Talk:List of last surviving World War II veterans/Archive 1
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Needed?
How is this different from the List of notable surviving veterans of World War II page? Surely you don't mean to list all 300,000 survivors. What's the inclusion critera? Can anyone and their grandfather? With the above article on the chopping block, I don't think this is the time to add more. Bkatcher (talk) 18:05, 10 September 2021 (UTC)
- You may have misread the title: it's "last surviving veterans", not "all surviving veterans." (And there are probably at least a million surviving veterans.) The inclusion criteria are very clear: these are people whom reliable sources have identified as the last surviving veteran amongst some subset of World War II veterans. The justification for each inclusion is provided with each entry. It's substantially different from List of notable surviving veterans of World War II, which includes anyone who has a Wikipedia page and happens to also be a veteran and also living. There's some intersection between the two lists, but this isn't a subset of that one. pburka (talk) 18:22, 10 September 2021 (UTC)
Whatever happened to that now redlinked List of notable surviving veterans of World War II page? Gjxj (talk) 15:21, 8 January 2022 (UTC) ..found the deletion discussion... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/List_of_notable_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_II_(2nd_nomination) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gjxj (talk • contribs) 15:24, 8 January 2022 (UTC)
Erich Rudorffer (1917–2016)
Rudorffer's page claims that he was the "last living recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords", but the claim is unreferenced. He may have also been the last living Luftwaffe flying ace. If anyone can find a solid reference for one or both of these he should be added to the list. pburka (talk) 16:14, 13 October 2021 (UTC)
Stephen Bonner
Stephen Bonner may not be the last Flying Tiger pilot. His service in the Army Air force was from 1943-1944 after the AVG disbanded. He may have served in the unit that is descended from the AVG but he was never part of the AVG.[1]Feickus (talk) 16:38, 18 October 2021 (UTC)
- There seems to be some disagreement over who qualifies as a Flying Tiger, and at least three claims to be the last surviving Flying Tiger. I wonder if the best solution is to pick one (perhaps the last living) and add notes for the other claimants. pburka (talk) 17:35, 18 October 2021 (UTC)
I would say, since the USAF commemorated Frank Losonsky as the last Flying Tiger[2], we should go with their "expertise" on the matter. I believe if they got involved with Bonner, they would come to a similar conclusion above.Feickus (talk) 17:41, 18 October 2021 (UTC)
- I have no strong opinion about which one should be in the table. I do think that other claimants (per reliable sources) should be added in notes. If you wish to restore Losonsky and add a note for Bonner I wouldn't object. pburka (talk) 17:45, 18 October 2021 (UTC)
Yamato Survivors
Is anyone able to find anything on survivors of the Yamato? The last reliable source I can find mentioning anyone by name is 2019 and Kazuhiro Fukumoto is mentioned as leading a group of survivors. There are two remaining survivors of the Arizona and none of the Bismark.Feickus (talk) 14:23, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
- Related, Ted Briggs, the last survivor of HMS Hood died in 2011.[3] pburka (talk) 15:36, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
- It looks like Bernhard Heuer was the last survivor of the Bismarck.[4] pburka (talk) 15:44, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
- Regarding the Yamato, Mikio Sadamori was still living in 2019.[5] Is that the same source you found? pburka (talk) 17:31, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
That was one of them. My mistake the one I was thinking of when I wrote the comment was 2015. I knew about Bernard Heuner, I found him when he on the last survivor list for historical events. I should have stated that I knew he was on the list. I just meant since we know who those are, we should attempt to find the last one for Yamato.Feickus (talk) 18:55, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
British submariners
I'm removing Harry Melling, whom a number of news sources identified as the last surviving British submariner (e.g. [6]). The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported on Michael Hickie (born c. 1922) who served as navigating officer on HM Submarine Ursula in December 1942 (see [7]). Although the headline calls Hickie "The last surviving WWII sub commander", the lead simply describes him as "one of the last surviving submarine commanders who served in World War II." pburka (talk) 18:30, 8 November 2021 (UTC)
Five star officers
Rather than separate entries for Eisenhower and Nimitz (and presumably Arnold), how about we combine these into one entry? Essentially
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), last surviving five-star officer of the United States.
