Farewell to Old Soldiers - 2024

Nathaniel Fiennes - 21st Baron Saye and Sele died January 20 at the age of 103. He served in the British Army from 1941-1950 achieving the rank of Major. He was one of the first soldiers to enter Bergen-Belsen and was heard to say he would stand up and tell any Holocaust denier what he had seen. Here’s a link to his wiki bio. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Fiennes,_21st_Baron_Saye_and_Sele

Norman Jewison: Renowned Canadian film director dies at 97 (BBC)

He served in the Royal Canadian Navy (1944–1945) during World War II (Wikipedia).

UK WWII veteran Jack Jennings has died at the age of 104. He was the last survivor of the Burma Death Railway. He wrote Prisoner without a Crime.

US Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Roger Donlon died January 25 at the age of 89. He wrote Beyond Nam Dong and Outpost of freedom.

One of the last surviving WWII B-17 pilots Si Spiegel died January 21 at the age of 99. In the closing days of the war he lost two engines to anti-aircraft flak. Because he was Jewish he didn’t want to crash in Germany. He managed to hang on and crash in Soviet occupied Poland. There he used parts from another crashed B-17 to repair his plane enough to make it to an American airbase in Italy. After the war he wanted to become a commercial pilot but was rebuffed because they would not hire a Jew. Since he was a machinist he turned his attention elsewhere and ironically became the king of artificial Christmas trees by patenting methods for their production. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/us/si-spiegel-dead.html

Wounded at Monte Cassino while serving as a gunner in the British Eighth Army, Denis Carter has died at the age of 102. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/denis-carter-102-qlf7d89f9

Australian Rear Admiral Guy Griffiths died March 5 at the age of 101. He was the last survivor of the HMS Repulse which was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1941 along with the HMS Prince of Wales. His story is told in Guy Griffiths: The Life & Times of an Australian Admiral . Here’s a link to his obit. Check out the medals on that man’s chest. https://www.watoday.com.au/national/exceptional-rear-admiral-was-last-survivor-o...

French Resistance member captured by the Gestapo and tortured by the Nazis in Ravensbruck, Josette Molland died February 17 at the age of 100. An art student, she fabricated documents for the Paris-Dutch underground. Her memoir was Soif de Vivre. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/world/europe/josette-molland-dead.html

Royal Navy Lt. Commander Alan Tyler has died at the age of 99. He joined the service as a cadet at 13. Tyler served throughout the war, remaining in service until the 1960’s. Alan participated in extraordinary events including the sinking of both the Scharnhorst and the Tirpitz, escorting Churchill, the liberation of Singapore, the founding of the State of Israel and Britain’s first atomic tests. He wrote Cheerful and Contented about the liberation of Singapore.

Maj. Ervin Hoida was one of the last surviving Czech soldiers who settled in Britain. He died in February at the age of 105. He received the Czechoslovak War Cross for carrying his dying sergeant through German crossfire near Dunkirk. https://mzv.gov.cz/london/en/what_s_new/ervin_hoida_the_last_czechoslovak_world....

Norman Miller née Muller died in February at the age of 99. In 1939 at the age of 15 he made it to Britain through the Kindertransport. The rest of his family died in the Holocaust. When he was old enough he joined the British Army. While with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers he was instrumental in identifying and arresting Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a high ranking Nazi who deported thousands of Dutch Jews to concentration camps. His family had no knowledge or what he had done until he toured the Holocaust Museum with his sons and saw a picture of Seyss-Inquart. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/europe/norman-miller-dead.html

>11 varielle: I always check for your posts - I find these mini biographies very interesting, so thank you for posting them.

A friend's mother was one of three young sisters on a Kindertransport to Britain and later married another refugee after both were active in the war effort. These stories need to be remembered, so again, thank you for posting.

Wing Commander John Bell MBE, DFC died March 18, a week before his 101st birthday. He was the last survivor of the British wartime crew of the 617 Dambuster squadron. He joined the RAF when he turned 18. He was a bomb Aimer on some of the squadron’s most important raids. https://news.yahoo.com/wing-commander-john-bell-last-134637221.html?guccounter=1...

French Resistance Fighter and later economist and banker Claude Alphandery died March 25 at the age of 101. He was 18 when Germany invaded France and went Underground in 1942. He became departmental leader of the Resistance in Drome and Ardeche and Lt. Col. of the French Interior Forces. He wrote Une si vive résistance and a number of other books which are unfortunately not on LT. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/obituaries/article/2024/03/27/claude-alphandery-resist....

