Fernand Goux, who died on 9 November at the age of 108, was the penultimate French veteran of WWI. Goux was called up for service in April, 1918 and was deployed behind the front lines with the 85th Infantry Regiment, supplying front line troops and burying the dead. On 3 November he was sent to the front with the 82nd Infantry Regiment for the last week of the war.
Neither Goux nor Pierre Picault (the last Frenchman to fight in WWI) are recognised as veterans by the French government as they fought less than the requisite three months. The last official veteran was Lazare Ponticelli who died in March.
There are now just 9 WWI veterans left alive
4 comments:
Surely it doesn't matter how long one fights for. A bullet on the first day is the same as a bullet after three months.
108, that is amazing.
I tip my hat to this hero
He certainly had a long life. I agree James.
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