The last eight veterans of WWI

This time last year there were 23 known World War I veterans alive. Today there are just eight still alive. 2007 saw the deaths of all three central powers veterans, the last French, the last Italian and the last Jamaican veterans (click here for a full list).

The Wikipedians tracking the last veterans of WWI count anyone who was in uniform at the time of the armistice. This means that it records those who may not be considered a veteran by their country. However it does provide a consistent baseline.

Australian

John Campbell Ross. Ross enlisted in February 1918 and served as a wireless operator. However, he never left Australia or saw active service so he is not recognised as a veteran by the Australian government

Canadian

John Babcock Babcock attempted to enlist in 1915 (aged 15). He was placed in a Young Soldiers Battalion in August 1917 and was then transferred to the UK where he continued training until the end of the war. He therefore never saw active service. He has lived in the US since the 1920s.Tthe Canadian government has authorised a state funeral for him should he accept it.

American

Frank Buckles Buckles enlisted in the US army at the age of 16 and saw service in France as an ambulance driver. He has been approved for burial in Arlington Cemetery. Buckles survived Japanese internment in WWII

British

Henry Allingham . Allingham is the last survivor of the Royal Naval Air Service and of Jutland, the last surviving founder member of the Royal Air Force and the oldest ever surviving member of the British Armed Forces

Harry Patch Harry Patch is the last fighting Tommy and the last survivor of the Western Front. He served in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry seeing active service at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.

Claude Choules Now living in Australia, Choules enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1916 and served on the Battleship HMS Revenge. He witnessed the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919. Choules also saw service in WWII in the Royal Australian Navy.

Bill Stone Stone enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1918 but was still in training when the war ended. He also served in WWII.

Netherwood Hughes A driver, Hughes was called up in 1918 but was still in training when the war ended.

In addition there are two others who may have served in WWI but their service is unverified:

• Ukrainian Mikhail Krichevsky claims to have been called up in 1917 seeing active service on the Austro-Hungarian front;

• Briton Doug Terrey claims to have joined up in 1917 serving as a dispatch rider.