Former Royal Navy minesweeper Commander Chris Prentis DSC died February 19 at the age of 91. During the bloody Konfrontasi campaign in 1964, Sukarno attempted to prevent the creation of Malaysia. Prentis was commander of the minesweeper Fiskerton and gave the last ramming command the British Navy ever performed when his vessel came under attack. The Fiskerton took down a sampan loaded with grenades. https://www.yahoo.com/news/chris-prentis-minesweeper-commander-during-120244055....

Lou Conter, the last known survivor of the Battleship Arizona, died April 1 at the age of 102. He was a quartermaster assisting in the navigation of the Arizona and was on shift at the time of the attack. Uninjured, he engaged in treating the injured and was knee deep in water when the order to abandon ship came. He spent the following days recovering bodies. He told his story in The Lou Conter Story: From U.S.S. Arizona Survivor to Unsung American Hero.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/01/us/lou-conter-dead.html

Former RAF gunner Flight Lieutenant Reginald Woolgar died in March two weeks before his 104th birthday. He flew Hampdens on more than 40 missions over Europe and survived ditching in the Channel. On one occasion a bullet passed through his gunsight. Later he narrowly missed the bombing of the King David Hotel.
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/2148

Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. died April 8 at the age of 97. He wrote Ranger: A Soldier's Life (American Warriors Series) and Words for Warriors: A Professional Soldier’s Notebook. He was one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the US Army. He led the Eighth Army Ranger Company during the Korean War. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in 1950 when his 51 Rangers were attacked by several hundred Chinese troops at the Battle for Hill 205. His DFC was upgraded to the Medal of Honor by Pres. Biden seventy-one years after the fact. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Puckett

Australian farmer and school master Cecil “Boz” Parsons died February 1 at the age of 105. During WWII he flew heavy bomber raids over Germany beginning in 1941 often in a Flying coffin, Halifax bombers, and a Whitley bomber. He participated in the Thousand Bomber raid on Cologne. He was mentioned in despatches twice. Read about his many adventures and misadventures here https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/03/06/cecil-boz-parsons-flying-coffi...

Ooops, wrong thread.

Dick Rutan, co-pilot of historic round-the-world flight, dies aged 85 (Guardian)

A decorated Vietnam war pilot... He joined the US air force as a teenager and flew more than 300 combat missions during the Vietnam war. He was part of an elite group that would loiter above enemy anti-aircraft positions for hours at a time. The missions had the call sign “Misty” and Dick was known as “Misty Four-Zero”. Among the many awards he received were the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He survived having to eject twice from planes, once when his F-100 Super Sabre was hit by enemy fire over Vietnam, and a second time when he was stationed in England and the same type of plane had a mechanical failure. He retired from the air force with the rank of lieutenant colonel and went on to work as a test pilot...

Pete McCloskey, Republican who tried to unseat Richard Nixon, dies aged 96 (Guardian)

McCloskey voluntarily served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1947, the U.S. Marine Corps from 1950 to 1952, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1952 to 1960 and the Ready Reserve from 1960 to 1967. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1974, having attained the rank of colonel. He was awarded the Navy Cross and Silver Star decorations for heroism in combat and two Purple Hearts as a Marine during the Korean War. He then volunteered for the Vietnam War before eventually turning against it. In 1992, he wrote his fourth book, The Taking of Hill 610, describing some of his exploits in Korea. (Wikipedia)

Roger Corman, The Little Shop of Horrors cult movie director, has died aged 98. He enlisted in the V-12 Navy College Training Program and served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946 (Wikipedia).

J. Gary Cooper was the first black officer to lead a US Marine Corps infantry company into combat. He later went into politics and eventually became an assistant secretary of the Air Force. He died April 27 at the age of 87. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_G._Cooper

By defying orders Harrier Commander Sharkey Ward likely saved the Falklands for Britain. He died May 17 at the age of 80. He wrote Sea Harrier Over The Falklands and Her Majesty's Top Gun: and the Decline of the Royal Navy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharkey_Ward

Brig. Gen. Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson, credited with downing 16 enemy during WWII in the European theater, age 102: https://taskandpurpose.com/history/bud-anderson-triple-ace-world-war-ii/?utm_cam... He also flew combat missions in Vietnam. He authored To Fly and Fight: Memoirs of a Triple Ace with Joseph P. Hamelin.

The last known militiawoman to fight in the Spanish Civil War Angeles Flores Peon nom de guerre Maricuela died on May 23 at the age of 105. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81ngeles_Fl%C3%B3rez_Pe%C3%B3n

Richard Sherman, songwriter for Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book, dies aged 95 (Guardian)

In 1953, Sherman was drafted into U.S. Army, being assigned to the Army Band and glee club. Serving as musical conductor for both groups from 1953 until his honorable discharge in 1955, he was stationed solely in the United States during his time in the service.