with a note:
- Eisenhower was the last surviving General of the Army. Chester Nimitz (1885–1966) was the last surviving Fleet Admiral
and Henry H. Arnold (1886–1950) was the last surviving (and only) General of the Air Force. Omar Bradley (1893–1981) was not promoted to General of the Army until after the war.
pburka (talk) 00:58, 10 November 2021 (UTC)
- Just realized that General of the Air Force wasn't created until after the war. pburka (talk) 02:05, 10 November 2021 (UTC)
It works for me. I have no real opinion on it one way another. Feickus (talk) 14:07, 10 November 2021 (UTC)
Allen Stern
https://www.quora.com/profile/Allen-Stern-4/
Someone should reach out to this guy and get some of his info, he's a verified WW2 vet who saw a fair amount of combat and has at least 85 confirmed kills and nearly 30 captures.. and again, that's just at least. He posts on Quora a lot, he'd definitely be a good addition to this list. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2604:2D80:E70D:3800:8574:7DFC:8D26:D3A8 (talk) 04:24, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
- Is he the last surviving member of a notable group of veterans? pburka (talk) 19:42, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
List of Notable World War Two Veterans Wikipedia page
Hi, does anyone know what happened to the Wikiperia page called, I believe: "List of Notable World War Two Veterans". Thanks BigCat2020 (talk) 22:33, 28 May 2022 (UTC)
Galina Brok-Beltsova: last woman combat aviator
Currently, Galina Brok-Beltsova's entry describes her as the "last surviving member of the women's aviation regiments founded by Marina Raskova." This is accurate, but somewhat cumbersome. I'm tempted to change it to "last surviving woman combat aviator", but I'm nervous this might skew into original research. It's my understanding that the Soviet Air Force was the only service that permitted women in combat, and she's the last surviving aviator of those regiments, so it seems like it's a simple enough inference that she's the last woman who flew combat missions from any country, not just the Soviet Union. What do you think? pburka (talk) 16:08, 9 June 2022 (UTC)
- I've changed it to "last surviving Soviet woman combat aviator", which isn't as general as my first suggestion, but certainly briefer. pburka (talk) 14:17, 16 June 2022 (UTC)
Vincent Schumacher
@Feickus: I see that you added Vincent Schumacher, but the reference you used seems to be to a user-generated site and doesn't mention that he's the last survivor. Do you have any better sources? pburka (talk) 17:25, 14 June 2022 (UTC)
- I looked up all the crew members, and he had the latest death date. He seemed to be very private even his obituary doesn't mention the escape from the Philippines. So I not sure there is anything out there that pins down he was the actual last survivor, technically Arthur MacArthur IV is the last survivor of the escape, however he was not in the military. Maybe the US Navy has something on it, but I am at a brick wall with finding anything in b&w that says he was last survivor. Feickus (talk) 18:06, 14 June 2022 (UTC)
- While I've no doubt you're correct, I feel like this is original research. We ought to let reliable sources determine both whom are the last survivors and whether being the last survivor of a particular group is notable. Given that no newspapers noted him being the last survivor, and that he received little coverage during his life, I think we probably shouldn't include him. pburka (talk) 19:05, 14 June 2022 (UTC)
- I found a website, that list the crew from the boats. So some of the enlisted may have a mention. I agree that they should be notable, but we have some people on this list that have done far less notable things than rescue the Supreme Allied Commander of the SWPA. The last member of the Military Police is one example. Feickus (talk) 13:01, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
- While I've no doubt you're correct, I feel like this is original research. We ought to let reliable sources determine both whom are the last survivors and whether being the last survivor of a particular group is notable. Given that no newspapers noted him being the last survivor, and that he received little coverage during his life, I think we probably shouldn't include him. pburka (talk) 19:05, 14 June 2022 (UTC)
- Gene Stephens's role might not have been as important as Schumacher's, but there's enough coverage of him in reliable sources that a standalone biography would probably pass WP:ANYBIO. See Pioneer Journal, Las Vegas Review-Journal (via YouTube), Associated Press, etc. pburka (talk) 14:30, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
One more last surviving WW2 Veteran
Gino Mei just turned 103 years old, and lives in Sun City, AZ. Folks just had a 400 vehicle parade for him. His story is wonderful! I looked for him on the list and couldn't find his name. 174.240.161.124 (talk) 04:43, 15 July 2022 (UTC)
- Is he the last veteran of a notable group? Most of the people on here were involved in specific combat operation/non combat operation or were p[art of a famous aircraft or ship. Feickus (talk) 13:44, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
- We certainly couldn't maintain a list of all of the approximately 70 million people who fought in WWII. I suspect that even a list of centenarian veterans might extend to as many as 500,000 people. But you may be able to make a case that he deserves a page on Wikipedia if he's been the subject of significant coverage in reliable sources. I see a flurry of news items from last week about his 103rd birthday, but before that I only noticed one passing mention in August 2021 (see WP:BLP1E). If you're aware of more sources, you're welcome to write a biography page for Private Mei. pburka (talk) 22:06, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
