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List of last surviving veterans of military insurgencies and wars

This a chronological list of the last surviving veterans of military insurgencies, conflicts and wars around the world. The listed wars span from the 13th century BC to the Korean War.

Classical antiquity

Middle Ages

Muslim–Quraysh Wars (622–630)

Norman conquest of England (1066–1088)

Early modern period

These cases, particularly with respect to the ages claimed by the veterans, cannot be verified as it was common in pre-industrialised societies for elders to exaggerate their age.

17th century

Indian Wars (1622–1924)

English Civil War (1642–1651)

First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654)

18th century

Great Northern War (1700–1721)

War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714)

Jacobite risings (1719–1745)

War of the Polish Succession (1733–1738)

Russo-Turkish wars (1735–1774)

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

Seven Years' War (1754–1763)

American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)

  • Daniel Bakeman (1759–1869) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Alleged veteran. Awarded pension via Congress, though no support of service has been located.
  • John Gray (1764–1868) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Last verifiable veteran although period of service was too short for him for pension qualification.
  • Lemuel Cook (1759–1866) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Last official veteran; honorable discharge signed by George Washington.
  • (1759–1861) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. French naval officer, privateer and arms manufacturer, served as a midshipman in the French navy during the war.

Inconfidência Mineira (1789)

French Revolution (1789–1799)

  • Nicolas Savin (1768 or 1787–1894) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Claimed to have enlisted in 2nd Regiment of Hussars in 1798. 1768 figure proclaims he was approximately 126 at time of death. Later served under Napoleon and was awarded the Legion d'Honneur.
  • Giovanni Battista Campanella (1776–1884) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Served in Italy during the French Revolutionary Wars and later in the 1812 Russian campaign.
  • Arthur Dardenne (1776–1872) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Last surviving person to have taken part in the Storming of the Bastille.

Irish Rebellion of 1798

19th century

Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815)

  • Vincent Markiewicz (1795?–1903) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Claimed last Polish veteran. Known to have fought for Napoleon. However, in 1912 there were three Polish men who claimed to have fought at Borodino, but it is unlikely they were real veterans due to lack of documentation and improbable age ranges from 120 to 133.
  • Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (1788–1899) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Last Dutch veteran and verified veteran. Europe's oldest man at the time of his death. He fought for Napoleon in the 33ème Régiment Léger.
  • August Schmidt (1795–1899) Ã¢Â€Â“ Prussia. Last surviving German and Prussian veteran of the conflict and also last surviving veteran of the battle of Waterloo of all nations participating.https://irontime.substack.com/p/the-real-last-survivor-of-the-battle He fought in the Battle of Bautzen, Battle of Großbeeren, Battle of Dennewitz, Battle of Leipzig, Battle of Laon, and in the Battle of Waterloo.
  • Louis Victor Baillot (1793–1898) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Last surviving French veteran of the Battle of Waterloo.https://irontime.substack.com/p/the-real-last-survivor-of-the-battle Also saw action at siege of Hamburg.
  • Henry James (1799–1898) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Last Royal Navy veteran. Enlisted in 1812 and served on . Saw action off Toulon.
  • Lars Jespersen Kike (1796–1897) Ã¢Â€Â“ Norway. Last Norwegian veteran of the Swedish-Norwegian War.
  • Leonard Meesters (1796–1896) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Last Belgian veteran. Fought for Napoleon.
  • Josephine Mazurkewicz (1794–1896) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Last female veteran. Assistant surgeon in Napoleon's army. Later partook in the Crimean War.
  • Ferdinand Scharnhorst (1797?–1893) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Last British Army participant of Waterloo. Served in the King's German Legion.
  • Gaspar Costela Vázquez (1787–1892) Ã¢Â€Â“ Spain. Last veteran of the Battle of Trafalgar. Served in the navy aboard the .
  • Vasilij Nikolaevich Kochetkov (1785?–1892) Ã¢Â€Â“ Russia. Enlisted 7 March 1811. Served in Grenadier Lifeguard Regiment at Borodino. Served years until 12 October 1877 when wounded during service in the Russian-Ottoman War.
  • Emmanuel Louis Cartigny (1791–1892) – France. Last French veteran of the Battle of Trafalgar.
  • Joseph Sutherland (1789–1890) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Served in the Royal Navy on and was the last British survivor of Trafalgar.
  • Joseph Higginson (1792–1881) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Last surviving veteran of the Invasion of Java (1811). Served as Sergeant aboard HMS President and received the NGSM.

