Last European veterans by war

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This is an incomplete list of the last surviving European veterans of several wars. The last surviving veteran of any particular war, upon his death, marks the end of a historic era. Exactly who is the last surviving veteran is often an issue of contention, especially with records from long-ago wars. The "last man standing" was often very young at the time of enlistment and in many cases had lied about his age to gain entry into the service, which confuses matters further.

Early modern period[edit]

These cases, particularly with respect to the ages claimed by the veterans, cannot be verified.

English Civil War[edit]

War of the Polish Succession[edit]

War of the Austrian Succession[edit]

  • Jean Thurel (1698–1807) – France. Also served in the War of the Polish Succession, Seven Years' War, and the American Revolutionary War. Known as "the oldest soldier of Europe."[6]

Jacobite rising of 1715[edit]

Seven Years' War[edit]

French Revolution[edit]

  • Nicolas Savin (1768 or 1787–1894) – Enlisted in the 2nd Regiment of Hussars in 1798. The 1768 figure would mean he was about 126 at the time of his death. Later served under Napoleon and was awarded the Légion d'honneur.[12]

Napoleonic Wars[edit]

  • Jean Adrin (1797–1902) – Last French veteran.[13] In 1912 there were three Polish men who claimed to have fought at Borodino, but it is unlikely they were real veterans due to lack of documentation and the ages they claimed: the youngest was 120 and the oldest was 133.
  • Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (1788–1899) – Last Dutch veteran and Europe's oldest man at the time of his death. He fought for France in the 33ème Régiment Léger.[12]
  • Louis Victor Baillot (1793–1898) also from France – Last Battle of Waterloo veteran. He also saw action at the siege of Hamburg.[14]
  • Pedro Martínez (1789–1898) – last Battle of Trafalgar veteran. He served in the Spanish navy on San Juan Nepomuceno.[12]
  • Leonard Meesters (1796–1896) – Last Belgian veteran. Fought for Napoleon.[12]
  • Josephine Mazurkewicz (1794–1896) from Poland – Last female veteran. She was an assistant surgeon in Napoleon's army and later participated in the Crimean War.[12]
  • Morris Shea (1795–1892), 73rd Foot – Last British veteran of the Battle of Waterloo.[15]
  • Joseph Sutherland (1789–1890), Royal Navy – Last English veteran and last British survivor of Trafalgar.[16]

War of 1812[edit]

Hungarian Revolution of 1848[edit]

  • Artúr Görgey (1818–1916) – Last Hungarian General.
  • István Lebo (1826–1928) – Believed the last Hungarian veteran. Last resident of the Hungarian Veterans Home.
  • József Fischl (1827–1929) – Last Hungarian veteran.[18]

Crimean War[edit]

Italian Unification[edit]

  • Petrus Verbeek (1851–1946) – Last Papal veteran. Born in the Netherlands.[21]
  • François Ribet (1835–1936) – France.[12]

French invasion of Mexico[edit]

  • Jules Pujos (1846–1942) – France.[12]

January Uprising[edit]

  • Antoni Suss (1844–1946) – Penultimate veteran.[22]
  • Feliks Bartczuk (1846–1946) – Last veteran.[23]

Franco-Prussian War[edit]

  • Seraphin Pruvost (1850–1955) – Last French veteran.[12]
  • Karl Glöckner (1845–1953) – Last German veteran.[12]

Paris Commune[edit]

  • Adrien Lejeune (1847–1942) – Last Communard.[12][24]
  • Emile Chausse (1850–1941) – Left the army and joined the communards in 1870.[12]
  • Antonin Desfarges (1851–1941) – Last Communard député.[12]

Zulu War[edit]

  • Charles Wallace Warden (d. 1953) – Transferred to the First Foot on 13 June 1874.[25]
  • Frank Bourne (1854–1945) – Last survivor of Rorke's Drift.[26]
  • William Laws – died Derby 1950 – ex 90th L.I.

