Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
harry patch the last surviving tommy has passed away in his sleep,may he rest in pease.
Guest 650- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 542
Harry Patch was the last of the Great War veterans in Britain. They are truly now our Lost Generation.
May he rest in peace, as you say, Brian dear, along with all those others whose lives were so much shorter. I give thanks that we were privileged to have our veterans with us so long, living extra days for their long-gone companions. I will be forever grateful that three of them were able to be at the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, what then must have seemed a dream of impossibility.
May we all live our lives to the full, in honour and gratitude for those who barely had lives at all.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
RIP Harry. We will never forget them.
His piece on local news was unbearably moving, when he was speaking about lost friends, and about remembering that Germans also suffered the same horrors. A great man, a great example, peace at last Harry.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
I understand that Harry Patch was only 2 years younger than Henry Allingham, so would have seen all the changes that those long and many years brought.
A wonderful old chap, but, as with all of us, we have to go sometime and Harry outlived almost everyone.
RIP.
Roger
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
roger,yes he was two [2] years younger at 111, not a bad innings for what he has seen.living through the horrers of the trenches etc.rest well young man.
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
RIP Harry Patch. The last of that fine generation.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
Hopefully his memory, and the memory of the millions who died and suffered, will be honoured and not abused. I am wary thet the proposed commemoration service will be little more than a justification for wars when in fact many men like Harry believed war was "organised murder". "It was not worth it," he said. "It was not worth one, let alone all the millions."
I think I am correct in syaing that since 1945 there has only been one year when the UK forces have not been on active service. It's all very depressing and you have to wonder if we ever will learn.
Mark
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Mark, I think it is more correct to say one year in which no British serviceman has died on duty (late 60's I believe, perhaps 1969)
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
Not wishing to be a pedant over something so important, but I think it was 1968.
Rest in peace, Harry Patch. We will remember you and your fine generation.