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

  • Hiram Cronk (1800–1905) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Served in a New York Infantry Regiment.
  • Lewis Tobias Jones (1797–1895) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Served in the Royal Navy on . Participated in the 1814 capture of . Also a Napoleonic Wars veteran.

Seminole Wars (1816–1858)

  • Jacob C. Marsh (–1917) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Last participant of the Second Seminole War.

Greek War of Independence (1821–1832)

  • John W. Stainer (1808–1907) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Served in the Royal Navy on . Last survivor of the Battle of Navarino.
  • Apostolos Mavrogenis (1798–1906) Ã¢Â€Â“ Greece. Served in the Army as a doctor. Served at Dervenakia and Drampala.
  • Louis Pèlabon (1814–1906) Ã¢Â€Â“ France. Served in the Navy on the Sirène. Fought at Navarino.

July Revolution (1830)

Belgian Revolution (1830–1831)

  • Johannes van den Boom (1817–1918) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Netherlands. Joined as a drummer boy at 14.
  • Corstiaan Hagers (1811–1915) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Netherlands. Last holder of the .
  • Alexandre Fournier (1812–1914) Ã¢Â€Â“ France.
  • Jean-Philippe Lavalle (1809–1913) Ã¢Â€Â“ Belgian Rebels.

Black Hawk War (1832)

  • Henry L. Riggs (1812–1911) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States.

Texas War of Independence (1835–1836)

Ragamuffin War (1835–1845)

Rebellions of 1837–1838

First Opium War (1839–1842)

  • John Bubeer (1820–1921) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Served in the Royal Navy on .

Mexican–American War (1846–1848)

Hungarian Revolution of 1848

Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849)

First Schleswig War (1848–1851)

  • Jørgen Jørgensen Birkholm (1829–1931) Ã¢Â€Â” Denmark.
  • Detlef Marxen (1826–1930) Ã¢Â€Â” Germany.

Crimean War (1853–1856)

  • James Gray (1836–1939) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Last veteran. Served in the Royal Marine Artillery aboard .
  • Yves Prigent (1833–1937) Ã¢Â€Â” French Empire. Served in the Navy on the frigate Persévérante.
  • Cotton Edwin Theobald (1836–1936) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Officer of the 55th Foot. Last British officer. Also served in the Indian Mutiny and on the North-West Frontier.
  • Edwin Bezar (1838–1936) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Hostilities had ceased by the time he arrived; he worked on re-interring the dead and building cemetery walls. Also served in the New Zealand Wars.
  • Peter Ongley (1836–1931) — British Empire. Served in the 46th Regt, having joined 1 November 1854. Took part in the storming of the Redan, and fall of Sebastopol. Later served in Corfu and India. Died at Reading, December 1931
  • Luigi Parachini ( – 1930) Ã¢Â€Â” Sardinia. Served under General La Màrmora.
  • Edwin Hughes (1830–1927) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Last survivor of Charge of the Light Brigade.

Eureka Rebellion (1854)

  • William Edward Atherdon (1838–1934) Ã¢Â€Â” Stockade rebels.

Indian Rebellion (1857–1859)

  • Charles Palmer (1847–1940) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Nine-year-old boy who participated in the Siege of Lucknow.
  • George Chrystie (1841–1939) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Last British Army veteran.

New Zealand Wars (1845–1872)

Second Italian War of Independence (1859)

  • Anton Neubauer (1836–1941) Ã¢Â€Â” Austrian Empire. Last survivor of the Battle of Solferino.
  • Simone Piffaretti (1843?–1940) Ã¢Â€Â” Italy. Fought at San Fermo, Magenta, and Solferino.
  • François Ribet (1835–1936) Ã¢Â€Â” French Empire.
  • William John Newby (1832–1934) Ã¢Â€Â” British Empire. Last member of the British Legion.

Expedition of the Thousand (1860–1861)

American Civil War (1861–1865)

Union

Confederacy

  • William Daniel Townsend (1846–1953)

French invasion of Mexico (1861–1867)

  • Jules Pujos (1846–1942) Ã¢Â€Â“ French Empire.
  • Francisco Arellano Zenteno (1842–1935) Ã¢Â€Â“ Mexico. Fought at the battles of Puebla, La Carbonera and Tuxtepec. Previously served in the Reform War.

January Uprising (1863–1865)

  • Feliks Bartczuk (1846–1946) Ã¢Â€Â“ Poland.

Second Schleswig War (1864)

  • Ludwig Herman Klein (1846–1943) Ã¢Â€Â“ Denmark. Last Naval veteran. Served on the '.
  • Ove Henning Jacobsen (1841–1941) Ã¢Â€Â“ Denmark. Last Army veteran. Fought at Dybbøl.