Spanish–American War[edit]

Boer War[edit]

Potemkin Mutiny[edit]

World War I[edit]

Main article: List of last surviving World War I veterans by country

October Revolution[edit]

Finnish Civil War[edit]

Russian Civil War[edit]

Greater Poland Uprising[edit]

  • Jan Rzepa (1899–2005) Last Polish fighter of uprising.[35]

German Revolution of 1918–19[edit]

Polish–Ukrainian War[edit]

Estonian War of Independence[edit]

  • Ants Ilus (1901–2006) – Estonia.[41]
  • Karl Jaanus (1899–2000) – Last surviving recipient of the Cross of Liberty awarded during the war.[42]

Irish War of Independence[edit]

Polish–Soviet War[edit]

Silesian Uprisings[edit]

Turkish War of Independence[edit]

Rif War[edit]

March on Rome[edit]

  • Vasco Bruttomesso (1903–2009).[49]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Jeune, Bernard; Vaupel, James W. (1999). "Validation of exceptional longevity". Odense: University Press of Southern Denmark. pp. 45 & 61. ISBN 978-87-7838-466-9.
  2. ^ The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 8; Volume 20. Encyclopædia Britannica. 1998. p. 428. ISBN 978-0-85229-633-2.
  3. ^ White, William (1906). Notes and queries, Volume 114. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 82.
  4. ^ Winder, Robert (9 May 1999). "It's a grand life for Chelsea's men in scarlet". The Independent. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  5. ^ "A SOLDIER OF GREAT AGE". The New York Times. 10 February 1886. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b Brown, Charles Brockden; Walsh, Robert (1808). The American register, or general repository of history, politics and science, Volume 2. Philadelphia: C & A. Conrad and Company. p. 408.
  7. ^ Histoire de la vie du Comte George de Browne, Comté du Saint-Empire, Gouverneur-Général de Livonie et d'Esthonie, général en chef des armées de Sa Majesté l'impératrice de toutes les Russies (in French). I.F. Hartknoch. 1794.
  8. ^ Behrens, Johann H. (1840). Lebensgeschichte des 105-jährigen in Wolfenbüttel lebenden Invaliden-Unterofficiers Joh. Heinr. Behrens eines Zeitgenossen und Kriegers Friedrich's des Großen (in German). Wolfenbüttel: Holle. pp. 944–950.
  9. ^ Hoefer, M.; Ferdinand, Jean Chrétien (1857). Nouvelle biographie générale depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu'à nos jours avec les renseignements bibliographiques et l'indication des sources à consulter (in French). Paris: Paris, Firmin Didot frères, fils et cie.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Blackstock, A.F. (2004). Luttrell, Henry Lawes, second earl of Carhampton (1737–1821). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  11. ^ "Kálmán Nagy, A magyar huszár születése, dicsõ harcai és történelmi jelentõsége". Lovasok.hu. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Mathieu, Frédéric (2008). Napoléon, les derniers témoins (in French). Éditions Sébirot. ISBN 978-2-9532726-0-4.
  13. ^ [1][unreliable source?]
  14. ^ Bibet/Librairie des deux empires, Jean-Pierre (1998). "Louis-Victor Baillot, le dernier survivant de Waterloo" (in French). Histoire du Consulat et du Premier Empire. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  15. ^ Ray, Jarred; Ray, Ron (2009). "Some History Relevant to the 73rd Regiment of Foot" (PDF). The Garrison Gazette. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  16. ^ "THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR". Ancestry.com. 13 April 1889. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  17. ^ Christie, Carl. "WALLIS, Sir PROVO WILLIAM PARRY". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  18. ^ "Százkét éves korában influenzában meghalt a legutolsó negyvennyolcas honvéd". Huszadik Század. 1929. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  19. ^ "Archives Biographies: Colonel R E B Crompton". Institution of Engineering and Technology. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  20. ^ "Hall of Fame: Balaclava Ned". BBC News. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  21. ^ JWG Netelbeek (2005-10-24). "The Papal Zouaves" (in Dutch). www.ngv.nl.
