Veterans of the First World War who died in 2003
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of known veterans of the First World War
(28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) who died in 2003.
Remark: a further 45 men old enough to have served in World War I died in England & Wales in 2003. Their veteran status is not yet confirmed. Scottish and Irish records are not checked either.
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 "WWI", 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 2003.
Australia (4 veterans)
| Name | Rank/Regiment/Corps | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham, Eric Kingsley | Sapper, 5th Signals Co, Australian Imperial Force | 20 Apr 1898 | 20 Mar 2003 (104) | Enlisted 1915 aged 17. Served at Villers-Bretonneux, Morlancourt, Amiens and Peronne.http://www.dva.gov.au/commem/news/eabraham.htm |
| Dunford, Robert Joseph (Bob) | Private, 1st Ammunition Column, Australian Imperial Force | 1898 | 8 May 2003 (104) | Non combat. Arrived in France just as Armistice signed. Spent a year cleaning up battlefields.http://minister.dva.gov.au/media_releases/2003/05_may/va043.htm |
| Folland, Vivian Iceley | Private, 12th Brigade, 4th Division, Australian Imperial Force | 1898 | 13 May 2003 (104) | Fought on the Western Front 1918. Also a World War II veteran.http://minister.dva.gov.au/media_releases/2003/05_may/va046.htm |
| MacDonald, Frank | Private, 40th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force | 26 Jun 1896 | 23 Aug 2003 (107) | Enlisted 1916. Fought at Morlancourt. Awarded the Military Medal. Also a World War II veteran.http://www.dva.gov.au/commem/news/fmcdonald.htm |
Austria-Hungary/Czechoslovakia (2 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocásek, Alois | 13 Apr 1896 | 9 Aug 2003 (107) | Ethnic Czech and Czech Republic's oldest man at his death. Deserted the Austria-Hungarian army to fight for the Czech Legion for independence. Last survivor of the Battle of Zborov, Ukraine 1917.http://www.radio.cz/en/article/44086 |
| Novy, Ernst Elias | 16 Nov 1897 | 13 May 2003 (105) | Died in Germany |
Barbados (1 veteran)
| Name | Rank/Regiment/Corps | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackman, George George Blackman George Blackman , was born in Barbados and served as a Private in the 4th British West Indies Regiment during the First World War... |
Private, 4th British West Indies Regt. | 1898 | Mar 2003 (105) | Enlisted 1914. Fought on the Western Front and in Italy where he loaded supplies.WO372/2http://www.aftermathww1.com/noparades.asphttp://www.aftermathww1.com/georgeblackman.asp |
Belgium (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vuylsteke-Spruyt, Marie-Marthe | 22 Dec 1895 | 18 Jun 2003 (107) | A nurse in the Belgian Army. Last Belgian female veteran. |
Canada (10 veterans)
| Name | Rank/Regiment/Corps | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin, Iden Herbert | Lance Corporal, 28th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force | Nov 1897 | 31 Jan 2003 (105) | Enlisted 1915. Fought at Vimy Ridge. Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/remembrance/stories/baldwin.html |
| Botterell, Henry John Lawrence Henry Botterell Henry John Lawrence Botterell was a Canadian fighter pilot who served in the Royal Naval Air Service and then in the Royal Air Force during World War I... |
Flight Lieutenant, 208 Squadron, Royal Air Force | 7 Nov 1896 | 3 Jan 2003 (106) | Last surviving RNAS pilot, having enlisted in that body in 1916. Flew patrols and dogfights over France. See entry. |
