Last European veterans by war
Encyclopedia
This is an incomplete list of the last surviving veterans of European 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.
English Civil War
War of the Polish Succession
Jacobite rising
French Revolution
Napoleonic Wars
War of 1812
January Uprising
Paris Commune
Boer War
World War I
Finnish Civil War
Russian Civil War
Greater Poland Uprising
Polish-Ukrainian War
Irish War of Independence
Silesian Uprisings
Military history of Europe
The military history of Europe has been one of advanced technologies in proportion to the times during the past few centuries and well known to the Western world as it is the western continent with the oldest known kept records. Europe's military technology were ahead of the world in the fifteenth...
. 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
These cases, particularly with respect to the ages claimed by the veterans, cannot be verified.- Anton Grolekofsky (1671/1672–1785) — Polish soldier who lived in Sweden. Claimed to have fought in many battles of the Nine Years' War, Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743) and Polish-Swedish War.
- Andreas Nielsen (1660–1782) — Norwegian soldier who claimed to be the last Scanian War veteran, and says he had a long military career and had seen many battles.
- Jacob Christiansen Drakenberg (1626–1772) — Norwegian sailor who claimed that he fought for Frederick III of DenmarkFrederick III of DenmarkFrederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
in the Dano-Swedish War (1657–1658) and again from 1675–1681 in the Scanian WarScanian WarThe Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
.
English Civil WarEnglish Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
- William Hiseland (1620–1732) — Wiltshire native who fought for the royalists in the English Civil War, Williamite War in IrelandWilliamite war in IrelandThe Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
and War of the Spanish SuccessionWar of the Spanish SuccessionThe War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
. He was the last survivor of the Battle of EdgehillBattle of EdgehillThe Battle of Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642....
and retired with the rank of sergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. For his 80-year service to the king he was one of the first to be admitted to the Royal Hospital ChelseaRoyal Hospital ChelseaThe Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to injury or old age, located in the Chelsea region of central London, now the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a true hospital in the original sense of the word,...
.
War of the Polish SuccessionWar of the Polish SuccessionThe War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
- Jean ThurelJean ThurelJean Thurel was a fusilier of the French Army with an extraordinarily long career that spanned over 90 years of service in the Touraine Regiment...
(1699–1807) — France. Also served in the War of the Austrian SuccessionWar of the Austrian SuccessionThe War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, Seven Years' WarSeven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
and the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Known as "the oldest soldier of Europe."
War of the Austrian Succession
- Jean Thurel (1699–1807) — 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."
Jacobite risingJacobite risingThe Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
- George BrowneGeorge Browne (soldier)George Browne, Count von Browne in the nobility of the Holy Roman empire was an Irish soldier of fortune who became field-marshal in the Russian service....
(1698–1792) — Irish nobleman who supported the Old PretenderJames Francis Edward StuartJames Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
. Later became a mercenary in the Russian army.
Seven Years' War
- Johann Heinrich Behrens (1735–1844) — Germany.
- Paul François de Quelen de la VauguyonPaul François de Quelen de la VauguyonPaul François de Quelen de La Vauguyon or Paul François de Quélen de Stuer de Caussade, duc de La Vauguyon was a French nobleman. He was governor of Cognac, after having been involved in the last campaigns of the Seven Years' War...
(1746–1828) — France. - Henry Luttrell, 2nd Earl of CarhamptonHenry Luttrell, 2nd Earl of CarhamptonGeneral Henry Lawes Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton PC was a politician and soldier.-Military career:Educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, Luttrell was commissioned into the 48th Regiment of Foot in 1757. In 1762, during the Seven Years' War, he became Deputy Adjutant-General...
(1743–1821) — Britain.
French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
- Nicolas SavinNicolas SavinJean-Baptiste Nicolas Savin was a French soldier and supercentenarian. He was the last survivor of the French Revolutionary Wars of 1792-1802 and the last French officer of the Napoleonic Wars.-Military career:...
