became a plumber before being conscripted to the army in 1916. After training, Patch was recruited to The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry as a Lewis gunner assistant. The unit was rushed to the front line trenches of Ypres, where soldiers were urgently needed to replace those who were wounded and dying by the thousand. He fought in the trenches between June and September of 1917 and was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war. In late September he was wounded when a light shell exploded above his head, bringing an end to his military service. He received battlefield treatment without anesthetic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CantTouchThis 23 Posted July 25, 2009 It's hard to imagine living that long. I mean, when you turn 60...and have another 50 years left?!?!? Crazy, i think we will be seeing an exponential increase in 110+ers over the next century. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
