Claude Stanley Choules was the last First World War combat veteran in the world, and was the last military witness to the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow died he was , 110,.. He was also the last veteran to have served in both world wars, and the last seaman from the First World War. At the time of his death, he was also the third oldest verified military veteran in the world and the oldest known living man in Australia.[4][5] He was the seventh-oldest living man in the world. Choules became the oldest man born in the United Kingdom following the death of Stanley Lucas on 21 June 2010. Choules died in Perth, Western Australia, at the age of 110.( 3 March 1901 – 5 May 2011)
Biography
Military service
Born in Pershore,[1] Worcestershire, and raised in nearby Wyre Piddle, son of Harry and Madeline (née Winn), in April 1915, at age 14, Choules joined the nautical training ship Mercury before transferring to the Royal Navy in October 1916 to serve aboard the naval training ship HMS Impregnable situated at
Plymouth. In 1917, he joined the battleship HMS Revenge, which was the flagship of the First Battle Squadron. While serving aboard it, Choules saw action against a German zeppelin,[8] and witnessed the surrender of the German Imperial Navy at the Firth of Forth in 1918, ten days after the Armistice, as well as witnessing the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow.[9]In 1926, along with 11 other Royal Navy senior sailors, Choules travelled to Australia on loan as an instructor at Flinders Naval Depot. Choules decided to transfer permanently to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) after sampling and agreeing with the Australian way of life. In fact, he was only two days younger than the RAN, which was established on 1 March 1901.[10]
He took his discharge from the RAN in 1931, but remained in the reserves and rejoined the RAN in 1932 as a Chief Petty Officer Torpedo and Anti Submarine Instructor. He never once returned to England after leaving.[11]
During the Second World War, Choules was the Acting Torpedo Officer based at Fremantle, Western Australia,[12] and also served as the Chief Demolition Officer on the western side of the Australian continent. He was tasked with sabotaging Fremantle harbours and related oil storage tanks in the event of a Japanese invasion.[12] Choules was also responsible for dealing with the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil during the war, near Esperance, Western Australia.[12]
Choules remained in the RAN after the Second World War and transferred to the Naval Dockyard Police (NDP) to allow him to remain in service until 1956, as retirement from the RAN for ratings in those days was at age 50, while personnel could serve until 55 years old in the NDP.[13][14]
Later life
Choules and his wife Ethel were married for 80 years, until her death at age 98.[13] Choules shunned celebrations of the Armistice, because he was against the glorification of war.[15] His autobiography The Last of the Last was published in 2009.[16]In late April 2010, Choules' daughter Daphne Choules-Edinger reported that his health was declining and he could no longer give interviews. He was almost totally blind and deaf.[17] He celebrated his 110th birthday in March 2011.[18]He last resided at Gracewood Hostel in Salter Point, a suburb of Perth.
Claude Choules appeared in the BBC documentaries The Last Tommy (2005) and Harry Patch – The Last Tommy (2009). After his death, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated "Mr Choules and his generation made a sacrifice for our freedom and liberty we will never forget".[19]
Death and funeral
Choules died on 5 May 2011. He was survived by 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.[13] He was given a naval funeral in Fremantle, Western Australia on 20 May 2011. Guests included the West Australian Premier Colin Barnett, state Opposition Leader Eric Ripper and federal Defence Minister Stephen Smith, who gave a reading during the service. Choules's son Adrian gave the eulogy.[20]Awards
In 2009, Choules became the oldest recipient of the Australian Defence Medal, as he had served more than four years in the Australian Defence Force after 3 September 1945.[21] He was also awarded the British War Medal 1914–18, the Victory Medal 1914–18, the War Medal 1939–45, the Australia Service Medal 1939–45, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, the Centenary Medal and the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with Clasp.[21]Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal | ||
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