Veterans of World War I who died in 2008
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of known veterans of the First World War
(28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) who died in 2008.
, Fernand Goux
, and an anonymous veteran, Lazare Ponticelli
received the French state funeral as the last poilu
officially recognized by the French government. On 3 April 2008, Yakup Satar
was similarly honoured in Turkey
, as was Italy's Delfino Borroni on 29 October 2008.
date, but before the Treaty of Versailles
was signed, or where there is debate on their join-date, or whose military service is sometimes viewed as outside the scope of "World War I", but are considered World War I-era veterans by the press or by their respective governments, or served in a related conflict.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) who died in 2008.
Veterans by country of service - 17 veterans
On 17 March 2008, despite the existence of Pierre PicaultPierre Picault
Pierre Picault was, at age 109, France's last surviving French veteran of World War I and eldest man. He became the last French World War I veteran following the death of 108-year-old Fernand Goux on 9 November 2008....
, Fernand Goux
Fernand Goux
Fernand Goux was, at age 108, the penultimate French World War I veteran, with Pierre Picault being the last. Born in Sceaux-du-Gâtinais, Loiret, Goux was called up for service on April 19, 1918. Goux was deployed behind the front lines with the 85th Infantry Regiment, supplying the troops and...
, and an anonymous veteran, Lazare Ponticelli
Lazare Ponticelli
Lazare Ponticelli , Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was at 110, the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France and the last poilu of its trenches to die. Born in Italy, he travelled on his own to France at the age of eight...
received the French state funeral as the last poilu
Poilu
Poilu is a warmly informal term for a French World War I infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. The term came into popular usage in France during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive citizen armies, though the term grognard was also common. It is still widely used as a term of...
officially recognized by the French government. On 3 April 2008, Yakup Satar
Yakup Satar
Yakup Satar was, at 110, believed to have been the last Turkish veteran of the First World War. He died at age 110....
was similarly honoured in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, as was Italy's Delfino Borroni on 29 October 2008.
| Country served | Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Künstler, Franz Franz Künstler Franz Künstler was, at age 107, the last known surviving veteran of the First World War who fought for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following the death of 110-year-old Ottoman veteran Yakup Satar on April 2, 2008, he was also the last Central Powers veteran of any nationality... |
24 July 1900 | 27 May 2008 (107) | Last Austria-Hungarian and Central Powers Central Powers The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria... World War I veteran. Born in Hungary. Served in Italian Front Italian Campaign (World War I) The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the... . Also served for Hungary in World War II. Moved to Germany in 1946. Oldest man living in Germany at the time of his death. |
|
| Cambefort, Raymond Raymond Cambefort Raymond Cambefort was, at age 107, one of the last five identified World War I veterans living in France, dying four days before another French-born veteran, Louis de Cazenave... |
11 February 1900 | 16 January 2008 (107) | Excluded from French government lists-did not fight for three months in combat service. Signed up on 28 August 1918. | |
| de Cazenave, Louis Louis de Cazenave Louis de Cazenave was, at the time of his death, the oldest surviving French veteran of World War I.De Cazenave became the oldest poilu following the death of 111-year-old Maurice Floquet on November 10, 2006... |
16 October 1897 | 20 January 2008 (110) | Was thought to be the last World War I veteran born in France, until another veteran, Fernand Goux Fernand Goux Fernand Goux was, at age 108, the penultimate French World War I veteran, with Pierre Picault being the last. Born in Sceaux-du-Gâtinais, Loiret, Goux was called up for service on April 19, 1918. Goux was deployed behind the front lines with the 85th Infantry Regiment, supplying the troops and... , was discovered. France's oldest man at the time of his death. |
|
| Goux, Fernand Fernand Goux Fernand Goux was, at age 108, the penultimate French World War I veteran, with Pierre Picault being the last. Born in Sceaux-du-Gâtinais, Loiret, Goux was called up for service on April 19, 1918. Goux was deployed behind the front lines with the 85th Infantry Regiment, supplying the troops and... |
31 December 1899 | 9 November 2008 (108) | Served in 85th, then 82nd Infantry. Called up on 19 April 1918 to supply troops and bury dead. In trench Trench warfare Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery... es on 3 November. Excluded from French government lists-did not fight for three months in combat service. Lived in Paris Region Île-de-France (région) Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area.... . |
|
| Picault, Pierre Pierre Picault Pierre Picault was, at age 109, France's last surviving French veteran of World War I and eldest man. He became the last French World War I veteran following the death of 108-year-old Fernand Goux on 9 November 2008.... |
