Britain’s last veteran from WWI is buried

COMBE DOWN, England, (AP) — He was a soldier, a survivor of the trenches — and, in later years, an advocate for peace.

Harry Patch, Britain’s last known surviving World War I infantryman, was buried Thursday in this, his home village in western England, as was his wish. He died last month at age 111.

The burial followed a magnificent funeral in Wells Cathedral, 20 miles to the southwest — a service thrust on him by his late-blooming fame as one of the last witnesses to a war that killed at least 8.5 million soldiers.

And then he was taken home, where his memories would haunt him no more.

“All he wanted was burial in Combe Down,” said Mike Wool, a neighbor of Patch’s stepson. “He wanted a simple service.”

The funeral, true to Patch’s insistence that victims on all sides be honored, included officials and soldiers from France, Belgium and Germany, the former foe. Some 1,100 people filled the cathedral; hundreds more stood outside, following the service on a huge TV screen.

Jim Ross, a friend who spoke at the funeral, described Patch as an ordinary man, the plumber from Combe Down.

But he was also an extraordinary man who produced a vivid memoir, “The Last Fighting Tommy,” a reference to the nickname for the era’s soldiers.

Ross said Patch described his war experiences only reluctantly, and only in his final years.

“Harry knew that by speaking out, the memories would come back — the demons, I call them — would come back to torment and torture him,” he said. “I believe they did, but I believe Harry made the decision because he wanted to get his message broadcast. His prime message is that we should settle disputes by negotiation and compromise, not by war.”

Patch was wounded by a shell burst Sept. 22, 1917, at the third battle of Ypres, a slow slog through the mud in which hundreds of thousands on all sides were killed and wounded.

He came home, married and never told his family anything about his combat experiences. Only in the late 1990s, when the last few survivors of World War I were sought out by television documentary makers and historians, did he open up.

Gen. Richard Dannatt, the top commander of Britain’s army, attended the service at Wells Cathedral. An honor guard was drawn from The Rifles regiment, successor to Patch’s unit. Soldiers from France, Belgium and Germany escorted the coffin in tribute to Patch’s respect for all the soldiers in the war.

“Today marks the passing of a generation and of a man who dedicated his final years to spreading the message of peace and reconciliation,” said Veterans’ Minister Kevan Jones.

Only a handful of veterans of the war remain, including British-born Claude Choules of Australia, 108, who served in the Royal Navy, and Frank Woodruff Buckles of Charles Town, W.Va.