| Gard, John | 44th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force | ? | 14 Jul 2003 | Born in England. Served in France. http://www.legionmagazine.com/lastpost/details.asp?LastName=gard&FirstName=john&Year=&Age=&Rank=&City=&submit=Start+Search&Unit=&Province=&CreationDate=&PeriodOfService=&LegionBranch=&IssuePublished=&WebPublishingDate=&WebPublishingStatus=Show&LastPostData_ID=26164 |
| Lewis, Harold | Private, 8th Field Engineers, Canadian Expeditionary Force | 1901 | Dec 2003 (102) | Enlisted aged 16. Fought at Ypres and Passchendaele where he was wounded, his real age discovered and discharged.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/remembrance/stories/hlewis.html |
| Lewis, Gerald Myer (Jerry) | Private, Motor Transport Unit, Canadian Expeditionary Force | 2 Jul 1899 | 15 Oct 2003 (104) | Non combat. Served in England as an army lorry driver. Served in World War II as an aviation storekeeper for the US Navy. Died USA.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/remembrance/stories/mlewis.html |
| Manson, Arthur Bennett | Gunner, 2nd Brigade, Canadian Garrison Artillery | 5 Mar 1899 | 4 Jan 2003 (103) | Enlisted aged 17. Served behind the line on the Western Front tending the horses that pulled the artillery pieces.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/remembrance/stories/manson.html |
| Martin, Cyril | Private, Canadian Field Railway, Canadian Expeditionary Force | 18 Feb 1900 | 2003 (102) | Born in England. Enlisted aged 15 as a boy bugler and served on the Western Front as a runner. Later a minister and served in World War II as an army chaplain.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/remembrance/stories/martin.htmlhttp://mypage.uniserve.ca/~echo2/Articles9.html |
| Radford, Harold Edwin | Private, Nova Scotia Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force | 22 Jul 1897 | 7 Nov 2003 (106) | Non combat. Enlisted 1918 but still in training when war ended. Posted to Vladivostok as a peacekeeper in the Russian Civil War 1918-1919.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/remembrance/stories/radford.html |
| Reaper, Charles | Private, 39th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force | 27 Jul 1899 | 1 Mar 2003 (103) | Born in Scotland, emigrated to Canada 1915, enlisted 1916. Fought at Passchendaele and believed to be the last survivor of Vimy Ridge: some information |
| Thompson, Archie (Clearstack) | Sapper, Canadian Expeditionary Force | 30 Nov 1895 | 2 Sep 2003 (107) | Born in Ireland. Non combat, served in England on secondment to the Royal Engineers.http://www.cmea-agmc.ca/info_Communiques_e.asp |
France (38 veterans)
See also Joseph Gillman under Germany.| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audin, Gabriel | 31 May 1897 | 15 Feb 2003 (105) | |
| Barthe, Louis | 11 Apr 1898 | 3 Jun 2003 (105) | |
| Bois, Léon | 1 Jan 1897 | 7 Feb 2003 (106) | |
| Bourgeois, Maurice | 27 Nov 1896 | 2 Jan 2003 (106) | Last surviving French army officer of World War I. Fought with the 46e RI Front d’Argonne at Verdun (wounded), Chemin des Dames and Aisne. Taken prisoner by the Germans. Remained in army and reached the rank of General. |
| Cahé, Pierre | 26 Jun 1899 | 17 May 2003 (103) | |
| Cahen, Roger | 2 Dec 1896 | 6 Jul 2003 (106) | |
| Charnoudie, Jean-Paul | 1900 | 29 Jul 2003 (103) | |
| Cornu, Henri | 30 Apr 1896 | 25 March 2003 (106) | |
| Danno, François | 24 Oct 1898 | 26 Oct 2003 (105) | |
| Dervout, Yves | 25 Sep 1896 | 17 Jan 2003 (106) | |
| Douldat, Louis Alexis | 19 Aug 1896 | 18 Aug 2003 (106) | |
| Douriaux, Maurice | 16 Dec 1898 | 20 Apr 2003 (104) | Conscripted 1917. Fought at the 2nd Battle of the Marne. Later a military doctor. |
