Last veteran of World War One dies at 109 (Scotland)

The Scotsman ^ | Tue 22 Nov 2005 | FRANK URQUHART

[SittinYonder]

SCOTLAND'S last surviving veteran of the First World War, and the country's oldest man, died peacefully at a nursing home yesterday aged 109 - severing the last tangible link between the nation and the 690,235 Scots who served in the Great War.

Alfred Anderson was the last of the "Old Contemptibles" - the British expeditionary force which went to war in 1914 - and the last surviving witness of the historic Christmas truce when opposing troops declared a brief and unofficial ceasefire to play football and share drinks and cigarettes in the hell of no man's land. Mr Anderson served with the 5th Battalion the Black Watch until he was wounded by shrapnel in 1916.

Yesterday, members of his former regiment, Jack McConnell, the First Minister, and the Royal British Legion joined in paying tribute to the "dignified and unassuming" hero of the war that was supposed to end all wars.

[SittinYonder]

Am leaving work to go be with my family for Thanksgiving, but I read this in yesterday's The Scotsman and thought it might hold some interest for some.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[eyespysomething]

Wow.

Just wow.

[Doogle]

...whenever I read about someone over 100 years old I think of just how much history he has seen....


Doogle

[SittinYonder]

Pinging because I thought you might have an interest that the last Scot vet of WWI died. Also last guy alive to have been at the Christmas cease fire of 1914 ...


Happy Thanksgiving

[SittinYonder]

Can you post the pic so I can come home?

[Vaquero]

anyone have any idea how many vets other than scottish vets are left?

[SittinYonder]

I've wondered that, too. Can't be many left.

[mainepatsfan]

He remembered where he was when he heard that the Titanic sank.

[weegee]

Yet some of FR insist that there is nothing Christian about Christmas and that it is just a pagan holiday that we shouldn't get worked up over when it gets slighted with the PC "happy holidays".

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and have a Merry Christmas season.

[DTwistedSisterS]

seeing that thing about the truce gives me shivers. so much respect between the two armies, and it shows even through hell some things can overcome differences (go football, i assume they mean soccer, for the US, even better:-P)

[Doogle]

at 16...yeah he should of..

Doogle

[StarCMC]

the last surviving witness of the historic Christmas truce when opposing troops declared a brief and unofficial ceasefire to play football and share drinks and cigarettes in the hell of no man's land.

I had read about this!! Thanks for posting - may he rest in peace.

[armydawg1]

It seems I recall that the last Australian vet of WW1 died several weeks ago.

This article published somewhere else said there were fewer than 10 remaining in the UK.

I imagine the number here stateside is very low also.

God bless you Scotsman. Rest in peace. Well done!

[lilylangtree]

Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

[SoDak]

Same age as my Grandfather, except my Grandfather came down with Pall Mall flu clear back in '61. It's just amazing to think of all one could see in 109 years.

[newsworthy]

He said: "I'm the last man standing - the last surviving Scottish soldier from the Great War. It's up to me to remember all those who have gone before."

My great uncle died in that war and the loss still echoes through our family.

[M. Dodge Thomas]

anyone have any idea how many vets other than scottish vets are left?

Around a humdred, worldwide:

http://tinyurl.com/bwc86

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Veterans_of_the_First_World_War#World_Totals

[TexGuy]

And God said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is indeed mortal and their days of life will be 120 years." (Genesis 6:3)

He still had 11 years to go ... God bless this Scotsman ...

[Tallguy]

I think I read a couple months back that Australia's last WW1 vet died...

109 year old Scot veteran! The history of aviation isn't that long.