Last German 5 star
So I added Ferdinand Schörner but after doing a little more research, I realized the Karl Donitz was the last German 5 star. He died in 1980. His page here stated he was the last Grand Admiral, but there is no citation. I am not sure if leaving Schörner on the list and replacing him with Donitz is the right thing to do since there is not a citation to go with it. Google searches and not giving much on this, I read somewhere years ago Germany doesn't dwell too much on people of the World Wars because they lost. So I am just trying to reach a general consensus of what we want to do. As it stands, Schörner is the last Field Marshal of Germany, however Donitz is the last Grand Admiral and 5 star.Feickus (talk) 15:37, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
- Sorry I didn't reply to this earlier. I don't think it's our place in general to "discover" last survivors, as that is prohibited by WP:NOR. However in cases of very small groups where the membership is exhaustively documented and the members are all prominent people (e.g. recipients of the Order of Victory, United States five-star officers), the determination may be simple enough to skate around NOR. I'd be ok with including Donitz if there are reliable (and very short) lists enumerating all five-star Nazi commanders. If we did add him, I'd combine the entries as we did for the last surviving American commanders. pburka (talk) 22:37, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving
Survivor of the Burma death railway
Jack Jennings (1919-) Last living survivor of the Burma death railway ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:55, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
- Thank you. Can you share one or two reliable sources supporting this claim? pburka (talk) 22:18, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
Done pburka (talk) 22:47, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Karl Dönitz
Born September 16th, 1891 Died December 24th, 1980 Last German official with the rank of Großadmiral (grand admiral) ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:23, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Iron Cross
Albrecht Brandi (1914-1966) Last living Kriegsmarine recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
Herbert Otto Gille (1897-1966) Last living Waffen-SS recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
Hermann Balck (1897-1982) Last living Heer/Wehrmacht recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
Adolf Galland. (1912-1996) Last living Luftwaffe recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:31, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
CNAC [China National Aviation Corporation]
Last two surviving CNAC pilots still alive:
Moon Fun Chin. (March 20th, 1913-)
Peter Goutiere. (September 28th, 1914-) ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:51, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Not done. Neither is the last survivor, and this is not a dead pool. pburka (talk) 21:18, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
White Rose
Traute Lafrenz (May 3rd, 1919-) Last living member of the White Rose anti Nazi Resistance group ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:55, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Inuit
Qapik Attagutsiak. (June 11th, 1920-) Last surviving contributor to the war effort of WW2 in the Inuit community ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:58, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- This is a fascinating story, but I'm struggling to figure out how to fit her in as a veteran, since she wasn't part of any named organization. Advice welcome! pburka (talk) 22:15, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Cowra
Teruo Murakami. (August 26th, 1920) Last living Japanese participant of the infamous Cowra breakout of August 5th, 1944 ButlerAlexander (talk) 01:04, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Done but without unsourced date of birth. Can you provide a reliable source for it? Renewal6 (talk) 19:00, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
Einsatzgruppe
Herbert Wahler. (December 10th, 1921-) Last surviving Einsatzkommando of Einsatzgruppe C, the unit responsible for the Babi Yar massacre of 1941 ButlerAlexander (talk) 01:07, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Sonderkommando
Enrico Vanzini. (November 18th, 1922-) Last living Italian Sonderkommando. ButlerAlexander (talk) 01:09, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done Not a group of veterans. For that reason, he was previously removed from the list. Renewal6 (talk) 21:40, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Nazi Crime
Robert Hébras. (June 29th, 1925) Last living survivor of the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre of 1944 ButlerAlexander (talk) 01:13, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done It's not a group of World War II veterans: The victims were "civilians, including non-combatant women and children" (per article). Renewal6 (talk) 21:43, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Japanese Surrender
Robert Kenneth Kaufman. (October 21st, 1919 - February 10th, 2019) Last living American officer present at the Surrender of Japan aboard the USS Missouri in 1945
Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape. (February 5th, 1888 - February 12th, 1981) Last living signer of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in 1945 ButlerAlexander (talk) 01:25, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Monuments Women
Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite (August 24th, 1927 - May 4th, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/us/motoko-fujishiro-huthwaite-dead-coronavirus.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:10, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Ace of the Battle of Britain
Paul Farnes. (July 16th, 1918 - January 28th, 2020 https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/paul-farnes-last-surviving-ace-of-the-battle-of-britain-dies-at-101-20200131-p53wnv.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:31, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Cockleshell Hero
Bill Sparks. (September 5th, 1922 - December 1st, 2002) https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/07/world/bill-sparks-last-of-the-cockleshell-heroes-dies-at-80.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:39, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Member of the PT 109 crew
Gerard Emil Zinser. (May 31st, 1918 - August 21st, 2001 https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/29/us/gerard-zinser-last-surviving-pt-109-crewman-dies-at-82.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:52, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Surgeon of D-Day
Clifford Brewer. (April 29th, 1913 - April 30th, 2017) https://www.liverpoolfootprint.co.uk/brewer-c ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:59, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Member who participated in the Capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges
Colonel David Wood . (February 23rd, 1923 - March 12th, 2009) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1162452/Last-surviving-officer-daring-World-War-II-Pegasus-Bridge-operation-dies-aged-85.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:08, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- The Daily Mail is deprecated. Therefore, it can't be used as a reference. Renewal6 (talk) 21:56, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
War chief of the Crow Nation
Joe Medicine Crow. (October 27th, 1913 - April 3rd, 2016) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/joseph-medicine-crow-last-crow-tribe-war-chief-dies-at-102 ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:13, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. He was the only War Chief of WW2, so not part of any group. pburka (talk) 21:19, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the original flag raising on Iwo Jima
Charles W. Lindberg. (June 26th, 1920 - June 24th, 2007) https://www.foxnews.com/story/charles-lindberg-last-survivor-of-iwo-jima-flag-raising-dies-at-age-86 ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:20, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Last women assigned to the Morale Operations Branch of the OSS
Betty McIntosh. (March 1st, 1915 - June 8th, 2015 https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/spy-girl-betty-mcintosh ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:28, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. The cited web page doesn't say she was the last survivor. pburka (talk) 22:31, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the Sino American Cooperative Organization
Jack Shearer. (September 7th, 1921 - August 28th, 2022) https://lancasteronline.com/obituaries/john-r-jack-shearer/article_63dad19c-a37c-593d-8530-8008858413af.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:41, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. He's already in the list. Please check the list before proposing additions. pburka (talk) 21:46, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Done. Added death date. pburka (talk) 22:03, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Japanese Holdouts
Last to surrender Teruo Nakamura. (October 8th, 1919 - June 15th, 1979) https://allthatsinteresting.com/teruo-nakamura
Longest lived Hiroo Onoda. (March 19th, 1922 - January 16th, 2014) https://allthatsinteresting.com/hiroo-onoda ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:16, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. They didn't become holdouts until after the war ended (by definition). pburka (talk) 22:28, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Forest Brother
Jānis Pīnups. (May 10th, 1925 - June 15th, 2007) https://www.outono.net/elentir/2017/06/16/janis-pinups-a-latvian-soldier-for-whom-the-second-world-war-finished-in-1995 ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:45, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. He wasn't the last surviving Forest Brother. He was the last to come out of hiding. (At least according to that source.) pburka (talk) 22:50, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the 7th Armored Division aka Desert Rats
Jimmy Sinclair. (August 18th, 1912 - May 27th. 2020) https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/jimmy-sinclair-britains-last-surviving-desert-rat-dies-aged-107-2867807 ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:06, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living officer who was involved in the assaults of the Caen canal and Orne River bridges which paved the way for D-Day
David J. Wood. (February 23rd, 1923 - March 12th, 2009) https://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/david_wood.htm ButlerAlexander (talk) 13:41, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
- This source looks like a blog. Do you have a better source? pburka (talk) 21:22, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living participant of the Georgian uprising in Texel
