The last veteran who served in the trenches was harry patch british army who died on 25 july 2009, aged 111. Harry patch died aged 111 and his funeral was held in wells, somerset. Louis nara maintains records that are in the legal custody of the national archives records in the custody of the national archives are available to the public for research information within these records is open. Harry patch was born in 1898 and was conscripted in 1916. Jun 17, 2016 harry patch was the last man alive to have fought in the trenches in the first world war. A pretty concise run down of how the last veteran came to be harry patch. Harry patch, pictured here on november 11, 2008, at an armistice day commemoration ceremony in london. From his vivid memories of an edwardian childhood, the horror of the great war and fighting in the mud during the battle of passchendaele, working on the home front in the second world war, and fame in later life as a veteran, the last fighting tommy is the story of an.
Harry patchs war came to an end on 22 september, 1917 when a german shell burst over the heads of his five man lewis gun team. The last living veteran of world war i was florence green. Patch as the last british survivor of the first world war. His funeral was shown on television, as there was so much interest. Harry patch from combe down in bath died in 2009 at the age of 112. The stirring words of britains last fighting tommy war isnt worth one life, harry patch the man nicknamed the last fighting tommy said before his death on july 25, 2009.
It was only when he turned 100 that the veteran of ypres began to speak about the horrors he had seen. He died just seven days after the death of henry allingham, aged 1, who had been the only other remaining britishresident first world war veteran. Allinghams death led the defense ministry to describe mr. Harry patch, the last of britains army veterans of world. The last veteran who served in the trenches was harry patch british army who died. Harry was the last tommy to survive the horror of the trenches of wwi. Harry patch, the longest surviving british veteran of the conflict, is the subject of the work produced by londonbased artist and documentary filmmaker david tucker. This laconic, deeply sensitive man who throughout his life retained his gentle west.
Wells, england harry patch, the last known survivor of trench warfare on world war is western front, was buried today in his native village with the simplicity he craved. The last central powers veteran was franz kunstler from austriahungary. Harry patch, one of last remaining veterans of world war one. First world war hero harry patch tells story he couldnt. Before his death, harry patch returned to the fields of passchendaele where his three best friends met their end. The life of harry patch, the oldest surviving veteran of the trenches. The last veteran who served in the trenches was harry. Nov 09, 2014 i just looked up harry patch, the last remaining ww1 veteran, who died a few years back. Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims. Nine decades ago, in 1917, harry patch, who has died aged 111, could have instantly joined the half a million german and commonwealth soldiers ripped apart in the mud of the battle of. The last veteran who served in combat was claude choules.
Patch died peacefully at his care home in the southwestern english city of wells, the. Henry john patch 17 june 1898 25 july 2009, dubbed in his later years the last fighting. Never spoke about the war until he turned a 100 years old. In his last years he lived in a nursing home in wells where he died on 25 july 2009 from natural causes, he was 111 years old. He was the last surviving british soldier to have served in the trenches of the western front when he died and. Harry patch, who has died aged 111, was the last soldier to have fought in the trenches of the great war.
The stirring words of britains last fighting tommy war isnt worth one life, harry patch the man nicknamed the last fighting tommy. Harry patch, the last survivor of world war i to fight in the trenches, has died aged 111. The last veterans of wwi frank buckles and harry patch in. Harry patch, britains last surviving soldier of the great. Jul 25, 2009 the last british survivor of the world war i trenches, harry patch, has died at the age of 111. Harry patch is now a national icon, the last surviving british combat soldier of the first world war until he died aged 111 years, 1 month, 1 week and 1 day. This was also seven days after the death of fellow veteran henry allingham, who was. He was the oldest man in europe at his death at the age of 111 years, 38 days. But despite his wealth of experience, harry said hes determined to. Three of them were blown to pieces while patch was wounded in the groin by a piece of shrapnel. World war one memories the trench experience in one soldier.
Harry patch was the last british soldier alive to have fought in world war i and, for a time, was the oldest man in europe. Jul 25, 2009 at 111, harry patch was the oldest person in britain and the last surviving tommy. Introduction harry patch was a man from combe down in the county of somerset as well as the last verifiable man living anywhere on earth to have had firsthand experience of fighting in the trenches of the first world war. This is a list of the last surviving world war i veterans by country.
Finding your world war i veteran at the national archives at. He was raised in combe down, near bath, and had been living at a care home in wells, somerset. Sep 03, 2017 veteran harry patch died at 111 as britains oldest man and last survivor of wwi for 90 years he was too traumatised to speak about it until days before his death. Veteran harry patch died at 111 as britains oldest man and last survivor of wwi for 90 years he was too traumatised to speak about it until days before his death. Harry patch in memory of radiohead this is a version for solo guitar of radioheads tribute to ww1 veteran harry patch. Harry died at 9 am on 25 july 2009, aged 111 years, one month, one week and one day. Six pallbearers from the 1st battalion the rifles bear the coffin of world war i veteran harry patch into wells cathedral in 2009. Now, almost a century later, harry patch, the last british veteran who saw active service, has died. List of last world war i veterans by country wikipedia. Harry patch in memory of is a song by the english alternative rock band radiohead.
But despite his wealth of experience, harry said hes determined to look forwards and not backwards. He was going to once again meet a german, but this time there would be only handshakes. British veterans of the great war part 1 of 2 duration. World war one memories the trench experience in one. In 1998, as a surviving veteran of the first world war, who had fought for the allies in france and flanders, the president of the republic of france made him a knight of the legion dhonneur.