(Wikipedia)

French nurse Genevieve de Galard died on May 30 at the age of 99. She enlisted in the French Air Force during the First Indochine War. The following is from her LT bio. Geneviève de Galard was born and raised in Paris, France, to a family with a long military background. Her father died when she was nine years old, and on the eve of World War II, the family evacuated from Paris to Toulouse. They returned to the capital in the summer of 1943. Geneviève took English classes at the Sorbonne and began studying for a nursing degree, which she completed in 1950. Two years later, wanting travel and adventure, she qualified for service with the French Air Force. In 1953, at her request, she was sent to Indochina (now Vietnam) during the war between France and the Viet Minh Communists. She was stationed in Hanoi and oversaw medical evacuations by air from Pleiku Airport. Starting in January 1954, she participated in evacuations of French wounded from the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. On March 28, 1954, she and her crew landed in Dien Bien Phu. The aircraft was badly damaged and had to be abandoned as the Viet Minh destroyed the runway. She volunteered to stay and serve in the base field hospital, the only woman there. She worked under increasingly desperate conditions and rising casualties as the Viet Minh, who occupied the highlands around Dien Bien Phu, bombarded their position and prevented supplies and reinforcements from arriving. The garrison was trapped and overrun after a two-month siege. Most of the French forces surrendered; some escaped to Laos. Geneviève de Galard was awarded the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre. She was lionized as a heroine by the French public, appeared several times on the cover of Paris Match, and made a triumphant visit to the United States. In 1956, she married Colonel John Heaulme, with whom she had three children. She wrote her autobiography, Une femme à Dien Bien Phu (translated in English as Angel of Dien Bien Phu), first published in 2003.

Canadian D-day veteran, 100, dies day before return to France for anniversary (Guardian)

A 100-year old Canadian second world war veteran has died one day before he was to return to France for the 80th anniversary of D-day and the Battle of Normandy. William Cameron’s death on Sunday was announced on Twitter by Canada’s veterans affairs ministry. He had been scheduled to fly to France as part of a Canadian delegation attending ceremonies this week... Cameron was an anti-aircraft gunner on a corvette that escorted American barges during the D-day landings and the Battle of Normandy... Cameron was decorated in 2015 with France’s Légion d’Honneur – the nation’s highest decoration – in recognition of his contribution to the liberation of France...

WW2 veteran aged 102 dies on way to D-Day event (BBC)

A World War Two US Navy veteran travelling to France for an event marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings has died, a veteran organisation has confirmed. Robert "Al" Persichitti from Rochester, New York, was airlifted to a hospital in Germany on 30 May after suffering a medical emergency aboard a ship heading to Europe. He died the following day, aged 102. Remembered as a "great, humble man," Mr Persichitti was involved in the allied operation in Japan... in Iwo Jima...

William Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut known for Earthrise photo, dies in plane crash (Guardian)

Retired major general, 90, killed when his plane plunged into waters off Washington state’s San Juan Islands...

>32 John5918: The crash video was on the news tonight. It looked like he was pulling up at the end but was too low. RIP. What an ending to such a fantastic career. 😢

Baseball great Willie Mays dies at 93 (BBC)

Mays was drafted into the US Army to serve in the Korean War...

Hundreds attend funeral for US marine who died alone at nursing home (Guardian)

Former US marine Gerry Brooks died alone at a nursing home in Maine, all but forgotten. Then the funeral home posted a notice asking if anyone would serve as a pallbearer or simply attend his burial. Within minutes, it was turning away volunteers to carry his casket. A bagpiper came forward to play at the service. A pilot offered to perform a flyover. Military groups across the state pledged a proper sendoff. Hundreds of people who knew nothing about the 86-year-old beyond his name showed up on a sweltering afternoon and gave Brooks a final salute with full military honors on Thursday at the Maine Veterans’ Memorial cemetery in Augusta...

UK Cold War era submariner and former editor of Jane’s Fighting Ships Captain Richard Sharpe died June 22 at the age of 87. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/richard-sharpe-submariner-who-helped-move-u...

American comedian Bob Newhart dead at 94, publicist says (BBC)

He served in the US Army for two years during the Korean War.

