And now the last has joined the first*.
Harry Patch, the last survivor of The Great War (World War I) to fight in the trenches, has died today at 0850 BST. He was 111.
The care home where he lived issued a statement which read: "It is with much sadness that we must announce the death of Mr Harry Patch at the age of 111.
"Funeral arrangements are being made in accordance with Mr Patch's wishes, and we wish to extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and the residents and staff of Fletcher House."
Harry, also known as the Last Fighting Tommy from his autobiography, took part in the Third Battle of Ypres, more commonly known as Passchendaele, in 1917 in which more than 70,000 British troops died. He was injured when a shell exploded overhead at 22:30 on 22 September 1917, killing three of his comrades. After this he was removed from the front line and returned to England on 23 December 1917. Harry always referred to 22 September as his personal remembrance day.
He became Britain's oldest man when his great friend and another veteran of the war, Henry Allingham, died just a week ago aged 113.
Harry Patch was just 16 when the Great War began and was conscripted aged 18. He was a machine-gunner in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.
He served in the trenches as a private from June to September 1917.
The sole British survivor of The Great War is seaman Claude Scholes, aged 108, who served with the Royal Navy. Claude, originally from Worcestershire, now lives in Australia**.
Read More:
Harry Patch's page on the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry website.
Image of Harry courtesy of Wikimedia
*Quoted by Hedley Malloch on the Front Forum.
**Other survivors of The Great War are believed to be:
- John Babcock, who turned 109 on 23 July, was with Canada's Boys' Battalion in England. The war ended before he had turned 18 and he was allowed to go to the front.
- Frank Buckles, 108, joined the American army aged just 16 and was held in reserve in England from December 1917. After six months he was sent to France but he did not see action in the front line.
