Claude Choules - Last male WW1 veteran dies

[sledge]

Our last remaining WW1 male/servicing veteran has died at the ripe old age of 110. I watched the news story on the TV and felt abit sad the last of that generation who went off to fight in the Great war, he was only 16 at the time in 1918(entered towards the end of the great war). The Last American veteran died earlier in the year.

Claude Choules, the last remaining male combat veteran of World War I and known as ‘Chuckles’ by his comrades, has died in a Perth nursing home. He was 110 years old.

Born in Worcestershire in 1901, he served with the Royal Navy onboard the HMS Impregnable in 1916 at the age of just 15, before joining the battleship HMS Revenge in 1917 and witnessing the surrender of the German Fleet near Firth of Forth in Scotland in 1918.

Mr Choules emigrated to Australia in 1920 and moved to Fremantle where he was seconded to the Royal Australian Navy in 1926.

It was on the liner that first took him to Australia that he met his future wife Ethel. They were married on December 3, 1926 and later settled in Western Australia. His wife died in 2003 at the age of 98 after they had been married for 76 years, and he spent his final years in a nursing home.

Dennis Connelly, editor of The Listening Post, the official journal of the Returned Services League of Australia, said it is a sad day for the country.

“He did lead a very full life,” Mr Connelly said.

“He has had quite a life; it is quite the story to tell, and somebody should be telling that story.

“I remember I tried to interview him once, and his daughter actually told me that there was already enough information out there, there was nothing to add to it.

“He was a recluse in the later years of his life.”

Mr Connelly said he expected crowds in the hundreds to turn out to pay their respects to Mr Choules on what will be “a very big occasion for the last World War I vet”.

After serving in the military for 41 years he retired and published his first book at the age of 108. he leaves three children, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

The funeral and service for Mr Choules will be arranged by the Royal Australian Navy which has volunteered host the event. It will be held at St John’s Church in Fremantle, but a date has not yet been set

Mr Choules was declared the last known male survivor of more than 70 million military personnel during WWI, after American veteran Frank Buckles passed away earlier this year, also aged 110.

The only other surviving WWI veteran is believed to be Britain’s Florence Green, who served with the Royal Air Force in a non-combat role and is now aged 110.

Watch the News Story here
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/05/05/3208728.htm

[sledge]

The last 'WW1' Veteran standing now gone was buried yesterday in Perth. Lest we Forget

Mr Choules was the world's last known veteran who saw active service in both world wars.

He died in a Perth nursing home earlier this month aged 110.

Mr Choules' daughter Anne Pow says she has been overwhelmed by the support from friends, the Navy and the community.

"I've had some very lovely cards from people I haven't seen for many years but also from people I've never known," she said.

"So people are touched by his story and our story too and we appreciate their interest."

A public naval service was held in Fremantle this morning.

"There's a lot of celebration in it because he had such a wonderful life and he was such an important member of the family, a patriarch you might say of our family," she said.

"But you can't keep people forever. He did get to 110."

Watch The News Story