Former US officer behind My Lai massacre dead at 80 (BBC)

A former US officer who was the only person to be convicted in connection with the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War has died, according to reports. William Calley died on 28 April at the age of 80, the Washington Post and New York Times reported, citing official death records. Calley led the US Army platoon that carried out the mass murder of hundreds of civilians, including women and children, in the Vietnamese village of Son My in 1968. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1971 for killing 22 civilians, but only served three days behind bars after then-President Richard Nixon ordered his release under house arrest. The My Lai massacre is known as one of the worst war crimes in American military history. The killings shocked the US public at the time and galvanised the anti-Vietnam war movement...

Tom Pritchard, World Word II veteran and Australia's last Rat of Tobruk, dies aged 102.

Born in Victoria in 1921, Pritchard enlisted in the army in 1940 despite lying about his age, and was assigned to the 2/5th Field Ambulance, which was eventually attached to the 18th Infantry Brigade.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-06/rat-of-tobruk-tom-pritchard-dies-aged-102...

US country music star Kris Kristofferson dies, aged 88 (BBC)

He earned his masters from Oxford in 1960, then returned to the US and joined the army. He was assigned by the military to teach literature, which he said "sounded like hell". In 1965 he visited Nashville, and within two weeks had resigned from his army post...

D-Day veteran dies aged 104 (BBC)

Donald "Don" Sheppard, from Basildon, landed on Juno Beach on 6 June 1944 as a Royal Engineer... Recalling his landing at Juno beach, Mr Sheppard described D-Day to the PA News agency in 2019 as a "waste of life" but recognised the landings as being "so important". He said: "I know we had to defend ourselves... but young guys like me 20, 21, who never lasted five minutes, some of them got killed before they got off the boat. "Tragic, absolutely." When he arrived at the beach on the afternoon of 6 June 1944, Mr Sheppard said the Germans had "really got the distance and shells were coming over like rain", with battleships also firing over their heads. "We lost quite a few guys," he said. "We {the survivors} were lucky really." After breaking through Nazi lines in the August, he continued through to Belgium, the Netherlands and eventually Germany - including to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Speaking of his experience, Mr Sheppard said: "I shall never forget that for the rest of my life. How one human could do that to another"...

General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British army, dies at 80 (Guardian)

The soldier was also chief of the general staff and commander of British forces in the 2003 Gulf war...

Tom Hughes AO KC, died age 101 on 28 November 2024. Tom flew Sunderlands with 10 Squadron RAAF in the Atlantic during the Second World War, later became a barrister, then politician serving as the Attorney General of Australia from 1969-1971 in Prime Minister John Gorton's government (Gorton was also a pilot and flew Hawker Hurricanes with the RAF over Singapore in the Second World War).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hughes_(Australian_politician)

ABC News in Australia this morning is reporting the death of former President Carter. Sincere condolences to my American friends.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-30/jimmy-carter-dies-us-president-nobel-priz...

Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Shelton "Ivan" Ware was laid to rest, March 19, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery. Lt. Col. Ware died Sept. 12, 2024, at age 101.

Ware joined the U.S. Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in April 1942 and reported for active duty in 1943. He was assigned to the 3420th Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company in England in November 1943 and was on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, in July 1944. His unit “kept the wheels rolling and the guns firing” as part of the renowned Red Ball Express.

Lt. Col. Ware earned Service Stars for the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of Northern France. He was honorably discharged in June 1946 at the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Rest in Peace, Sir! We thank you for your service!

Bletchley code breaker Betty Webb dies aged 101 (BBC)

A decorated World War Two code breaker who spent her youth deciphering enemy messages at Bletchley Park has died at the age of 101. Charlotte "Betty" Webb MBE - who was among the last surviving Bletchley code breakers - died on Monday night, the Women's Royal Army Corps Association confirmed. Mrs Webb, from Wythall in Worcestershire, joined operations at the Buckinghamshire base at the age of 18, later going on to help with Japanese codes at The Pentagon in the US. She was awarded France's highest honour - the Légion d'Honneur - in 2021. The Women's Royal Army Corps Association described Mrs Webb as a woman who "inspired women in the Army for decades"...

Joe Harris, member of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion Airborne (Triple Nickle), died at 108 on March 15 2025. The 555 was a Black unit of paratroopers that was specifically assigned to be smoke jumpers to fight fires set by Japanese fire bombs and to disarm those bombs that didn't go off on the west coast during WW2. The unit responded to 36 fires, and Harris recorded 72 successful jumps.

According to CNN, a Forest Service webpage about the 555 has been deleted, presumably because of the campaign against "DEI".

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-06/joe-harris-oldest-wwii-parat...

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/05/us/joe-harris-triple-nickle-black-paratroopers/in...

Deleted as I posted it in the wrong thread.