(1768–1894) — 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 Legion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
- Jean Adrin (1797–1902) — Last French veteran. In 1912 there were three Polish men who claimed to have fought at BorodinoBorodinoBorodino is a rural locality in Mozhaysky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located west of Mozhaysk.The village is famous as the location of the Battle of Borodino, which occurred in what is now known as the "Borodino Battlefield" . The State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve is...
, 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 BoomgaardGeert Adriaans BoomgaardGeert Adriaans Boomgaard is accepted by most demographic scholars as the first validated supercentenarian case on record...
(1788–1899) — Last Dutch veteran and Europe's oldest man at the time of his death. He fought for FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the 33ème Régiment Léger. - Louis Victor Baillot (1793–1898) also from France — Last Battle of WaterlooBattle of WaterlooThe Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
veteran. He also saw action at the siege of HamburgSiege of HamburgThe city of Hamburg was one of the most powerful fortresses east of the Rhine. After being freed from Napoleonic rule by advancing Cossacks and other following allied troops it was once more occupied by Marshal Davout's French XIII Corps on 28 May 1813, at the height of the campaign for Germany in...
. - Pedro Martinez (1789–1898) — last Battle of TrafalgarBattle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
veteran. He served in the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
navy on San Juan NepomucenoSpanish ship San Juan NepomucenoSan Juan Nepomuceno was a Spanish ship of the line launched in 1765 from the royal shipyard in Guarnizo . Like many 18th Century Spanish warships she was named after a saint...
. - Leonard Meesters (1796–1896) — Last BelgianBelgiansBelgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
veteran. Fought for Napoleon. - Josephine Mazurkewicz (1794–1896) from PolandPolandPoland , 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...
— Last female veteran. She was an assistant surgeon in Napoleon's army and later participated in the Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. - Sir Provo WallisProvo WallisAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Perry Wallis, GCB was a Royal Navy officer and naval war hero. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was 100 years old when he died....
(1791–1892) — Canada. - Morris Shea (1795–1892), 73rd Foot — Last ScottishScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
veteran. - Joseph Sutherland (1789–1890), Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
— Last EnglishEnglish peopleThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
veteran and last British survivor of Trafalgar.
War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
- Hiram CronkHiram CronkHiram Cronk was the last surviving veteran of the War of 1812 at the time of his death.Born in Frankfort, New York, Cronk enlisted with his father and two brothers on August 4, 1814. He served with the New York Volunteers in the defense of Sackett's Harbor, and was discharged November 16, 1814....
(1800–1905) — US Army. - Sir Provo WallisProvo WallisAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Perry Wallis, GCB was a Royal Navy officer and naval war hero. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was 100 years old when he died....
(1791–1892) — Royal Navy. Also a Napoleonic veteran.
Crimean War
- Col. R. E. B. CromptonR. E. B. CromptonRookes Evelyn Bell Crompton FRS was a British electrical engineer, industrialist and inventor. He was a pioneer of electric lighting and public electricity supply systems. The company he formed, Crompton & Co., was one of the world's first large-scale manufactures of electrical equipment...
(1845–1940) — Last and youngest British veteran. Also fought in the Indian Mutiny. - Yves Prigent (1833–1938) — French sailor.
- Charles Nathan (1834–1934) — Last French soldier, also saw action in Italy, Syria, Mexico and the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian WarThe Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. - Edwin HughesEdwin HughesTroop Sergeant Major Edwin Hughes, known as 'Balaclava Ned', was the last survivor of the famous Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War of 1854–56. He was born in Wrexham, Wales on 12 December 1830, and died in Blackpool on 18 May 1927, aged 96...
(1830–1927) — Last survivor of the Charge of the Light BrigadeCharge of the Light BrigadeThe Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
.
January UprisingJanuary UprisingThe January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
- Antoni Suss (1844–1946) — Penultimate veteran.
- Feliks Bartczuk (1846–1946) — Last veteran.
Franco-Prussian War
- Seraphin Pruvost (1849–1955) — Last French veteran.
- Karl Glöckner (1845–1953) — Last German veteran.
Paris CommuneParis CommuneThe Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
- Adrien Lejeune (1847–1942) — Last Communard.
- Emile Chausse (1850–1941) — Left the army and joined the communards in 1870.