Grigor Baindurashvili. (1918 - 2021) https://sovjet-ereveld.nl/actueel/last-survivor-texel-insurrection-has-died/?lang=en ButlerAlexander (talk) 13:56, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
- This source looks like it may be a blog and the article is by-lined with only a first name. Do you have a better source for this claim? pburka (talk) 21:20, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the HMS Execter during the Battle of the River Plate
Basil Trott. (December 22nd, 1919 - July 12th, 2021) https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/people/tributes-paid-to-basil-trott-the-last-surviving-member-of-hms-exeter-in-the-battle-of-the-river-plate-3349522 ButlerAlexander (talk) 14:28, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. I feel this is too specific. Not the last veteran of the battle or of the Exeter. I also note that nearly 100 heavy cruisers took part in the war: even recording the last survivor of each seems excessive. pburka (talk) 21:30, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- FYI the last survivor of the sinking of the Exeter appears to have been Lloyd Seaward (c. 1918–2020) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/veterans-ranks-dwindling-1.5623397 pburka (talk) 03:56, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the capture of Kufra
Daniel Paul Mathurin Nevot. (April 26th, 1920 - July 1st, 2019) https://www.greenwoodfuneralhomes.com/obituary/daniel-nevot ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:10, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the 1941 Raid on Alexandria
Emilio Bianchi. (October 22nd, 1912 - August 25th, 2015) https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-emilio-bianchi-navy-diver-1496866 ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:36, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross
Ernest Smith. (May 3rd, 1914 - August 3rd, 2005) https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/faces-of-freedom/ernest-smith ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:52, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living recipient of the Military William Order
Kenneth Mayhew. (January 18th, 1917 - May 13th, 2021) https://english.defensie.nl/latest/news/2021/05/14/kenneth-george-mayhew-oldest-knight-of-the-military-order-of-william-has-died ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:00, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. He was the oldest living recipient—not the last living recipient. (Presumably someone else is now the oldest living recipient.) pburka (talk) 21:17, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Done. As per source: "He was the last of the knighted heroes who had served in the Second World War." Renewal6 (talk) 14:26, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Gateshead Gurkha of WW2
John Frederick Forster aka Jacky. (July 20th, 1920 - November 12th, 2021) https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/gateshead-gurkha-war-veteran-dies-22126699 ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:07, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Seminole Code Talker
Edmond Harjo. (November 24th, 1917 - March 31st, 2014) https://www.indianz.com/News/2014/013200.asp ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:20, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Estonian Forest Brother
August Sabbe. (September 1st, 1909 - September 27th/28th, 1978) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/estonias-forest-brother-august-sabbe-fighting-beyond-bitter-chris ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:11, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done He's not referred to as "the last survivor" in the source. Only "one of the last surviving Estonian members" per article. Renewal6 (talk) 21:41, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
- I think this is the second person you've identified as the last surviving Estonian Forest Brother. See Jānis Pīnups above. pburka (talk) 21:54, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials
Ben Ferencz. (March 11th, 1920-) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-ferencz-last-living-nuremberg-prosecutor-turns-102-60-minutes-2022-03-27/ https://www.aol.com/news/senate-bill-honor-ben-ferencz-090000576.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:09, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done He was previously removed from the list, since the Nuremberg Trials happened after the war was concluded. pburka (talk) 16:33, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving henchman of Hitler's inner circle
Rudolf Hess. (April 26th, 1894 - August 17th, 1987) https://pophistory.org/2022/08/17/rudolf-hess-hitlers-last-living-henchman-dies-2/ https://historycollection.com/day-history-rudolf-hess-dies-hilters-last-henchman/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:27, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Are "henchman of Hitler's inner circle" a well-defined group? pburka (talk) 16:33, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving 5 star officer of the U.S Armed Forces
Omar Bradley. (February 12th, 1893 - April 8th, 1981) The list says that Dwight D. Eisenhower was the last living 5 star officer, but he died on March 28th, 1969, the actual last living 5 star officer was Omar Bradley, who died on the 8th of April in 1981 in New York City https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/09/us/gen-omar-n-bradley-dead-at-88-last-of-army-s-five-star-generals.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:50, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. Check the note. It says "Omar Bradley (1893–1981) was promoted to the rank after the war, in 1950", so he was not the last living 5 star officer of WW2. pburka (talk) 17:56, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
