Wednesday, January 14, 2009

One of the Last World War Survivors Dies

Sad to see this as the world is down to just three veterans of the War to End All Wars still alive.

The Jan. 12, 2009, Guardian, Bill Stone, 108, a British sailor died Jan. 10, 2009, at a care home in Berkshire. He had been at the 90th anniversary of the Armistice this past November with Britain's other two survivors, Henry Allingham, 112, and Henry Patch, 110.

Mr. Stone was born Sept. 23, 1900, and followed in the footsteps of his three older brothers and joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday. He had tried to join thee years before that, but his father had refused to sign the papers.

He served on the HMS Hood and took part in the round-the-world cruise from 1922-1924.

In World War II, he was chief stoker on the HMS Salamander which made five trips across the English Channel to evacuate the British Army at Dunkirk.

He also saw action at the Sicily landings in 1943 on the HMS Newfoundland.

Just Three Left. Sad Times.

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