View source for Claude Choules

{{Infobox Military Person
|name= Claude Choules
|born= {{Birth date |df=yes|1901|3|3}} - died 5th May 2011 (age 110)
|image = Claude Choules.jpg
|caption=
|nickname= Chuckles
|placeofbirth= [[Wyre Piddle]], [[Pershore]], [[Worcestershire]], England
|placeofdeath=
|allegiance= {{flagicon|UK}} [[United Kingdom]]<br />{{flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]]
|branch= [[Royal Navy]]<br />[[Royal Australian Navy]]
|serviceyears= 1916 – 1956
|rank= Acting Torpedo Officer, [[Fremantle, Western Australia|Fremantle]]<br />Chief Demolition Officer
|unit=
|commands=
|battles= [[World War I]]<br />[[World War II]]
|awards=
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
'''Claude Choules''' (3 March 1901 – 5 May 2011)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8494067/Last-British-veteran-of-WW1-Claude-Choules-dies.html |title=Last veteran of WW1 Claude Choules dies - Telegraph |access-date=2018-04-01 |archive-date=2012-09-12 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912075842/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8494067/Last-British-veteran-of-WW1-Claude-Choules-dies.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> was a [[British people|British]]-[[Australians|Australian]] [[List of surviving veterans of World War I|World War I veteran]] who served in the [[Royal Navy]].
== Biography ==

== World War I & World War II ==
Born in [[Wyre Piddle]], son of Harry & Madeline (née Winn), near [[Pershore]], [[Worcestershire]], Choules joined the [[Royal Navy]] as a young man in 1916, and served aboard the Naval Training Ship [[HMS Impregnable#Training establishment|HMS Circe]] at [[HMNB Devonport|Plymouth]]. In 1917, he joined the battleship [[HMS Revenge (06)|HMS ''Revenge'']], which was the [[flagship]] of the [[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|First Battle Squadron]]. While serving aboard her, Choules witnessed the surrender of the [[Kaiserliche Marine|German Imperial Navy]] at the [[Firth of Forth]] in 1918, ten days after the [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)|Armistice]], and was also to witness the [[scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow]].
During [[World War II]], Choules was the Acting Torpedo Officer of [[Fremantle, Western Australia|Fremantle]] and also the Chief Demolition Officer on the western side of the Australian continent. He was tasked with sabotaging Fremantle harbors and related oil storage tanks in the event of a [[Japanese invasion of australia|Japanese invasion]].

He died on 5 May 2011 in [[Perth, Western Australia]] at 110 years old.

== Claude Choules Media ==
<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>
File:Claude&Ethel1926.jpg|Choules and his future wife Ethel Wildgoose, aboard ''Diogenes'', 1926. They were married for 76 years until her death aged 98.

File:ClaudeChoules1929-HMASCanberra.jpg|[[Petty officer|PO]] Choules aboard HMAS ''Canberra'', 1929

File:HMAS Choules Sydney 21122011.JPG|HMAS ''Choules'' in December 2011

File:British War Medal BAR.svg|:BritishWarMedalBAR

File:Ribbon, World War I Victory Medal.svg|Ribbon, World War I Victory Medal

File:War Medal 1939–1945 (UK) ribbon.png|War Medal 1939–1945 (UK) ribbon

File:Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 BAR.svg|Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 BAR

File:UK Queen EII Coronation Medal ribbon.svg|UK Queen EII Coronation Medal ribbon

File:AUS Centenary Medal ribbon.svg|AUS Centenary Medal ribbon

File:Australian Defence Medal (Australia) ribbon.png|Australian Defence Medal (Australia) ribbon
</gallery>
== Related pages ==
* [[List of surviving veterans of World War I]]
* [[List of Last veterans of World War I by Country and Branch of Service]]
* [[List of last surviving World War I veterans by country]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Choules, Claude}}
[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian military people]]
[[Category:British military personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British supercentenarians]]
[[Category:Military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia]]
[[Category:People from Worcestershire]]