Henry Allingham

[Martin]

Henry Allingham turned 112 years of age in June and his autobiography has just been published.
A few amazing quotes from it....

"In 1903 I went to the Oval to see W.G. Grace play. He walked like an elderly person because his pads were too long for him."

"In June 1902 I remember watching soldiers home from the Boer War parading in front of the town hall in Hackney."

"I had been at work a year when the Titanic sank, claiming 1,500 lives."

"In 1910 King Edward VII died. I can remember his funeral cortege winding it's way from Westminster Abbey."

"My first flight was in 1915, a dozen years after Orville Wright's first ever powered flight."

My God, this wonderful old gent was born when Queen Victoria was on the throne and has seen things that most people have only been able to read about in history books. I would love to watch a video of that man's memory.

[Govangirl]

You're right Martin, he's an extraordinary gentleman. I've had this picture on my classroom wall for over a year now and I thought I'd share it with you. It tells of the first meeting between the oldest surviving WW1 veterans from Britain and Germany, Henry Allingham and Robert Meier. Look at their hands clasped, quite emotional.




The other surviving WW1 soldier is Harry Patch, the second oldest man in Britain, after Allingham, and the last British soldier to have fought in the trenches of the Western Front. He was interviewed on TV earlier this year and was talking about the death of his best friend in the trenches. He held his hand as he died and recalled the last word he spoke: "Mother". I recall he was the same age as my son is now and I wept buckets. He also said, "...if any man tells you he went over the top and he wasn't scared, he's a damn liar."

I was thinking: There are now only four surviving veterans of WW1 left. Instead of arranging a state funeral for that bluddy woman Thatcher, should we not be organising the biggest one ever for the last of these brave men? We should line the streets in our thousands.

[Martin]

That photo captures a wonderful moment.
I've long thought that a state funeral for Allingham at least would be the thing to do.

[Martin]

Rest In Peace Mr. Allingham.

[Govangirl]

My respect to this REAL hero. He humbles all of us.

And now only Harry Patch is left They should both get a state funeral.

[numberplease]

Agreed. R.I.P Mr Allingham.

[petewick]

We owe them all a huge debt, the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the ones who came back, life
was never the same for them again, how could it be after witnessing the horrors of war.

Rest well Mr Allingham

[Govangirl]

Quite right Petewick and well said.
It seems to have passed without so much of a glance in the way of respect although I was told there was going to be a memorial service. I'm really upset. Whilst the most mediocre 'celebrity' is given a gong on the Honours List and paraded as our country's 'heroes', not one of these men got a thing. Is it right that as a nation, we spent decades awarding pop stars, chefs, sportspeople, numpties, etc. these accolades and we didn't recognise any of those that fought on WW1? I particularly mean Allingham btw who spent the last 5 years visiting schools and contributing to an educational resource pack that is going to go into all schools. His work in this area was not just about conflict but was a great deal about reconciliation and futility after war. At 113, this was REAL public service - take note HRH and MPs.
I read somewhere a few weeks ago the the French Government awarded not one but two important decorations to Allingham, including the Legion d'Honneur in recognition of his and others' sacrifice. What did we do? Actually, I think the powers-that-be have dishonoured him and this is much worse than them having their noses in the trough for years. I know there has been much discussion on this forum before about how as a nation we've forgotten our sense of national identity but this just about sums it up.
Harry Patch should be knighted, end of. And Rest in Peace Sir Henry Allingham, perhaps the nation's respect for a genuine hero is worth so much more than a tawdry Honours Award anyway.

And yes, I'm more than livid about this, Pete R, x

[gizmo]

I think I recall Mr Allingham stated he was not interested in a state funeral and when asked how he wished to be remembered, he replied aong the lines of "I dont, I want to be forgotten but remember the others". He served in the Navy, the Army and was one of the first in the RAF, definately a remarkable man.

[abbey craig]

Poor Henry one of his last wishes was,that he`d hoped to see an all weather floodlit pitch in Campbeltown

by the looks of things,I dont think he would see it if he lived another 112 years

[hugh]

Harry Patch died this morning. The last one has faded away. May he rest in peace.

[Govangirl]

RIP Harry Patch, the last Tommy and survivor of the trenches of WW1.

[Martin]

I've just read about this. What a terrible shame, I have a wee tear in my eye just now.
Rest easy Mr. Patch.

[Govangirl]

Of course, it’s not really about these individual men, it’s the fact we have lost the last living links to the war that was supposed to have ended all wars and that they have now become symbols of the whole generation they represent. Yet both Patch and Allingham were always adamant that the slaughter they witnessed had not been justified.
After the news was announced yesterday on the death of Patch, they reported the death of the 20th soldier to die in the last month in Afghanistan. We haven’t learned a bluddy thing.

[hugh]

Aye to that, Govan Girl. "Not worth it", Harry Patch said, "War isn't worth one life." And still politicians queue up to offer platitudes as tributes. As edifying as an arsonist at a fireman's funeral.