- Antonin Desfarges (1851–1941) — Last Communard député.
Zulu War
- Charles Wallace Warden (d. 1953) — Transferred to the First Foot on 13 June 1874.
- Frank BourneFrank BourneLieutenant-Colonel Frank Edward Bourne OBE DCM was a decorated British soldier who participated in the defence of Rorke's Drift during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. He was also the last known survivor of the battle.-Early life:...
(1854–1945) — Last survivor of Rorke's DriftRorke's DriftThe Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
.
Boer WarBoer WarThe Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
- George Frederick IvesGeorge Frederick Ives-External links:*...
(1881–1993) — British army, later emigrated to Canada.
Potemkin Mutiny
- Ivan Beshoff (1885–1987) — Sailor on Russian battleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
PotemkinRussian battleship PotemkinThe Potemkin was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. The ship was made famous by the Battleship Potemkin uprising, a rebellion of the crew against their oppressive officers in June 1905...
. Fled to Ireland and opened a fish and chipsFish and chipsFish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
shop.
World War IWorld War IWorld 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...
- Florence GreenFlorence GreenFlorence Beatrice Green is the last known living veteran of the First World War. She was a member of the Women's Royal Air Force.-Biography:...
(1901–present) — Served as waitress in the Women's Royal Air ForceWomen's Royal Air ForceThe 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...
.
Finnish Civil WarFinnish Civil WarThe Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
- Lauri NurminenLauri NurminenLauri Nurminen was the last known White Guard and the last known veteran from the Finnish Civil War- Biography :...
(1906–2009) — White GuardWhite Guard (Finland)The White Guard was a voluntary militia that emerged victorious over the socialist Red Guard as part of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918...
s. - Aarne Arvonen (1897–2009) — Red GuardsRed Guards (Finland)The Red Guards formed the army of Red Finland during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. The combined strength of the Red Guard was about 30,000 at the beginning of the Civil War, and peaked at 90,000-120,000 during the course of the conflict....
.
Russian Civil WarRussian Civil WarThe Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
- Boris Gudz (1902–2006) — Red ArmyRed ArmyThe Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. - Nikolai Fyodorov (1901–2003) — White Army.
Greater Poland UprisingGreater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)The Greater Poland Uprising of 1918–1919, or Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918–1919 or Posnanian War was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland region against Germany...
- Jan Rzepa (1899–2005) Last Polish fighter of uprising.
German Revolution of 1918–19
- Helmut FinkHelmut FinkHelmut Fink was the last known German Revolution veteran and the last German WWI-Era veteran in the world. As a teenager, he served in the Freikorps during the German Revolution 1918-1919. After his service he became a professional Flautist...
(1901–2009) — FreikorpsFreikorpsFreikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
. Later became a professional flautist. - William SeegersWilliam SeegersWilliam Alfred Seegers was, at age 106, one of the last two known remaining veterans of the First World War to have served in the German forces and California's last known World War I veteran....
(1900–2007) — German armyGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
.
Polish-Ukrainian WarPolish-Ukrainian WarThe Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.-Background:...
- Major Aleksander Sałacki (1904–2008) — The last surviving Lwów EagletLwów EagletsLwów 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:...
.
Estonian War of Independence
- Ants Ilus (1901–2006) — Estonia.
- Karl Jaanus (1899–2000) – Last surviving recipient of the Cross of Liberty awarded during the war.
Irish War of IndependenceIrish War of IndependenceThe Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
- Dan KeatingDan KeatingDaniel "Dan" Keating was a life-long Irish republican and patron of Republican Sinn Féin. At the time of death he was Ireland's oldest man and the last surviving veteran of the Irish War of Independence.-Early life:...
(1902–2007) — Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
.
Silesian UprisingsSilesian UprisingsThe Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
- Wilhelm MeiselWilhelm Meisel (Silesian Uprisings veteran)Wilhelm Meisel was the last veteran of the Silesian Uprisings, He joined up to the Polish Army in 1919 at the age of 15 and served during the Silesian Uprisings from 1919 until it ended in 1921...
(1904–2009) — Last survivor of Silesian UprisingsSilesian UprisingsThe Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
.