Henry Allingham, the oldest surviving serviceman from the First World War, has died today at the age of 113.
He served with the Royal Navy Air Serviceduring the Great War (1914 -18 first World War), later transferring to the Royal Air Force when it was formed by Lord Trenchard on the 1st April, 1918. (Yes I know, 1st April is April Fools Day, but try telling that to a Veteran such as this). He also served at Ypres in the same war.
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Less than a month ago, Mr Allingham was declared the world's oldest man by Guinness World Records.
Tomoji Tanabe, the previous world's oldest man, died in his sleep at his home in southern Japan earlier. He was also 113 years old.
Mr Allingham celebrated his 113th birthday on June 6.
In March, he received an upgraded Legion d'Honneur from the French ambassador in London and was made the first honorary lifetime member of the Royal Naval Association.
He was also presented with a doctorate in engineering from Southampton Solent University and was made an honorary freeman of his home city of Brighton and Hove in April.
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Comments
There is a saying that an old soldier never dies ............. he just fades away.
I wonder what he ate and drank... ;~)
Scanner: Being born in the Victorian era he must have seen aircraft in the same light as we consider pioneer space travel.
Nanatehay: Yes, it is an end of an era. Having said that, there is one more British Veteran of the 1st world war still alive. He is just a youngster of about 108 years old.
Freaky: I am sure that you have many years aheads before you start to melt away.
KTM: Thats an interesting question. I wonder if we have a clue from the adds. When I first came here I thought it must be pizza, cos the add was for pizza hut. Then it started advertising FRS. Never heard of it except that it is supposed to relieve tiredness. ktm, have gone back to that site you mentioned to me, though I do have difficulties navigating myself around
There has been so much hype on OS about people who are relatively small fry, just because they have died having been singers/actors/tv reporters. Here is some one who deserves world recognition because he has lived the history of 3 centuries.
Will we see much made of this man, a REAL celebrity on OS?
Come on Editors, you know that a life that is a world record has to be better than what has been idolised so far.........
No challenge from the editors to honour such a man as Mr Allingham.
MMMM that figures.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1202000/Feud-broke-heart-worlds-oldest-man-Henry-Allingham.html
What a fascinating story, and how very sad that past differences refused to die, no matter how long lived the subject was. Both father and daughter sound equally stubborn, what a pity that Henry deprived himself of meeting a lot of his antecedents, and in turn the daughter robbed her own children and grandchildren of knowing Mr. Allingham. It appears that Henry and Jean shared many traits, stubbornness at the top of the list to the detriment of them both, and their loved ones.
I had not read this bit, but I see it is in todays paper which I have not read yet, so will catch up later today.