Apollo11
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Joined: 6/7/2001
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Hi all,
quote:
Oldest WWI veteran dies aged 113
By BBC
Henry Allingham was the last surviving founding member of the RAF:
Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and one of the last surviving World War I servicemen, has died at the age of 113, his care home has said.
Mr Allingham served with the Royal Naval Air Service in WWI, later transferring to the Royal Air Force at the time of its creation.
Bosses at his Brighton care home said everybody was "saddened by Henry's loss and our sympathy goes to his family".
Last month, Mr Allingham, born in 1896, became the world's oldest man.
His funeral will take place later this month at St Nicholas' Church in Brighton.
Mr Allingham, whose life has spanned three centuries and six monarchs, has five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great grandchildren and one great-great-great grandchild.
His wife Dorothy, who he was married to for more than half a century, died in 1970.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to the war hero, calling him a "tremendous character".
"I had the privilege of meeting Henry many times. He was a tremendous character, one of the last representatives of a generation of tremendous characters," he said.
He added: "My thoughts are with his family as they mourn his passing but celebrate his life."
'War memories'
He joined the Royal Navy Air Service in September 1915 and served in Ypres before transferring to the RAF in April 1918.
In November last year, he took part in ceremonies to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of WWI.
Speaking before events began, Mr Allingham said he couldn't forget the war even if he wanted to.
"I saw too many things I would like to forget but I never will forget them, I never can forget them," he said.
For decades, he buried his war memories, avoiding reunions and refusing to discuss the events with his family.
But, in 2005, he was persuaded to unveil an RAF memorial in France and decided it would have been disrespectful to his former comrades to refuse.
This was followed by numerous honours and accolades.
He was given a doctorate in engineering from Southampton Solent University and was made an honorary freeman of Brighton and Hove.
He was also made an honorary member of the Royal Naval Association, received a Legion d'Honneur and published his life story.
In the foreword to Mr Allingham's autobiography, published in 2008, Prince Charles described him as "one of our nation's historic treasures".
"We should all be humbled by this quiet, genial man and his desire to extol peace and friendship to the world, despite all the horrors he witnessed at such a young and impressionable age," he wrote.
Last month, the Royal Navy hosted a 113th birthday party on HMS President in London for his family, close friends and members of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
That was the last time his nephew Ronald Cator saw him.
Mr Cator said his uncle looked "very, very frail. He went downhill in the last few months."
"He used to sleep a lot at the end. He wanted to pass away, poor old boy."
Tributes
Dennis Goodwin, founder of the First World War Veterans' Association, led the tributes to Mr Allingham, the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland and his old friend.
"Henry was truly a gentleman - his strength of character, his purpose. He left quite a legacy to the nation of memories of what it was like to have been in WWI," he said.
Veterans minister Kevan Jones said he was "greatly saddened" to hear of Mr Allingham's death.
"For one of his age, his vigour for life was extraordinary," he said.
"I was humbled to meet somebody who had led such an amazing life and we owe such a huge debt of gratitude to him and his generation."
Robert Leader, chief executive of St Dunstan's care home in Ovingdean, near Brighton, said: "He was very active right up to his final days, having recently celebrated his 113th birthday on HMS President, surrounded by family.
"As well as possessing a great spirit of fun, he represented the last of a generation who gave a very great deal for us.
"Henry made many friends among the residents and staff at St Dunstan's. He was a great character and will be missed."
Mr Allingham is survived by Harry Patch, who turned 111 last month and is now one of the last two British survivors of WWI.
The other is Claude Choules, aged 108, who served with the Royal Navy and fought in the Battle of Jutland, as did Mr Allingham.
Born in Worcestershire, he stayed in Australia after he was seconded there in the 1920s as an instructor to the Royal Australian Navy.
Leo "Apollo11"
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