Funeral for Last Surviving British WW1 Veteran

With a life spanning more than a century, veteran Harry Patch was the last Briton to survive the trenches of World War One. 

At the age of 111, he was laid to rest here at Wells Cathedral in western England, as thousands gathered in silence to honor his life.

Patch had requested that the theme of the funeral be reconciliation.

The pallbearers included infantrymen from Belgium, France and Germany – a symbol of his views that all who fought in the war should be remembered.

[Kevan Jones, Veterans Minister]:
„As Harry Patch goes from this cathedral to his resting place today, we mark the end of an era. The last voice with direct experience of combat in the trenches has fallen silent.“

Born in 1898 he went on to become an apprentice plumber, but the career was short-lived when he was conscripted at the age of 18.

Dubbed the „Last Tommy“, Patch served as a machine-gunner for four months in the summer of 1917, where he was injured and saw three of his closest friends killed.

He never spoke about his war experiences until he turned 100.

And in March this year, after receiving a French honor medal, he spoke of his death.

[Harry Patch, Veteran]:
„I will wear this medal with great pride. And when I rejoin my men, it will go to my regiment’s museum as a permanent regard of the people of France.“

Patch always insisted he wasn’t a hero.

But with his passing, the world not only bids farewell to a brave soldier, it also marks the passing of a generation.

(NTDTV)