Paraguayan War (1864–1870)

  • (1859–1951) Ã¢Â€Â“ Paraguayan Army. Fought as a ten-year-old child soldier in the battle of Acosta Ñu.
  • Pedro Guedes do Amaral (1846–1954) Ã¢Â€Â“ Brazilian Army. Later served in the Federalist Revolution and in the War of Canudos.
  • Pedro Hahn (1850–1949) Ã¢Â€Â“ Brazilian Army. Last German-Brazilian veteran.

Fenian raids (1866–1871)

  • Henry Bayles Hooke (1849–1954) Ã¢Â€Â“ Canada. Fought in the raid of 1866 at Ridgeway.
  • William Craig (1850–1951) Ã¢Â€Â“ Canada. Fought in the raids of 1870–71.

Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868)

Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871)

  • Seraphin Pruvost (1849–1955) Ã¢Â€Â“ France.
  • Karl Glöckner (1845–1953) Ã¢Â€Â“ Germany.

Paris Commune (1871)

  • Adrien Lejeune (1847–1942) Ã¢Â€Â“ Communards. Last Communard.
  • Antonin Desfarges (1851–1941) Ã¢Â€Â“ Communards. Last député.
  • Eugène François Louis Liné (1850–1940) Ã¢Â€Â“ France.

Third Anglo-Ashanti War (1873–1874)

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)

Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880)

  • Alfred Hawker (1858–1962) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Served in the British Army.

Zulu War (1879)

  • Harry Figg (1855–1953) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire.
  • Charles Wallace Warden (c.1854–1953) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Transferred to First Foot in 1874.
  • Frank Bourne (1854–1945) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last survivor of Rorke's Drift.

War of the Pacific (1879–1884)

First Boer War (1880–1881)

  • Jacob "Jaap" Coetzer (1866–1969) Ã¢Â€Â“ South African Republic. Boer veteran, served at the Battle of Majuba Hill.
  • Thomas Jelley (1859–1955) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Fought at Majuba Hill.

Anglo-Egyptian War (1882)

  • Albert Canning (1861–1960) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Served in the 19th Hussars. Also served in the Mahdist War and World War I.

Mahdist War (1882–1899)

  • James Richard Miles (1879–1977) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last British Army veteran of the Battle of Omdurman.
  • Babiker Bedri (1856–1954) – Mahdist Sudan. Mahdist Sudanese warrior and later social activist who pioneered women's education in Sudan. He was the last surviving Mahdist veteran of the Mahdist War and the Battle of Omdurman.

Nile Expedition (1884–1885)

  • Edward Hyde Hamilton Gordon (1861–1955) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last officer.

North-West Rebellion (1885)

Second Franco-Dahomean War (1892–1894)

Cuban War of Independence (1895–1898)

War of Canudos (1896–1897)

  • José Ciríaco de Santana (1872–1974) Ã¢Â€Â“ Canudos inhabitants.
  • Honório Vila Nova (1864–1969) Ã¢Â€Â“ Canudos inhabitants. Later served in the .

Spanish–American War (1898)

  • Jones Morgan (1882–1993) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Served in the U.S. Cavalry.
  • Aurelio Díaz Campillo (1878–1989) Ã¢Â€Â“ Spain. Served in the Army.
  • Archibald M. Forbis (1878–1981) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Served in the U.S. Navy on . Last Navy survivor of the Battle of Manila Bay.

Second Boer War (1899–1902)

  • George Frederick Ives (1881–1993) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last British veteran. Later emigrated to Canada.
  • James Gordon Williams (1880–1988) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last Australian veteran. Later served in First World War and attempted to enlist for the Second World War but was rejected because he was too old.
  • Pieter Arnoldus Krueler (1885–1986) Ã¢Â€Â“ South African Republic. Later served in both world wars, the Spanish Civil War, and was a mercenary in the Congo Crisis.

Philippine–American War (1899–1902)

  • Nathan E. Cook (1885–1992) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Served in the Navy on .
  • Walter Pleate (1876–1985) Ã¢Â€Â” United States. Served in the Army.

Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)

  • Nathan E. Cook (1885–1992) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Served in the Navy.
  • Walter Pleate (1876–1985) Ã¢Â€Â” United States. Served in the Army.

20th century

Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

  • Mamoru Eto (1883–1992) Ã¢Â€Â“ Empire of Japan.
  • Alex Gory (1881–1989) Ã¢Â€Â“ Russian Empire.

