Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and the oldest survivor of the First World War, died earlier today.
The BBC is asking people who met him to write in with their memories. I never met him but I saw him a couple of times at the Cenotaph. The first was on the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War and the second was on the 90th anniversary of its end. Both times I felt humbled in the presence of Henry and his former comrades; men who had been through the sort of horrors that I will never know and who gave the best years of their lives for their country.
When I wrote this post on Henry's birthday last year, there were still five British WWI veterans still alive. Now there are only two; the last of that brave generation of men.
In recent years, Henry Allingham did much to teach a new generation about the First World War, visiting schools and often addressing groups of children more than 100 years his junior. He played no small part in the recent revival of interest in that terrible war.
The best tribute we can pay to Henry Allingham and all those of his generation is to keep that memory alive. The bravery, the hardship, the self-sacrifice and the sheer bloody stupidity of Europeans murdering each other on an industrial scale should never be forgotten.
When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.
Don't cry Stevie, you'll get over it.
Posted by: Haw Haw Harry | 19 July 2009 at 09:28 AM
That sucks. Very recently I was reading an article about him and he impressed me with his relaxed manner and seemingly progressive thinking.
Posted by: greg | 19 July 2009 at 02:55 PM
Who's left standing?
Harry Patch?
Any others?
Posted by: Greg Tingey | 19 July 2009 at 06:43 PM
Harry Patch passed away today at the grand old age of 111. He was a machine gunner at Paschendaele.
We shall never see the likes of them again I fear.
Posted by: Monty | 25 July 2009 at 02:21 PM
Take the Union Flag and wipe your arse on
it in memory of Harry's mates.
Posted by: Englander | 28 July 2009 at 01:57 AM
I think my last post is a bit offensive.
I appologise. My anger is that a million of
my countrymen died for in a crass, pointless slaughter. It would have been of far greater use to my nation if they had lived a full life and there sons and daughters were walking the streets today.
Posted by: Englander | 03 August 2009 at 01:38 AM