List of last surviving World War I veterans

This a list of known veterans of World War I who died in 2009 (5 veterans), 2010 (1 veteran), 2011 (2 veterans) and 2012 (1 veteran). Florence Green, who died on 4 February 2012, was the last surviving veteran of any nation.

Veterans by country of service – 9 veterans

These people served in the armed forces during World War I.

Country served Name Born Died Notes
  Australia John Campbell Ross 11 March 1899 3 June 2009 (110) Last Australian digger. Joined in early 1918 as wireless operator, but did not see action. Served in Home Guard in World War II. Australia's oldest person. Lived in Bendigo, Victoria.[1][2][3][4]
  Canada John Babcock 23 July 1900 18 February 2010 (109) Last Canadian veteran. Joined in 1916. Served first in the 146th Battalion, then transferred to Boys Battalion. Did his training in UK but did not see action because of his age. Moved to the U.S. in 1924.[5][6][7][8]
  United Kingdom Henry Allingham 6 June 1896 18 July 2009 (113) Last airman. Served in the 12 Squadron RNAS. Joined in 1915 as a mechanic. Last veteran of the Battle of Jutland. World's oldest man and oldest ever British man. Oldest veteran ever to see action. Lived in Brighton, Sussex.[9][10][11]
  United Kingdom Claude Choules 3 March 1901 5 May 2011 (110) Last living person who fought in World War I.[12] Last seaman. Last veteran who served in both World Wars. Last male veteran. Joined in 1916. Moved to Australia in 1926 and served with Royal Australian Navy in World War II. Lived in Perth, Western Australia.[13][14][15][16]
  United Kingdom Florence Green 19 February 1901 4 February 2012 (110) Last veteran. Worked as a waitress in the Women's Royal Air Force.[17] Lived in North Lynn, Norfolk.[18]
  United Kingdom Netherwood Hughes 12 June 1900 4 April 2009 (108) Joined in mid-1918 as truck driver. Did not see action as he was still in training. Lived in Accrington, Lancashire.[19][20]
  United Kingdom Harry Patch 17 June 1898 25 July 2009 (111) Last Tommy. Served in the British Army. Last veteran to serve in trenches. Joined in 1916. Last survivor of the Battle of Passchendaele. Fireman in World War II. Europe's oldest man upon death. Lived in Wells, Somerset.[21][22][23][24]
  United Kingdom Bill Stone 23 September 1900 10 January 2009 (108) Joined Royal Navy in 1918. Did not see action as he was still in training, but was also a World War II veteran. Lived in Reading, Berkshire at the time of his death.[25][26]
  United States Frank Buckles 1 February 1901 27 February 2011 (110) Last American veteran. Joined in 1917. Ambulance driver near Western Front. Held prisoner in World War II as a civilian. Lived in Charles Town, West Virginia.[27][28][29]

Unverified World War I veterans – 4 veterans

Listed here are the veterans who were not verified as a World War I veteran.

Country served Name Born Died Notes
  Italy Sante Dal Santo 8 September 1902 26 February 2009 (106) Claimed to have joined in 1916 at the age of 14 as a "Digger" digging trenches and tunnels. Also served in World War II. Lived in Montecchio Precalcino.[30][31]
  Italy Carlo Dozzi 25 January 1901 30 May 2009 (108) Claimed to have joined up in 1917 at the age of 16 as a "Digger" digging trenches and tunnels. Also served in World War II. Lived in Maniago.[32]
  United Kingdom Harry Futcher 21 April 1904 27 May 2010 (106) Claimed to have joined up in 1918 at the age of 14 as a bandsman in the British Army serving in Egypt during the First World War. Lived in Dorset, England.[33][34]
  United Kingdom Doug Terrey 23 June 1903 26 June 2010 (107) Claimed to have joined up in 1917 as courier delivering messages in the Southampton Military District. Also served in World War II. Lived in Southampton, Hampshire.[35][36]

World War I era veterans – 6 veterans

Listed here are those that joined the armed services after the Armistice date, but before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, 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 World War I-era veterans by the press or by their respective governments, or served in a related conflict.