27 February 1899 | 20 November 2008 (109) | Served in the French Army French Army The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in... 83rd Artillery. Called up on 15 April 1918 as 2nd class gunner. Excluded from French government lists. Lived in Bou Bou Bou is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.... , Loiret Loiret Loiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :... . France's oldest man at the time of his death. |
|
&  Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) |
Ponticelli, Lazare Lazare Ponticelli Lazare Ponticelli , Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was at 110, the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France and the last poilu of its trenches to die. Born in Italy, he travelled on his own to France at the age of eight... |
24 December 1897 | 12 March 2008 (110) | Third to last veteran to have fought in French French Army The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in... and Italian Italian Army The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft... armies. Born in Italy. Fought in French Army French Army The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in... from 1914–15 and Italian Army from 1915-18. Oldest living Italian born and French male upon death. |
 German Empire |
Kästner, Erich Erich Kästner (World War I veteran) Dr. Erich Kästner was the last documented World War I veteran who fought for the German Empire and the last who was born in Germany. Consequently he was the last Central Powers combatant of the Western Front. He was also the second oldest man in Germany... |
10 March 1900 | 1 January 2008 (107) | Last World War I German Empire German Empire The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German... veteran and born in Germany. Enlisted in July 1918. Sent to Western Front Western Front (World War I) Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne... to fight in France. Serving as a Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... in ground support for the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.... in World War II. |
| Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) |
Borroni, Delfino Edmondo | 23 August 1898 | 26 October 2008 (110) | Last Italian veteran. Signed up in January 1917; served in Italian Army Italian Army The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft... , 6th Bersaglieri Bersaglieri The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army... Bologna Bologna Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,... . Lived in Castano Primo Castano Primo Castano Primo is a city and comune in Province of Milan, in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northwest of Milan.Castano Primo borders the following municipalities: Lonate Pozzolo, Vanzaghello, Magnago, Nosate, Buscate, Cameri, Turbigo, Robecchetto con Induno, Cuggiono... , near Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... . |
| Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) |
Chiarello, Francesco Domenico Francesco Domenico Chiarello Francesco Domenico Chiarello , Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was, at age 109, one of the last two soldiers in the world to see action in both World Wars, as Briton Sydney Lucas was still in training when World War I ended and Claude Choules was a seaman... |
5 November 1898 | 27 June 2008 (109) | Joined the Italian army Italian Army The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft... in 1918 as a member of the 19th infantry regiment from Cosenza Cosenza Cosenza is a city in southern Italy, located at the confluence of two historic rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000; the urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants... . Fought in the final battle of Vittorio Veneto. |
 Ottoman Empire |
Satar, Yakup Yakup Satar Yakup Satar was, at 110, believed to have been the last Turkish veteran of the First World War. He died at age 110.... |
11 March 1898 | 2 April 2008 (110) | Last World War I veteran who fought for the Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries... . Born in Crimea. Enlisted in 1915. Taken prisoner in 1917 in Baghdad campaign by the British. |
 Russian Empire |
Krichevsky, Mikhail Efimovich | 25 February 1897 | 26 December 2008 (111) | Served for Russia. Joined up in 1917. Accounts differ as to whether he was sent to the Austro-Hungarian front. After October Revolution October Revolution The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917... returned home. Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... 's oldest man. Lived in Donetsk Donetsk Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region... . |
| Wycech, Stanisław | 27 June 1902 | 12 January 2008 (105) | Poland's last known veteran of World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... . Messenger in 1915, aged 13. Saw action on 10 November 1918. Called back in 1919 to fight the Bolsheviks. Lived in Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... up until his death. |
|
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Campany, Ivy Lillian | 23 September 1901 | 19 December 2008 (107) | Penultimate female veteran of any country. Joined Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps during World War I. Fire-watcher in World War II. Lived in Margate Margate -Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity.... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... at the time of her death. |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Lucas, Sydney Maurice (Syd) Sydney Lucas Syd Maurice Lucas was, at age 108, one of three remaining British Tommies of World War I , although the war ended before he was sent to fight. He was born in Leicester, England, and conscripted into the British Army's Sherwood Foresters while a teenager in August 1918... |
