june july british oldest british man world war veteran month verified oldest living man world second oldest military veteran time death 12th verified oldest man time oldest surviving member oldest surviving veterans world war survivor surviving member surviving founding member royal_air_force raf face world war veterans association frequent public appearances ensure awareness sacrifices world war lost modern generations received honours awards world war service longevity early life born months old father died age tuberculosis henry recorded census widowed mother née foster living parents brother avenue mother remarried family moved london henry mother recorded census living avenue stepfather lodging away home working henry attended school attending remembered seeing return second boer war recalled watching play cricket leaving school started work surgical instrument maker find job interesting left work car bodies world war wanted join war effort august rider critically ill mother managed persuade stay home look mother died aged enlisted formally rated second class september posted completing training kent serial number graduation posted great worked aircraft maintenance april king george inspected air station aircraft later reported disappointment barely missing opportunity speak king worked norfolk coast night flying conducted later involved supporting anti submarine patrols typical patrol days involve manual labour seaplane water means deck mounted preparations known battle jutland ordered join naval onboard seaplane patrol surrounding waters german high seas fleet responsibilities included helping launch aircraft directly involved battle high_seas_fleet claimed known survivor battle recall seeing shells sea september class posted western join squadron unit acted training squadron squadrons based western evidence squadron involved combat operations arrived involved offensive reconnaissance aircraft camera world war november posted aircraft depot france remained rest war aircraft repair recovery duties recalls bombed air shelled land sea transferred royal_air_force merged april creation royal_air_force initially big impact later remarked time considered navy man raf ranked aircraft mechanic second class given new service number returned february formally discharged april years life recognized surviving founding member raf speaking world war veterans association said shock privilege think man alive original reorganisation raf formed inter war years career addition military service mechanic spent vast majority professional life engineer employers included car body makers car body builders started longest stretch employment designing new car bodies plant opened years previously family life met norfolk married year moved sussex remained married died acute chronic daughters betty born jean jean emigrated united_states died aged time death believed betty died lost touch 1970s following family rift death wife fact alive aged father died living gloucestershire addition remaining daughter betty time death seven grandchildren great grandchildren great great grandchildren great great great second world war second world war reserved occupation worked number projects significant contribution design effective counter measure german magnetic mines christmas lunch called away help design system mines open port essex days later successfully completed task later life second world war continued work ford retired world war veterans association tracked took prominent role telling story later generations forget october helped launch royal british legion poppy appeal model aboard cruiser quoted saying veterans given got country owe owe ceremony london august marked anniversary britain entry world war attended world war veterans marched past remembrance sunday laid memorials armistice day time world war veteran marched past marked end era world war veterans present remembrance sunday parade surviving member living founding member raf honoured guest unveiled saint september ceremony given gold medal saint marked award freedom town group raf technical joined ceremony continued visit retirement home demonstrating bond respect men november accepted invitation portrait taken image recorded december time exhibition planned london floating naval museum board entitled ghosts jutland copy portrait donated museum unveiled portrait mark opening exhibition awarded freedom home town mayor april lived month birthday failing moved charity blind service personnel near brighton aside poor reportedly good health visitors remarking memory voice attended july memorial missing attend remembrance day parade november france laying ceremony receive freedom town saint launch leaving trip april visited answer students questions world war wrote veterans asking experiences october honoured pride britain awards public appearances including visit oval june day birthday wheeled boundary spectators birthday band played board returned friends relatives queen hotel portsmouth afternoon tea asked felt replied pleased seeing tomorrow age different happy alive looking forward celebrations imagined april anniversary establishment royal_air_force guest honour celebratory events raf hampshire surviving founder member raf celebrated birthday members family lincolnshire guest honour college day memorial flight performed followed display tutor aircraft june personal request taken guided tour aircraft lancashire celebrations september launched book life written event london november marking anniversary end world war laid commemorative act remembrance london invested scout november years joined youth said able spend weeks local group boy celebrated birthday hms president event hosted royal_navy received signed birthday card sea lord sir saw mark royal navy flying overhead sitting outside wheelchair asked secret long life said don know good possibly oldest living man credited cigarettes wild wild women good sense humour longevity overtook longest lived member november longest lived british world war veteran date following death june oldest living man death oldest living veteran world war longest lived member armed force conflict record held del puerto_rico served world war oldest living man england years official recognition came january february year old died oldest known living veteran world war oldest living man world french died november oldest living man europe japanese man died august shared position second oldest man world american man born june year francis died december march oldest british man time death june oldest living man world died title passed montana february britain second oldest living person march oldest british man surpassing died aged years days verified british man reach age july died natural causes aged years days number world war veterans calls grew remaining veteran state funeral calls resulted majesty government approving june place death known british world war veteran prior announcement said tried think prospect quoted saying don mind long received letter member parliament july explaining reasoning national memorial service state funeral intention commemorate entire generation fought war single individual book fighting tommy author claims planned leave body medical science book volunteer confirmed intending leave body medical science persuaded change mind symbol world war remind people sacrifices conflict end agreed funeral june 100th birthday july oldest verified living british veteran world war death december oldest man living britain death june birthday november oldest living man europe following death february second oldest person britain death mason november oldest member british armed forces surpassing died aged years days march oldest english man surpassing died aged years days march oldest british man surpassing died aged years days june british man reach age june oldest living man world following death japanese man july died aged years days second oldest man die europe spain died aged years days awards war medals awards awarded medals medals world war gold medal saint awarded september given freedom town awarded france highest military honour appointed promoted remaining medals world war british war medal victory medal medals colloquially known jeff medals replacement medals supplied discovering recent parade original campaign medals destroyed honorary awards mentioned decorations won awards honorary examples include pride britain award position honorary member formally qualified recognised presented chartered engineer award december following award entering engineering profession hoped chartered engineer younger couldn afford thought happen receive honorary certificate lifetime goal finally realised grateful institution presenting award followed award honorary doctorate engineering university chancellor sea lord contribution britain allies world wars continuing charity work especially connected veteran servicemen women death funeral died natural causes sleep july care home centre near brighton aged years days death took world oldest man funeral took place brighton noon july military honours coffin carried royal_navy seamen raf airmen service preceded half quarter church bells local members raf royal_navy change ringing associations representing queen veterans minister senior royal_navy royal_air_force officers including vice admiral sir air vice marshal represented services member surviving daughter attended funeral members family funeral followed replica world war aircraft british french played post bell times year life bbc commissioned write poem mark deaths died week july result post read programme today day funeral tree planted commemorative plaque unveiled mark residence town autobiography henry volunteer isbn
Henry Allingham