| Dumoussaud, Adrien | 15 Oct 1897 | 12 May 2003 (105) | |
| Estratat, Marius | 27 Sep 1897 | 23 Dec 2003 (106) | |
| Fischer, Paul | 14 Feb 1898 | 14 Sep 2003 (105) | Conscripted 1917. Wounded in Flanders 1918. Awarded the Croix de Guerre. Later a distinguished palaeontologist. Died Australia. |
| Gérard, Jean Léopold | 16 Oct 1898 | 13 March 2003 (104) | Served with the 105e RI. |
| Jambon, Henri Ulysse | 13 Jan 1898 | 3 March 2003 (105) | Served as a medical orderly until he was gassed and invalided out of the war. |
| Jarrot, Pierre François Joseph | 30 Apr 1896 | 3 Jul 2003 (107) | |
| Jones, André | 30 Aug 1899 | 16 Aug 2003 (103) | Conscripted 1918 and served with the 21e RI and 3e RI Coloniale. |
| Lacombe, Germain | 9 Apr 1898 | 4 Sep 2003 (105) | |
| Laurent, Henri | 28 May 1899 | 30 Jul 2003 (104) | |
| Madet, Maurice Joanny | 28 Oct 1898 | 8 Jul 2003 (104) | Served with the 131e RI. |
| Méoux, Omer | 31 Jan 1899 | 21 Feb 2003 (104) | Conscripted 1918. Served in briefly on the Western Front and as a peacekeeper in the Russian Civil War. |
| Monbey, André | 14 Oct 1899 | 12 Feb 2003 (103) | |
| Monnera, Henri | 15 Aug 1896 | 23 Apr 2003 (106) | Fought at Verdun. |
| Ortega, Emile | 17 May 1898 | 2 Jun 2003 (105) | |
| Pairon, Maurice | 29 Dec 1898 | 3 Dec 2003 (104) | Conscripted 1917, serving with the 149e RI d’Epinal. |
| Parrot, Joseph | 13 Apr 1896 | 3 Jul 2003 (107) | |
| Piry, Jean | 5 Jan 1896 | Mar 2003 (107) | Born Hong Kong of a French father and Chinese mother. Fought in the Russian Civil War. Died Canada.http://www.vancourier.com/issues02/012202/news/012202nn7.html |
| Porcherot, Emile | 17 Jan 1897 | 15 Feb 2003 (106) | Conscripted 1916. Served on the Somme with the 106e RI. Wounded twice. Awarded the Croix de Guerre. |
| Pras, André | 26 Dec 1898 | 23 Jan 2003 (104) | |
| Puiservert, Jacques | 17 Dec 1898 | 17 Nov 2003 (104) | |
| Renaud, Gabriel | 14 March 1898 | 19 Jun 2003 (105) | |
| Rousseau, René | 17 March 1899 | 1 May 2003 (104) | |
| Schmitz, Louis | 6 Sep 1898 | 18 Feb 2003 (104) | Conscripted 1918 and served as an engineer in the 1e and 9e Régiments de Génie. |
| Seigneuray, André | 4 Sep 1898 | 3 Jan 2003 (104) | |
| Tachy, Jean | 22 Sep 1898 | 16 May 2003 (104) | |
| Vernay, Joseph | 3 Nov 1899 | Jan 2003 (103) | |
Germany (10 veterans)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andersen, Kurt | 2 Oct 1898 | 9 Jan 2003 (104) | General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given.... in WWII World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... , and holder of the Knight's Cross Knight's Cross Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield.... : Georg Heinrich Andersen |
| Baumgarten, Franz | 25 Jan 1895 | 23 Mar 2003 (108) | Held as a POW in France until 1920; also World War II Veteran. |
| Gehling, Rudolf | 17 Oct 1896 | 21 Oct 2003 (107) | Enlisted 1917, fought at Verdun; also World War II Veteran. |
| Gillmann, Joseph | 2 Feb 1895 | 23 Nov 2003 (108) | Born in Alsace-Lorraine. Conscripted into the German army. Died in France. |
| Kling, Karl | 1 Dec 1897 | Mar 2003 (105) | Taken prisoner by the British. |
| Ost, Kurt | 26 Jan 1897 | 29 Mar 2003 (106) | Fought in France. |
| Reimann, Wilhelm | 15 Nov 1896 | 16 Dec 2003 (107) | http://www.logistik.fh-dortmund.de:60080/~rab/php-nuke/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=54&page=2 |
| Schlag, Otto | 6 Jan 1897 | 12 Sep 2003 (106) | Fought in France - amongst others Reims and Verdun.http://www.amazon.de/dp/343019587X |
| Siefert, Jakob | 8 Feb 1895 | 22 Jun 2003 (108) | http://www.linkhitlist.com/cgi/comments/D/index.asp?L=D&LNO=36554&ENO=877463 |