Macedonian Struggle (1904–1908)

  • Christos Papantoniou (1890–1995) Ã¢Â€Â“ Greece.

Potemkin Mutiny (1905)

Revolt of the Lash (1910)

Mexican Revolution (1910–1920)

  • Juan Carlos Caballero Vega (1900–2010) Ã¢Â€Â“ Villistas. Pancho Villa's driver.
  • Feliciano Mejia Acevedo (1899–2008) Ã¢Â€Â“ Zapatistas.
  • Antonio Gómez Delgado (1900–2007) Ã¢Â€Â“ Villistas.
  • Rafael Lorenzana (1899–2000) Ã¢Â€Â“ Carrancistas. Became a Villista in 1915 after being captured.
  • Teodoro García (1889–1999) Ã¢Â€Â“ Federales. Fought for Díaz from 1910 to 1911.

Xinhai Revolution (1911–1912)

Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912)

  • Michele Traini (1892–1996) Ã¢Â€Â“ Italy. Sent to Libya in 1912. Returned home following WWI.

Balkan Wars (1912–1913)

  • Dumitrașcu Lăcătușu (1891–1999) Ã¢Â€Â“ Romania. Served in the 11th Siret Regiment in 1913. Also served in WWI and WWII.
  • Christos Papantoniou (1890–1995) Ã¢Â€Â“ Greece. Also served in WWI and WWII.
  • Hristo Getov-Obbov (1893–1994) Ã¢Â€Â“ Bulgaria. Joined the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps in 1912. Also served in WWI.
  • Hüseyin Kaçmaz (1884–1994) Ã¢Â€Â“ Ottoman Empire. Also served in WWI.
  • Danilo Dajković (1895–1993) Ã¢Â€Â“ Montenegro. Also served in WWI.

Contestado War (1912–1916)

  • Altino Bueno da Silva (1903–2014) – Last rebellious child and witness of the slaughter.
  • Firmino Rodrigues Martim (1894–c.2000) Ã¢Â€Â“ Brazilian Army (vaqueanos).

World War I (1914–1918)

  • Florence Green (1901–2012) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last Entente veteran and last veteran of World War I. Served as an officer's mess steward in the Royal Air Force; the Women's Royal Air Force.
  • Claude Choules (1901–2011) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last combat veteran. Served in the Royal Navy on . Also last veteran to serve in both World Wars.
  • Harry Patch (1898–2009) Ã¢Â€Â“ British Empire. Last soldier to fight in the .
  • Franz Künstler (1900–2008) Ã¢Â€Â“ Austria-Hungary. Last Central Powers veteran.
  • Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013) Ã¢Â€Â“ Empire of Japan. Served in the Imperial Japanese Army Telegraph Corps in Tokyo in 1918. Could be considered the last veteran of World War I and last Entente veteran, but is not widely recognized as such.
  • Mikhail Krichevsky (1897–2008) Ã¢Â€Â“ Russian Empire. Last living veteran of the Russian Empire overall and in Ukraine.
  • Dmitry Malozemov (1897–1998) Ã¢Â€Â“ Russian Empire. Last living veteran in Russia.

Easter Rising (1916)

  • John "Jack" Rogers (1894–2000) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Served in the Sherwood Foresters. Also served in WWI.
  • Frederick Watson (1900–1997) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Served in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
  • Lily Kempson (1897–1996) Ã¢Â€Â“ Irish Republic. Served in the Irish Citizen Army.
  • William Conor Hogan (1898–1995) Ã¢Â€Â“ Irish Republic. Served in the Irish Volunteers. Also served in the War of Independence and the Civil War.

October Revolution (1917)

Russian Civil War (1917–1922)

Russian participants:

  • Vladimir Shostak (1905–2010) Ã¢Â€Â“ White Army. Also fought in World War II with the First Russian National Army.
  • Anatoly A. Wolin (1902–2007) Ã¢Â€Â“ Red Army.
  • Boris Gudz (1902–2006) Ã¢Â€Â“ Red Army. Also fought in October Revolution.
  • Igor Talysin (1898–2004) Ã¢Â€Â“ White Army.
  • Nikolai Fyodorov (1901–2003) Ã¢Â€Â“ White Army.

