France’s last WWI vet dies;World War I: last 9 men standing
Following the death of the Italian-French war veteran Lazare Ponticelli, a total of nine men who served in their countries’ armed forces during World War I are known to be still alive around the world.
The list, in order of seniority:
- Henry Allingham of Britain, aged 111. The only survivor to have served from beginning to end of the conflict, he started in the Royal Navy and then ended in the Air Force, seeing action at the Somme.
- Yakup Satar of Turkey, aged 109. Signed up in 1915 for the Ottoman Army, worked with the Germans, notably on gas weapons, and was captured in 1917 in what is now Iraq.
- Harry Patch of Britain, 109. Called up in 1917 and saw action in the trenches of the Belgian front, including during the murderous 3rd Battle of Ypres. Injured by a shell in the same year.
- Delfino Borroni of Italy, 109. Joined an elite unit in 1917 and notably fought against Austro-Hungarian forces in the Tyrol.
- Francesco Chiarello, also of Italy, 109. Called up in 1918 and saw action in his country’s final battles of the war.
- Frank Buckles, United States, 107. Joined up by lying about his age when his country entered the war in 1917 and served as an ambulance driver in England and France.
- John Babcock of Canada, aged 107. Was sent to Britain as a junior soldier with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1917, but did not see action because he was too young.
- Franz Kuenstler of Germany, aged 107. Joined a Hungarian artillery unit in February 1918, and served in Italy. Only survivor of the Austro-Hungarian forces.
- Claude Choules of Britain, aged 106. Joined the Royal Navy in 1916 and served in the North Sea while only a teenager.