WWI Vets ?

[MC_Honky]

Anybody know how many WWI vets are alive today?  I was shocked when my friend- who is a doctor- called and told me that he's got a new patient who's a WWI vet!  104 years old and kicking.  There's got to be a organization that tracks this sort of stuff.  I read in the early 90's that the number was less than 15,000 worldwide.  Wonder what it is today?

[mora]

My questimate is less than 1,000.

[straffo]

Last 11 November they were about 36 in France.

[Dowding]

Probably a similar number in Britain.

[midnight Target]

My grandfather belonged to the local WWI Veterans Association. They would meet regularly and I was invited many times. Of course I was a stupid teenager and didn't appreciate them like I would today.

I still recall them coming to my 8th grade history class and doing a "show and tell". My Grandfather was a truck driver. Something not a lot of people could do at the time. He got a chauffer's license in 1910 and spoke fluent German.

One of the prized possesions he left me was a book called "The Collier's Pictorial of the Great European War" published in 1916. It is amazingly even handed in its treatment of both sides of the conflict.

[MC_Honky]

I even heard that there was One- Just One vet left from the "Bore Wars."  I also heard this in the early 90's.  I'm sure he's dead by now.

[Replicant]

Most likely the ones still alive today joined up below age.  My Grandfather was born in 1899 and joined the British Army (S.Staffs Regt) at only 15 years old; you were supposed to be 18.  This was a very common occurance.  Luckily my Grandfather made it through WWI but was taken POW near Ypres but nursed back to health by the Germans.  He passed away in 1984.

[Rafe35]

Originally posted by MC_Honky
Anybody know how many WWI vets are alive today?  I was shocked when my friend- who is a doctor- called and told me that he's got a new patient who's a WWI vet!  104 years old and kicking.  There's got to be a organization that tracks this sort of stuff.  I read in the early 90's that the number was less than 15,000 worldwide.  Wonder what it is today?

I got this from Flight Journal August 2003 and here's goes:

Henry Dotterel - - WWI's last surviving combat pilot - - died in January at the age of 106 in a veterans' hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  He trained with the Royal Naval Air Service.  On his second operational flight, an engine failure caused him to crash, and he was hospitialized for several months.  He requalified as a fighter pilot and returned to operations in 1918 with the Royal Flying Corps, Squadron 208, flying Sopwith Camels.  He served throughout the War.  

Sound like he was the last pilot who was WWI vet.  



Rafe35

[Thrawn]

I believe there are only 7 Canadian WW1 vets left.

[Nashwan]

According to the BBC, as of 11/11/2003, there were 27 WWI veterans surviving in Britain.

[Hawklore]

Originally posted by Nashwan
According to the BBC, as of 11/11/20303, there were 27 WWI veterans surviving in Britain.

20303?

Man those WWI vets will live long!

[Nashwan]

Nit-picker

[-tronski-]

August last year there were only six Australian WW1 diggers left.

The last ANZAC died early 2002
 
 Tronsky

[Animal]

I tell chicks I'm a WWI vet to impress them.

[Roscoroo]

I remember reading somewere that there was 44 surviving U.S WW 1 veterans in 2003 .

36 Frenchmen.

12 Canadians.

6 Australian's

i'll try to find the artical ...