Veterans of Allied Intervention:

  • Yasuichi Sasaki (1898–2006) Ã¢Â€Â“ Japan. Discharged as a Corporal in 1920.
  • Warren V. Hileman (1901–2005) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Stationed in Vladivostok.
  • Harold Edwin Radford (1897–2003) Ã¢Â€Â“ Canada. Stationed in Vladivostok.
  • Alois Vocásek (1896–2003) Ã¢Â€Â“ Czechoslovakia. Fought as a Legionnaire throughout Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
  • Jean Piry (1896–2003) Ã¢Â€Â“ France.
  • Frank William Ivers (1902–2003) Ã¢Â€Â“ United Kingdom. Last Naval veteran. Served in Royal Navy off Northern Russia.
  • Harold Gunnes (1899–2003) Ã¢Â€Â“ United States. Last veteran of the Polar Bear Expedition. Saw action against the Bolsheviks on in 1918.

Finnish Civil War (1918)

Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)

  • Jan Rzepa (1899–2005) Ã¢Â€Â“ Poland.

German Revolution of 1918–1919

Polish–Ukrainian War (1918–1919)

Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920)

  • Ants Ilus (1901–2006) Ã¢Â€Â“ Estonia.
  • Paavo Takula (1901–2004) Ã¢Â€Â“ Finland. Last volunteer.
  • Karl Jaanus (1899–2000) Ã¢Â€Â“ Estonia. Last surviving Cross of Liberty recipient awarded during war.

Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920)

Lithuanian Wars of Independence (1918–1920)

  • Kazys Varkala (1900–2005) Ã¢Â€Â“ Lithuania. Fought against the Soviets and the Bermontians.
  • Česlovas JanuÅ¡kevičius (1900–2001) Ã¢Â€Â“ Lithuania. Last surviving Cross of Vytis recipient awarded during war. Fought the Polish in 1920.

Irish War of Independence (1919–1921)

Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921)

Silesian Uprisings (1919–1921)

Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923)

Rif War (1920–1926)

Coto War (1921)

  • Reinel Cianca Gutiérrez (1901–2002) Ã¢Â€Â“ Panama.

Copacabana Fort revolt (1922)

  • (1904–1996) Ã¢Â€Â“ Tenentistas.

March on Rome (1922)

Irish Civil War (1922–1923)

Northern Expedition (1926–1928)

Cristero War (1926–1929)

  • Juan Daniel Macías Villegas (1912–2016) Ã¢Â€Â“ Cristeros.

Chittagong armoury raid (1930)

Revolution of 1930

January 28 incident (1932)

  • Huang Shengyong (1905–2017) Ã¢Â€Â“ Republic of China. Penultimate veteran of the 19th Route Army.

Constitutionalist Revolution (1932)

  • Alfredo Pires Filho (1920–2021) Ã¢Â€Â“ São Paulo. Last rebel Boy Scout messenger. Later trained Brazilian pilots during World War II.
  • Olimpio Martins Pires (1910–2020) Ã¢Â€Â“ Brazil. Served in the PMMG. Also participated in the Revolution of 1930.
  • Maria de Lourdes Pinto Picarelli (1913–2019) Ã¢Â€Â“ São Paulo. Last female rebel combattant.
  • Arlindo Leonardo Ribeiro (1913–2019) Ã¢Â€Â“ São Paulo. Last Barretos rebel combattant.
  • (1912–2017) – São Paulo. Last Jundiaí rebel combattant.
  • José Mango (1913–2015) Ã¢Â€Â“ São Paulo. Last rebel veteran of the Battle of Gravi.
  • Natalino Antonio Augusto (1910–2014) Ã¢Â€Â“ São Paulo. Last Campinas rebel combattant.
  • Osvaldo Rafael Santiago (1915–2013) – São Paulo. Last Itapetininga rebel combattant.
  • José Luiz Silveira (1909–c. 2011) Ã¢Â€Â“ Brazil. Served in the BMRS. Last Battle of Cerro Alegre combattant. Also participated in the and in the Revolution of 1930.

Chaco War (1932–1935)

  • Canuto González Britos (1916–) Ã¢Â€Â“ Paraguay.
  • Juan Bautista Cantero Silva (1917–) Ã¢Â€Â“ Paraguay.
  • Samuel Chuquimia Murillo (1916–2025) Ã¢Â€Â“ last known surviving Bolivian veteran.

Long March (1934–1935)

Brazilian communist uprising of 1935

  • Antero de Almeida (1906–2014) Ã¢Â€Â“ National Liberation Alliance.

Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–1937)

  • Welday Tekle Weldekidan Melkai Tensai (1919–2012) Ã¢Â€Â“ Italy. Last surviving Eritrean Ascari.

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

1936 Naval Revolt

  • José Júnior Barata (1916–2014) Ã¢Â€Â“ Portuguese Navy rebels.

World War II (1939–1945)

Korean War (1950–1953)

See also

References