21 September 1900 | 4 November 2008 (108) | Served in the 45th Sherwood Foresters Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot... . Did not see action (was still in training). Moved to Australia in 1928 and served in the Australian Army in World War II. |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Powers, Gladys Gladys Powers Gladys Stokes Luxford Powers was thought to be, at age 109, the last female veteran of the First World War following the March 27, 2007 death of fellow 109-year-old Charlotte Winters from the US. However the subsequent discovery of fellow Britons Ivy Campany, who died on December 19, 2008, and... |
10 May 1899 | 15 August 2008 (109) | Last World War I veteran living in Canada. Barracks waitress in the WAAC, and later in the WRAF Women's Royal Air Force The Women's Royal Air Force was a women's branch of the Royal Air Force which existed in two separate incarnations.The first WRAF was an auxiliary organization of the Royal Air Force which was founded in 1918. The original intent of the WRAF was to provide female mechanics in order to free up men... . Moved to Canada in 1920. Lived in Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,... at the time of her death. |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Stair, Stanley Charles | October 1900 | April 2008 (107) | Last World War I veteran from the British West Indies Regiment. Infantryman with the rank of Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... . Awarded the British War Medal British War Medal The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918... and the Victory Medal Victory Medal (United Kingdom) The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at... . Lived in Animal Hill, Lucea, Jamaica. |
| Landis, Harry Richard Harry Richard Landis Harry Richard Landis was, at age 108, the older of the last two American First World War veterans. The final one was Frank Buckles, who died in 2011... |
12 December 1899 | 4 February 2008 (108) | Lived in Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... , Joined United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services... in October 1918 in the Student Army Training Corps. Did not finish basic training. Discharged in December 1918. |
Unverified World War I veterans - 1 veteran
Listed here is veterans who were not verified by government sanctions as a World War I veteran.| Country served | Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States |
Olin, William | 28 August 1904 | 12 September 2008 (104) | Claimed to have enlisted at age thirteen into the United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services... . Lived in Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... . |
World War I-era veterans - 4 veterans
Listed here are those that joined the armed services after the ArmisticeArmistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
date, but before the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
was signed, or where there is debate on their join-date, or whose military service is sometimes viewed as outside the scope of "World War I", but are considered World War I-era veterans by the press or by their respective governments, or served in a related conflict.
| Country served | Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Early Modern France |
Gourraud, Georges | 5 October 1900 | 18 October 2008 (108) | Last french World War I-Era veteran, Called up by the French Army French Army The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in... on Armistice Day Armistice Day Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day... 1918. Lived in the Vendée Vendée The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:... . |
| Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) |
Bisaro, Giobatta | 7 October 1900 | 7 March 2008 (107) | Last Italian World War I-Era veteran, Enlisted just after the end of the war. Lived in Dignano Dignano Dignano is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 25 km west of Udine.... (Friuli, North Eastern Italy). |
| Matthews, Floyd Huston 'Skipper' Floyd Matthews Floyd Huston 'Skipper' Matthews was, at age 105, a American veteran of the United States Navy, in which he served for thirty years. Matthews was the oldest living United States military veteran in Alabama as well as the oldest living submariner at the time of his death at the age of 105... |
3 February 1903 | 24 February 2008 (105) | Lived in Florence, Alabama Florence, Alabama Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721.... ; enlisted in Navy a month before the Treaty of Versailles Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of... , and so was still in training. Lived in United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
|
 Poland |
Salacki, Aleksander | 12 May 1904 | 5 April 2008 (103) | Last survivor of the Lwów Eaglets Lwów Eaglets Lwów Eaglets is a term of affection applied to the Polish teenagers who defended the city of Lviv in Eastern Galicia, during the Polish-Ukrainian War .-Background:... who fought in Lviv Lviv Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following... 1918-1919. Lived in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
Totals - 22 veterans
- Verified veterans - 17
- Unverified veterans - 1
- World War I-Era veterans - 4
External links
- Translated article & interview with Delfino Borroni, Italian veteran
- Last German World War I Veteran Believed to Have Died Article by David Crossland in Der SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
Online, 22 January 2008.