Puneet Varma (Editor)

Last European veterans by war

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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.

Contents

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 Denmark in the Dano-Swedish War (1657–1658) and again from 1675–1681 in the Scanian War.

    • English Civil War

  • William Hiseland (1620–1732) — Wiltshire native who fought for the royalists in the English Civil War, Williamite War in Ireland and War of the Spanish Succession. He was the last survivor of the Battle of Edgehill and retired with the rank of sergeant. For his 80-year service to the kingdom he was one of the first to be admitted to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

    • War of the Polish Succession

  • Jean Thurel (1699–1807) — France. Also served in the War of the Austrian Succession, Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. 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 rising

  • George Browne (1698–1792) — Irish nobleman who supported the Old Pretender. Later became a mercenary in the Russian army. ‹See TfD›

    • Seven Years' War

  • Johann Heinrich Behrens (1735–1844) — Germany.
  • Paul François de Quelen de la Vauguyon (1746–1828) — France.
  • Henry Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton (1743–1821) — Britain.
  • László Skultéty (1738–1831) — Hungary.

    • French Revolution

  • 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 Legion d'Honneur.

    • Napoleonic Wars

  • Jean Adrin (1797–1902) — Last French veteran. 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.
  • Louis Victor Baillot (1793–1898) also from France — Last Battle of Waterloo veteran. He also saw action at the siege of Hamburg.
  • Pedro Martínez (1789–1898) — last Battle of Trafalgar veteran. He served in the Spanish navy on San Juan Nepomuceno.
  • Leonard Meesters (1796–1896) — Last Belgian veteran. Fought for Napoleon.
  • 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.
  • Sir Provo Wallis (1791–1892) — Canada.
  • Morris Shea (1795–1892), 73rd Foot — Last British veteran of the Battle of Waterloo.
  • Joseph Sutherland (1789–1890), Royal Navy — Last English veteran and last British survivor of Trafalgar.

    • War of 1812

  • Hiram Cronk (1800–1905) — US Army.
  • Sir Provo Wallis (1791–1892) — Royal Navy. Also a Napoleonic veteran.

    • Hungarian Revolution of 1848

  • 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.

    • Crimean War

  • Col. R. E. B. Crompton (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 War.
  • Edwin Hughes (1830–1927) — Last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

    • Italian Unification

  • Petrus Verbeek (1851-1946) — Last Papal veteran. Born in the Netherlands.
  • Francois Ribet (1835–1936) — France.

    • French invasion of Mexico

  • Jules Pujos (1846–1942) — France.

    • January Uprising

  • Antoni Suss (1844–1946) — Penultimate veteran.
  • Feliks Bartczuk (1846–1946) — Last veteran.

    • Franco-Prussian War

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

    • Paris Commune

  • 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 Bourne (1854–1945) — Last survivor of Rorke's Drift.

    • Boer War

  • George Frederick Ives (1881–1993) — British army, later emigrated to Canada.

    • Potemkin Mutiny

  • Ivan Beshoff (1885–1987) — Sailor on Russian battleship Potemkin. Fled to Ireland and opened a fish and chips shop.

    • World War I

  • Florence Green (February 19, 1901 – February 4, 2012) — Served as waitress in the Women's Royal Air Force.

    • October Revolution

  • Boris Gudz (1902–2006) — Red Army.

    • Finnish Civil War

  • Lauri Nurminen (1906–2009) — White Guards.
  • Aarne Arvonen (1897–2009) — Red Guards.

    • Russian Civil War

  • Boris Gudz (1902–2006) — Red Army.
  • Nikolai Fyodorov (1901–2003) — White Army.

    • Greater Poland Uprising

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

    • German Revolution of 1918–19

  • Helmut Fink (1901–2009) — Freikorps. Later became a professional flautist.
  • William Seegers (1900–2007) — German Army.

    • Polish-Ukrainian War

  • Major Aleksander Sałacki (1904–2008) — The last surviving Lwów Eaglet.

    • 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 Independence

  • Dan Keating (1902–2007) — Irish Republican Army.

    • Polish–Soviet War

  • Józef Kowalski (1900–2013) — Poland.
  • Alexander Imich (1903–2014) — Poland.

    • Silesian Uprisings

  • Wilhelm Meisel (1904–2009) — Last survivor of Silesian Uprisings.

    • Turkish War of Independence

  • Mustafa Şekip Birgöl (1903–2008) — Turkey.

    • March on Rome

  • Vasco Bruttomesso (1903–2009).

    • References

    Last European veterans by war Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA