WWI veteran dies

[sandar]

British WWI veteran dies aged 108.


William Stone died today. He lived Watlington in Oxfordshire, was the last British serviceman to have seen active duty in both world wars.
Mr Stone, who was known as Bill, joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday in September 1918 and served on HMS Tiger. He did not see action during WWI, bur more than made up for it during the Second World War.
He took part in the evacuation from Dunkirk while seving on destroyers.

Thw world is a far sadder place for his passing.

[hewman100]

Seconded.

Rest in Peace Sir.

[jmig]

WOW! I thought all of those gentlemen and died long ago.

RIP Sir!

[sandar]

There are three British WWI veterans still alive, two living in England and one in Australia. The oldest is Henry Allingham, he is 112 and Europe's oldest man. He was in the RNAS and later the RAF. While in the Royal Navy he found himself onboard ship during the Battle of Jutland. Then he went on to maintain RFC, later RAF aeroplanes.

The second oldest is Harry Patch, aged 110. He is the last trench fighter. He was badly wounded by shellfire, which killed or wounded all but one of his Lewis gun team, during the Battle of Langemark in 1917 (part of the Third Ypres or Passchendaele).

The last is Stanley Choules, 108 who joined the Royal Navy, but was too young to see action. he did witness the scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow at the end of the war.

I think there is also one Australian and two Americans still alive. Although all three served in their country's armed forces, none of them saw action during WWI, although one American survivor served as an ambulance driver on the Western front.