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I removed he was the last combat vet. this has been discussed in detail, and even though Buckles did not do actual fighting, he was close enough to the fighing to be in dangers way.
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==Health==
==Health==
In late April 2010, Choules' daughter, Daphne Choules-Edinger, reported that his health is declining (he is almost totally blind and deaf), and that it is unlikely that Choules will give any further interviews. Mr. Choules often wears a patch over his left eye. <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/final-battle-nears-for-last-of-great-war-greats-20100423-tjc5.html|title=Final battle nears for last of Great War greats|publisher=The Age|date=2010-04-24|accessdate=2010-04-26|last=Tate|first=Lee}}</ref>
In late April 2010, Choules' daughter, Daphne Choules-Edinger, reported that his health is declining (he is almost totally blind and deaf), and his family states that they do not believe he will be around next Anzac Day, which will be in late April 2011. Choules is no longer able to give interviews due to poor health. <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/final-battle-nears-for-last-of-great-war-greats-20100423-tjc5.html|title=Final battle nears for last of Great War greats|publisher=The Age|date=2010-04-24|accessdate=2010-04-26|last=Tate|first=Lee}}</ref>


==Autobiography==
==Autobiography==

Revision as of 08:43, 30 December 2010

Claude Choules
Claude Choules in uniform
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Australia Australia
Service / branchRoyal Navy
Royal Australian Navy
Years of service1916–1956
RankActing Torpedo Officer, Fremantle
Chief Demolition Officer
Battles / warsWorld War I
World War II

Claude Stanley Choules (born 3 March 1901) is, at age 123, one of the last three confirmed World War I veterans in the world, and is the last living witness to the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. He is also the last living veteran to have served in both world wars, and the last seaman from the first. Choules is also the only remaining British male World War I veteran (the last female veteran being Florence Green), and the last World War I veteran living in Australia. He is also the fourth oldest military veteran in the world.[1][2] Choules became the oldest man born in the United Kingdom following the death of Stanley Lucas on 21 June 2010.[3]

World War I

Born in Wyre Piddle,[4] near Pershore, Worcestershire, son of Harry and Madeline (née Winn), in April 1915 aged 14 Choules joined the Nautical Training Ship Mercury before transferring to the Royal Navy in October 1916 to serve aboard the Naval Training Ship HMS Circe situated at Plymouth. In 1917, he joined the battleship HMS Revenge, which was the flagship of the First Battle Squadron. While serving aboard her, Choules witnessed the surrender of the German Imperial Navy at the Firth of Forth in 1918, ten days after the Armistice, and also witnessed the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow.[5]

Reserves

In 1926, along with 11 other Royal Navy senior sailors, he came to Australia on loan as an instructor at Flinders Naval Depot. Choules decided to transfer permanently to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) after sampling and agreeing with the Australian way of life. He took his discharge from the RAN in 1931, but remained in the reserves and rejoined the RAN in 1932 as a CPO Torpedo and Anti Submarine Instructor.[6]

World War II

During World War II, Choules was the Acting Torpedo Officer of Fremantle. He was also the Chief Demolition Officer on the western side of the Australian continent. He was tasked with sabotaging Fremantle harbours and related oil storage tanks in the event of a Japanese invasion. Choules was also responsible for dealing with the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil during the war, near Esperance, West Australia.[7]

Retirement

Choules remained in the RAN after World War II and transferred to the Naval Dockyard Police (NDP) to allow him to remain in service until 1956, as retirement from the RAN for ratings in those days was at 50 years, while personnel could serve until 55 years old in the NDP.[8][9]

Choules and his wife Ethel were married for 80 years, until her death aged 98. He has 3 children, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.[8]

He currently lives at Gracewood Hostel in Salter Point, a suburb of Perth. Choules appeared in the BBC documentaries The Last Tommy (2005) and Harry Patch - The Last Tommy (2009).

View of Remembrance Day

Choules shuns celebrations of the Armistice, because he is against the glorification of war.[10]

Health

In late April 2010, Choules' daughter, Daphne Choules-Edinger, reported that his health is declining (he is almost totally blind and deaf), and his family states that they do not believe he will be around next Anzac Day, which will be in late April 2011. Choules is no longer able to give interviews due to poor health. [11]

Autobiography

In 2009, his autobiography The Last of the Last was published. [1]

See also

References

  1. ^ Claude, 108 ... last of the WW1 heroes
  2. ^ Agence France-Presse (27 July 2009). "Claude Choules says WWI was 'boring'". The Australian. Retrieved 2009-08-02. Mr Choules was informed by his 80-year-old daughter Anne Pow over the weekend that the death of 111-year-old Harry Patch, Britain's last soldier who fought in the Great War's infamous trenches, had made him the country's sole survivor.
  3. ^ Oldest In Britain
  4. ^ "Veteran, 107, is last man to serve in both world wars (From Worcester News)". Worcesternews.co.uk. 2008-11-08. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  5. ^ Booth, Gary. "500 km by bike to demolish Albany". Navy News. Archived from the original on 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  6. ^ "WWI survivor celebrates his 107th birthday". ABC Perth. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  7. ^ "Claude Choules—Britain's last surviving WWI veteran commissioned HMAS Canberra 1". HMAS Canberra (FFG-02) association. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  8. ^ a b Batcheler, Alison (2008-02-03). "At 106, the secret to long life is: Don't die". WA News. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  9. ^ "A lesson in Longevity". The Baptist Advocate. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  10. ^ "Merkel helps French mark Armistice Day" by Emma Alberici of ABC News on 2009-11-12, last accessed 2009-11-12
  11. ^ Tate, Lee (2010-04-24). "Final battle nears for last of Great War greats". The Age. Retrieved 2010-04-26.

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