Claude Stanley Choules (3 March 1901 – 5 May 2011) was, at the age of 110, with Florence Green, one of the two last living First World War veterans in the world, and was the last living military witness to the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. He was also the last living veteran to have served in both world wars, and the last seaman from the First World War. Choules was also the last surviving male First World War veteran (the last female veteran being Green), and the last First World War veteran living in Australia. At the time of his death, he was also the third oldest verified military veteran in the world and the oldest man known living in Australia. He was the 7th-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. He died in Perth, Western Australia, at the age of 110.
Born in Pershore, Worcestershire, and raised in nearby Wyre Piddle, son of Harry and Madeline (née Winn), in April 1915 aged 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 Circe 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 witnessed the surrender of the German Imperial Navy at the Firth of Forth in 1918, ten days after the Armistice, and also witnessed the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow.
In 1926, along with 11 other Royal Navy senior sailors, he came 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. He took his discharge from the RAN in 1931, but remained in the reserves and rejoined the RAN in 1932 as a CPO Torpedo and Anti Submarine Instructor. He never once returned to England after leaving.
During the Second World War, Choules was the Acting Torpedo Officer of HMAS Fremantle. He was also 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. Choules was also responsible for dealing with the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil during the war, near Esperance, West Australia.
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 50 years, while personnel could serve until 55 years old in the NDP.
Choules and his wife Ethel were married for 80 years, until her death aged 98. He had 3 children, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Choules shunned celebrations of the Armistice, because he was against the glorification of war.
In 2009, his autobiography The Last of the Last was published.
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. He celebrated his 110th birthday in March 2011.
Choules died on 5 May 2011. He last resided at Gracewood Hostel in Salter Point, a suburb of Perth. He appeared in the BBC documentaries The Last Tommy (2005) and Harry Patch - The Last Tommy (2009).
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Choules
Born in Pershore, Worcestershire, and raised in nearby Wyre Piddle, son of Harry and Madeline (née Winn), in April 1915 aged 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 Circe 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 witnessed the surrender of the German Imperial Navy at the Firth of Forth in 1918, ten days after the Armistice, and also witnessed the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow.
In 1926, along with 11 other Royal Navy senior sailors, he came 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. He took his discharge from the RAN in 1931, but remained in the reserves and rejoined the RAN in 1932 as a CPO Torpedo and Anti Submarine Instructor. He never once returned to England after leaving.
During the Second World War, Choules was the Acting Torpedo Officer of HMAS Fremantle. He was also 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. Choules was also responsible for dealing with the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil during the war, near Esperance, West Australia.
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 50 years, while personnel could serve until 55 years old in the NDP.
Choules and his wife Ethel were married for 80 years, until her death aged 98. He had 3 children, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Choules shunned celebrations of the Armistice, because he was against the glorification of war.
In 2009, his autobiography The Last of the Last was published.
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. He celebrated his 110th birthday in March 2011.
Choules died on 5 May 2011. He last resided at Gracewood Hostel in Salter Point, a suburb of Perth. He appeared in the BBC documentaries The Last Tommy (2005) and Harry Patch - The Last Tommy (2009).
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Choules
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