| von Hippel, Arthur Robert | 19 Nov 1898 | 31 Dec 2003 (105) | Later a renowned molecular engineer and co-developer of radar. Died USA.http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11912&page=320 |
Italy (5 veterans)
New Zealand (1 veteran)
| Name | Rank/Regiment/Corps | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams, Bright Ernest | Private, New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade | 27 Feb 1897 | 13 Feb 2003 (105) | Last New Zealand veteran. Enlisted in 1916 and served as a messenger. Fought at Messines and Ypres where he was wounded.http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sooty/bwilliams.html |
Poland (2 veterans)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salecki, Jozef Marek | 1902 | January 26, 2003 (100) | http://www.nekrologi-baza.pl/~gsa/nekrologi/nazw/str_s1.html |
| Wadas, Jan | 1899 | February 5, 2003 (103) | http://www.alfa.com.pl/slask/200605/s03.htmLast veteran of the Silesian Uprisings Silesian Uprisings The 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... ] |
Portugal (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladeira, José Luis | 6 Oct 1895 | 5 May 2003 (107) | Last Portuguese veteran. |
Puerto Rico (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castro-Roldan, Reyes | 16 Jan 1896 | 15 Dec 2003 (107) | Private, US Army. |
Russia (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leniec, Ludwik | 25 Aug 1896 | 2003 (106) | Ethnic Pole conscripted into the Russian army: http://aktualnosci.tvzachod.com.pl/photos.php3?show=02082608 http://www.gawex.pl/serwis/archiwum/sierpien.htm http://www.szczecinek.net.pl/strony/aktualnoscisie2001.htm |
Thailand (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangrungruang, Yod | 1897 | 9 Oct 2003 (106) | Last of the 1,284 members of the Royal Siam Expeditionary Force who fought in World War I. Served for 15 months in France as an air mechanic.http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19965219.htmlhttp://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/10/11/2003071220 |
Turkey (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zorlu, Huseyin | 1899 | 24 Sep 2003 (104) | Enlisted 1918. Also fought in the Turkish war of independence.http://www.frmtr.com/turkiyeye-sahip-cik/270667-son-kahramanlar.htmlhttp://www.avanoseml.k12.tr/avanos/avanos_taniyalim.php |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (34 veterans)
Remark: a further 45 men old enough to have served in World War I died in England & Wales in 2003. Their veteran status is not yet confirmed. Scottish and Irish records are not checked either.
United States (58 veterans)
World War I-era veterans - 3 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 "WWI", but are considered World War I-era veterans by the press or by their respective governments, or served in a related conflict.
Estonia (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilves, Eduard-Aleksander | 29 Jan 1899 | 29 Apr 2003 (104) | Fought in the Estonian War of Independence Nov 1918 – Feb 1920.http://www.president.ee/et/vabariik/teenetem2rgid.php?gid=89301http://www.saarlane.ee/uudised/arhiiv/2001/01/30/3218/ |
Puerto Rico (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerena-Rivera, Francisco | 9 Sep 1898 | 16 Dec 2003 (105) | Private, US Army. Enlisted November 1919. |
United States (1 veteran)
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler, Gary James | 5 Nov 1899 | 26 Dec 2003 (104) | (California) US Navy. Enlisted March 1919. Also served in World War II in the rank of Lieutenant. |