World's Oldest Man, WWI Vet, Dies at 113

[Cigarband]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/07/18/oldest.vet.dead/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

 

[dhermann1]

I guess most of us have seen a few pieces about this gentleman over the last couple of years. My main feeling is that he seemed like such a very very nice man. What a life!

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Henry Allingham has been mentioned on the passings thread. I wrote that he had been one of very few survivors left from the Great War.

Only two British, one American, and one Canadian remain alive. Also one unconfirmed British man who says he was a bicycle courier and a Polish man who is a WW I-era vet, but was not in that particular war.


Allingham's passing is close to the end of an era.

 

[Drew B]

a shame... but everyone has to pass.

 

[Tiller]

That is really to bad. I've watched things on this man before. One hell of a life. I will remember him the rest of my life, because of what he credited his longevity to "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women – and a good sense of humour".

 

[murena]

yes, that´s really bad!
the last WW1 k.u.k. veteran was Franz Künstler, he died also,at the age of 108 in 2008!

....but i thought the indian Habib Miyan was the oldest man, he tied with 138 years!

 

[K.D. Lightner]

The Guiness Book of Records will only accept someone's age only if they possess birth certificates and records to prove it, possibly the person from India does not have proof.

The oldest recorded person to ever have lived was the French woman Jeannette Calmont, who died in 1997 at the age of 122.

There might have been others who lived to be older than that, but could not prove it.

The oldest veteran from any war to have ever lived was a WW I vet from Puerto Rico, Emiliano Mercado del Toro, who died in early 2008 at the age of 115. He was the oldest person in the world for a short while.

karol

 

[aswatland]

I would recommend Allingham's biography if anyone is interested in the early history of the RNFC and RAF.

 

[H.Johnson]

2009 is the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the RN Air Service, of which Mr. Allingham was one of the early recruits. As Andrew says, his biography is a fascinating story.

The centenary was celebrated at the International Air Day at RNAS Yeovilton three weeks ago and Mr. Allingham was featured in an article in the official programme. I'm told that he was very proud of this, and I'm glad he lived to see it.

Incidentally, if anyone is interested in British Naval Aviation and would like to support the RN Historic Flight in restoring and maintaining a Fairey Swordfish, feel free to PM me.

 

[Edward]

RIP. A truly fascinating man, especially his views on the horrors of warfare and his obvious disgust at the romanticisation thereof. In the Radio 4 piece I listened to about him when they announced his death, they also reported his views on the Remembrance services that go on here every November as dismissing it as "showbusiness". I do hope that the events which our government has promised to organise in the wake of his passing don't turn into further crude showmanship, though alas I fear I hope in vein.

Meanwhile, the papers this week are full of reports of more kids dying for whatever in the latest war. It often seems to me that humanity hasn't advanced much in the last century.