  22. ^ "Antoni Suss" (in Polish). Nieobecni.com.pl. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  23. ^ Jakubik, Marian; Kołodziejczyk, Arkadiusz (2002). Żołnierska danina życia od 1657 roku (in Polish). IHAP. p. 158. ISBN 978-83-87088-59-0.CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
  24. ^ Bowd, Gavin (2007). Le dernier communard: Adrien Lejeune (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. ISBN 978-2-296-02974-3.
  25. ^ Warre, H.J. (1878). Historical records of the Fifty-seventh, or, West Middlesex Regiment of Foot. W. Mitchell and Co. p. 229.
  26. ^ "Colour Sergeant Bourne DCM, (2459 B Co. 24th. Regiment)". Rorke's Drift Victoria Crosses. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  27. ^ http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1977/10/23/130.html
  28. ^ http://www.ignaciogracianoriega.net/pha/19890618.htm
  29. ^ es:Sitio de Baler
  30. ^ Davies, David Twiston (1996). Canada from afar: the Daily telegraph book of Canadian obituaries. Dundurn Group. pp. 1–3.
  31. ^ Beshoff, Ivan (28 October 1987). "Last Survivor of Mutiny on the Potemkin". The New York Times. Associated Press.
  32. ^ a b "Boris Gudz". The Times. 24 January 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  33. ^ Perttula, Simo/Aamulehden (6 March 2009). ""Aamulehden",tänään 6 March 2009 mukaan" (in Finnish). Uusi Suomi. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  34. ^ Suomen Tietotoimisto (16 January 2009). "Viimeinen sisällissodan veteraani kuoli 111-vuotiaana" (in Finnish). Uusi Suomi. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  35. ^ Roszak, Dariusz. "JAN RZEPA" (in Polish). Wronieckie Stowarzyszenie Historyczne. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  36. ^ Sulanke, Alexander (2009-03-18). "Schlagzeuger (fast 18) trifft Flötisten (108)" [A life full of music – since 108 years] (in German). Hamburger Abendblatt. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  37. ^ Jamin, Stefan (22 May 2009). Gerontology Research Group.
  38. ^ "William Seegers, 106; served in German army in World War I". Los Angeles Times. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  39. ^ Pierończyk, Jolanta (14 May 2007). "Aleksander Sałacki skończył 103 lata" (in Polish). NaszeMiasto.pl. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  40. ^ Strzoda, Ewa (15 April 2008). "Odszedł niezwykły tyszanin" (PDF) (in Polish). Twoje Tychy. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  41. ^ "IN MEMORIAM Vabadussõja veteran Ants Ilus 1901–2006" (in Estonian). Kaitseliit. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  42. ^ Pihlak, Jaak (2005). "PILISTVERE KIHELKOND JA VABADUSE RISTI VENNAD" (PDF) (in Estonian). Viljandi Muuseum. pp. 107–108. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  43. ^ "Irish Civil War veteran dies at 105". BBC News. 3 October 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  44. ^ Dobosiewicz, Agnieszka (2 February 2011). "Pan Józef Kowalski ma 111 lat" (in Polish). Radio Zachód. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  45. ^ "TAM, GDZIE NASZ OSTATNI ŻYJĄCY BOHATER I NAJSTARSZE POLSKIE MIASTO – TAM DOTARLI Z WIZYTĄ I POZDROWIENIAMI AMBASADORZY MIASTA CUDU NAD WISŁĄ… (19 July 2011)" (in Polish). Kurier W. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  46. ^ Książek, Mirosława (1 January 2009). "Wilusiowi stuknie 105 lat!" (in Polish). Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  47. ^ "Odszedł najstarszy Ślązak". Dziennik Zachodni (in Polish). Nowiny. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  48. ^ "Mustafa Şekip Birgöl (1903–2008)". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Kim Kimdir. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  49. ^ Frattina, Giannino (3 January 2009). "Varese, è morto l'ultimo veterano della Marcia su Roma: aveva 105 anni". il Giornale (in Italian). Retrieved 23 October 2010.
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