Country served Name Born Died Notes
  Brazil Waldemar Levy Cardoso 4 December 1900 13 May 2009 (108) Last Brazilian World War I-era veteran. Served in the Brazilian Army, joining in late 1918 but did not see action. Lieutenant Colonel in World War II. Last living Brazilian field marshal. Later lived in Rio de Janeiro.[37][38]
  Finland Aarne Arvonen 4 August 1897 1 January 2009 (111) One of the last veterans from the Finnish Civil War. Finland's oldest ever man. Last living Finn born in 19th century. Lived in Järvenpää.[39][40][41]
  Finland Nurminen, Lauri 9 September 1906 20 February 2009 (102) Possibly the last Finnish Civil War veteran. Lived in Valkeakoski.[42]
  Germany Helmut Fink 18 March 1901 27 April 2009 (108) Last veteran of the German Revolution and last German World War I-era veteran. Served in the Freikorps during the German Revolution of 1918-1919.
  Poland Wilhelm Meisel 1904 2009 (105) Last veteran of the Silesian Uprisings. Joined up in 1919 at the age of 15 and served for the Polish Army during the Silesian uprising until it ended in 1921.
  United States Robley Rex 2 May 1901 28 April 2009 (107) Last American World War I-era veteran. Joined in May 1919. Lived in Louisville, Kentucky.[43][44]

Related pages

References

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  2. Turnbull, Jeff (11 March 2008). "Oldest Digger celebrates turning 109". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  3. "Australia's oldest man Jack Ross dies aged 110". theage.com.au. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  4. "Australia's oldest man, 110, dies". BBC News. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  5. "Oldest Canadian World War I veteran dies". WKOW. 18 February 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  6. "Canada's last WW I veteran dies". CBC News. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  7. Elliot, Ian (19 February 2010). "Last World War I vet Babcock dies at 109". The Kingston Whig Standard. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  8. Geranios, Nicholas K (20 February 2010). "John Babcock, 108; Canada's last known veteran of WWI". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  9. Smith, David (29 October 2006). "Great War foes embrace as friends". The Observer. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  10. Mccaffrey, Julie (30 October 2006). "Old Enemies.. New Friends". Mirror. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
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  12. Choules, Claude The Last of the Last Mainstream Publishing pg 11 (introduction) & pg 61
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  16. Agence France-Presse (27 July 2009). Claude Choules says WWI was 'boring'. The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25841206-12377,00.html. Retrieved 2 August 2009. ""Mr Choules was informed by his 80-year-old daughter Anne Pow over the weekend that the death of 111-year-old Harry Patch, Britain's last soldier who fought in the Great War's infamous trenches, had made him the country's sole survivor."". 
  17. "Last WWI combat veteran Claude Choules dies aged 110". BBC News. 5 May 2011. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13289607. Retrieved 7 February 2012. 
  18. "Norfolk first world war veteran dies aged 110". Eastern Daily Press. 7 February 2012. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk_first_world_war_veteran_dies_aged_110_1_1201358. Retrieved 7 February 2012. 
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  24. WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111
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  27. "Oldest Living Heroes Remembered". CBS News. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  28. Reynolds, Dean, and Stuart, Elizabeth (2 December 2006). "Last WWI Veterans Get Their Due". ABC News. Retrieved 22 January 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  38. Cohen, Vivianne. "Testemunhas do Seculo" (in Portuguese). Terra. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
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  41. HS, STT (16 January 2009). "Suomen viimeinen 1800-luvulla syntynyt kuoli". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  42. Koikkalainen, Olli (5 March 2009). "The last freedom fighter buried with pine sword". Valkeakoski Sanomat. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  43. Stapleton, Ellen R. (9 November 2003). "Ky.'s oldest veteran, 102, still devoted to service". The Enquirer. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  44. Senator McConnell, Mitch (12 May 2008). "Honouring Robley Rex". Govtrack. Retrieved 21 January 2009.[dead link]