I have great admiration for my fellow countryman harry patch 17th june 1898 25th july 2009. On this day in 2009 great war veteran harry patch died aged an incredible 111 years. He was conscripted and sent to the trenches of the. Harry patch, the last tommy of ww1 i cannot go to bed. The life of harry patch, last veteran of the trenches, 18982009, p. He never forgot those lost and always made sure to remember lost germans as well as allied troops. She was a british woman who served in the allied armed forces, and who died on 4 february 2012, aged 110. Radiohead surprise fans with song in memory of last ww1 veteran harry patch. Looking back at the life of the last ww1 soldier on remembrance sunday looking back at the last ww1 veteran s extraordinary life georgia chambers. Jul 26, 2009 london harry patch, the last british survivor of the fighting in the trenches on the western front where hundreds of thousands of soldiers from britain and its colonies were killed in world war i. Jul 22, 2019 six pallbearers from the 1st battalion the rifles bear the coffin of world war i veteran harry patch into wells cathedral in 2009.
The last veteran who served in the trenches was harry patch who died on 25 july 2009, aged 111. Often referred to as the last fighting tommy, harry patch had served in flanders with the duke of cornwalls light infantry during the third battle of ypres in 1917. The nfa is one of the uks oldest armed forces charities and was founded in 1920 to support exservicemen wounded in the great war. The funeral of harry patch has taken place at wells cathedral in somerset, remembering the life of the last british veteran of the first world war follow u. He served in the british royal navy and later the royal australian navy and died 5 may 2011, aged 110. He served with a lewis gun team at the battle of passchendaele and in september 1917 was wounded by a shell that killed three of his. List of last surviving world war i veterans by country. Patch was born near bath, and became an apprentice plumber until world war 1 broke out. The song is a tribute to the british supercentenarian harry patch, the last surviving soldier to have fought in the trenches during world war i. Harry patch, the last of britains army veterans of world war i, is. The last veterans of wwi frank buckles and harry patch in we were the last introduction. The cathedral bells were rung 111 times, and no soldiers attending were allowed to carry guns, as patch had requested. Aug 06, 2009 the funeral of harry patch has taken place at wells cathedral in somerset, remembering the life of the last british veteran of the first world war follow u. A veteran of the battle of passchendale, he became known as the last fighting tommy.
Jul 25, 2009 harry patch s war came to an end on 22 september, 1917 when a german shell burst over the heads of his five man lewis gun team. Nov 06, 20 the nfa is one of the uks oldest armed forces charities and was founded in 1920 to support exservicemen wounded in the great war. Jul 25, 2014 on this day in 2009 great war veteran harry patch died aged an incredible 111 years. Harry patch was the last surviving veteran of the trenches of wwi. Unfortunately us in england experienced a double blow with mr patchs death as fellow ww1 veteran henry allingham had only passed away a week earlier. At 111, harry patch was the oldest person in britain and the last surviving tommy. Harry patch was the last man alive to have fought in the trenches in the first world war. Harry patch was the last living british tommy that had fought in the trenches of. Radiohead surprise fans with song in memory of last ww1. Harry patch first world war veteran obituary world news. We no longer have anyone left who lived through ww1.
The total number of participating personnel is estimated by the encyclop. Harry patch, last british survivor of first world war. This book is not designed to be a history of the first world war, more a look at how people, including the veterans themselves and historians have viewed this conflict between the armistice in 1918 to the death of harry patch in 2009. The last central powers veteran, franz kunstler of austriahungary, died on 27 may 2008 at the age of 107. It is the gift of former private and lewis gunner harry patch, no. Harry patch, born june 17, 1898, was the last british soldier alive to have fought in the trenches of the first world war. Aug 06, 2009 wells, england harry patch, the last known survivor of trench warfare on world war is western front, was buried today in his native village with the simplicity he craved. The last combatant was claude choules, who was in the royal navy and died in may 2011. Patch was the last male first world war veteran living in europe and the last. I just looked up harry patch, the last remaining ww1 veteran, who died a few years back.
The last british survivor of the world war i trenches, harry patch, has died at the age of 111. Harry patch, the last of britains army veterans of world war. There were approximately 9,750,103 military deaths during the conflict. Harry patch died july 25 at the age of 111, a week after fellow british world war i veteran henry allingham died at the age of 1. Harry patch, the last soldier to fight in the trenches of europe during world war i, has died at the age of 111. A party of pallbearers escorting his coffin was made up of two. Aug 06, 2009 harry patch died july 25 at the age of 111, a week after fellow british world war i veteran henry allingham died at the age of 1. He was the last surviving british soldier to have served in the trenches of the western front when he died and his face and voice have come to symbolise a whole generations of veterans who survived the war. Rip harry patch ww1 veteran page 2 the motorbike forum.
Feb 01, 2010 a pretty concise run down of how the last veteran came to be harry patch. From his vivid memories of an edwardian childhood, the horror of the great war and fighting in the mud during the battle of passchendaele, working on the home front in the second world war, and fame in later life as a veteran, the last fighting tommy is the story of. Harry patch told of horrors of wwi daily mail online. He was in hospital for 12 months and was convalescing on the isle of wight when the armistice was signed. Harry patch first world war veteran obituary world. Wwi veteran celebrates 109 years, bbc news, 17 june 2007. Nov 07, 2018 harry patch from combe down in bath died in 2009 at the age of 112. Nine decades ago, in 1917, harry patch, who has died aged 111, could have instantly joined the half a million german and commonwealth soldiers ripped apart in the mud of the battle of passchendaele. The last world war i soldier to see combat died at age 111. The last fighting tommy tells the story of harry patch, the longest surviving veteran of the trenches. Nov 11, 2008 harry patch, pictured here on november 11, 2008, at an armistice day commemoration ceremony in london. Nov 07, 2018 harry patch is now a national icon, the last surviving british combat soldier of the first world war until he died aged 111 years, 1 month, 1 week and 1 day. London harry patch, the last british survivor of the fighting in the trenches on the western front where hundreds of thousands of soldiers from britain and.