My bad, get so excited to add more i don't pay attention, I should actually review these more ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:00, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- No worries! And thanks for replying. You've made a lot of suggestions, so it may take some time to get through them all. pburka (talk) 18:17, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
You're welcome, I try my best to do things correctly, still learning ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:33, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Luftwaffe Generaloberst (colonel general)
Kurt Student. (May 12th, 1890 - July 1st, 1978) The Generaloberst was equivalent to the rank of four star general in the U.S Army or the Generaladmiral of the German Kriegsmarine ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:32, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Generaladmiral of the Kriegsmarine
Oskar Kummetz. (July 21st, 1891 - December 17th, 1980) The rank of Generaladmiral was equivalent to a full admiral in the British and American navies ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:42, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living General der Panzertruppe
Heinrich Eberbach. (November 24th, 1895 - July 13th, 1992) ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:05, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last commander of the Berlin Defence Area during the Battle of Berlin
Helmuth Weidling. (November 2nd, 1891 - November 17th, 1955) ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:25, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living commander of any WW2 era concentration camp
Dinko Šakić. (September 8th, 1921 - July 20th, 2008) https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/europe/23sakic.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:31, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living secretary of Hitler
Traudl Junge. (March 16th, 1920 - February 10th, 2002)
https://allthatsinteresting.com/traudl-junge ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:02, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done "Secretaries of Hitler" are not a group of combat veterans. Renewal6 (talk) 20:50, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Chester W. Nimitz. (February 24th, 1885 - February 20th, 1966) ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:37, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done Already in the list. pburka (talk) 23:23, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- @ButlerAlexander: Please use this talk page for discussions. You can find Nimitz mentioned in note 4. Because he and Eisenhower were of equivalent rank we only included Eisenhower in the main list. This helps keep the length of the list more manageable while still including everyone. pburka (talk) 00:13, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
Last active Brazilian Marshal of WW2
João Baptista Mascarenhas de Morais. (November 13th, 1883 - September 17th, 1988) ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:08, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Citation, please. Were there any other Brazilian marshals during the war? pburka (talk) 23:26, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Brazilian Marshall of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force
Waldemar Levy Cardoso. (December 4th, 1900 - May 13th, 2009) ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:14, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. He wasn't a marshal. He was a Lieutenant Colonel during WW2. pburka (talk) 23:25, 6 October 2022 (UTC)
Last appointed Chief of Oberkommando der Luftwaffe shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany
Robert Ritter Von Greim. (June 22nd, 1892 - May 24th, 1945) ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:06, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead)
Clarence Smoyer. (June 25th, 1923 - September 30th, 2022)
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2022/10/clarence-smoyer-last-of-a-famous-wwii-tank-division-to-be-buried-with-full-military-honors.html https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-clarence-smoyer-dies-20220930-jijxn4rfibhb5ogziyvwcgwske-story.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:15, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living survivor of the sinking of USS Tang
Bill Leibold. (April 4th, 1923 - March 11th, 2022) https://palomarmountainnews.com/2022/05/03/bill-leibold-one-of-americas-heros/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:09, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
- This looks like a local blog and I'm not sure the Tang was particularly notable. Do you have a better source indicating his notability? pburka (talk) 18:18, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of Castner's Cutthroats
Earl Clyde Acuff. (July 24th, 1918 - February 13th, 2013) https://java-us.org/JAVA-News/10724168 ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:21, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
An anonymous blog is not a reliable source. Do you have a better citation? pburka (talk) 22:26, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
It's really hard finding a perfect and reliable source, sorry ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:18, 7 October 2022 (UTC)
But almost every source that i look up states that he was the last surviving member of the Cutthroats, after member Ed Walker died in 2011 ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:35, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving full general of the Imperial Japanese Army to serve as Prime Minister
Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni. (December 3rd, 1887 - January 20th, 1990) https://deadorkicking.com/prince-higashikuni-naruhiko-dead-or-alive/ https://prabook.com/web/mobile/#!profile/3715092 ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:17, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. Those aren't reliable sources. And neither of them describe him as the "last surviving full general of the Imperial Japanese Army to serve as Prime Minister". And if they did, is that a notable group of veterans? How many full generals served as PMs during the war? pburka (talk) 19:36, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Hmm good point ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:06, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living highest scoring Bulgarian fighter ace of WW2
Stoyan Stoyanov. (March 12th, 1913 - March 13th, 1997) 107.77.224.197 (talk) 13:04, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. Needs a citation, but even then I'm not sure Bulgarian aces are a notable group of veterans. According to List of World War II flying aces by country#Bulgaria he was one of two aces from Bulgaria. pburka (talk) 19:34, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Canadian highest scoring air ace of WW2
James Francis Edwards. (June 5th, 1921 - May 14th, 2022) 107.77.224.197 (talk) 14:07, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
- What does it mean to be the "last surviving highest scoring ace"? Was he the last surviving ace or the highest scoring ace or some sort of combination? I don't understand. pburka (talk) 14:25, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
https://www.courtenay.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archives/2022-archives/honouring-the-life-and-legacy-of-james-f-stocky-edwards.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:21, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Sorry it was hard finding this page, glad i did ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:23, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
- Done It appears that he wasn't just the "last surviving highest scoring ace" (which I still don't undertand), but also the last surviving ace from Canada. It looks like Toadboy123 added Edwards to the list. pburka (talk) 19:37, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last Finnish fighter ace of WW2
Kyösti Karhila. (May 2nd, 1921 - September 16th, 2009) ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:36, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
https://prabook.com/web/mobile/#!profile/2144776 ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:59, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
- Prabook isn't a reliable source, plus their bio doesn't mention him being the last living Finnish ace. pburka (talk) 19:30, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
His bio literally says he died in Helsinki at the age of 88 as the last of the Finnish fighter aces ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:04, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
- You're right, but prabook is still user generated, just like Wikipedia, so it's not a reliable source. pburka (talk) 20:47, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
If only there were more good reliable sources nowadays ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:52, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Italian WW2 fighter ace of Regia Aeronautica
Luigi Gorrini. (July 12th, 1917 - November 8th, 2014)
https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/last-ww2-italian-ace-luigi-gorrini.42304/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:25, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving pilot of Grupul 7 Vânătoare (7th Fighter Group) who escaped the Stalingrad encirclement
Ioan Dicezare. (August 12th, 1916 - August 10th, 2012) https://www.calendarz.com/on-this-day/august/10/ioan-dicezare ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:11, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Polish WW2 fighter pilot for the RAF
Jerzy Główczewski. (November 19th, 1922 - April 13th, 2020) https://www.historynet.com/jerzy-glowczewski-last-surviving-polish-born-wwii-raf-pilot-succumbs-to-covid-19/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/04/20/jerzy-glowczewski-last-surviving-polish-fighter-pilot-of-world-war-ii-has-passed-away/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:23, 8 October 2022 (UTC)
Last Brazilian Campinas combattant of WW2
Justino Alfredo. (1920 - 2021) ButlerAlexander (talk) 04:55, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last Brazilian Blumenau combattant of WW2
Adolfo José Klock. (1922 - 2018) ButlerAlexander (talk) 04:59, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living participant of the 1945 Georgian Uprising on Texel
Grigor Baindoerasjvili. (1919/1920 - August 6th, 2021)
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/08/last-survivor-of-wwii-georgian-uprising-on-texel-dies-age-102/
https://sovjet-ereveld.nl/actueel/last-survivor-texel-insurrection-has-died/?lang=en ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:37, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
- Done. According to the source, his year of birth must be 1918/1919. Renewal6 (talk) 19:35, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Harold Bray. (1927-)
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/lonely-sailor-doing-job-cleatus-110630277.html
https://notthebee.com/article/as-of-this-month-there-is-just-one-living-survivor-of-the-1945-uss-indianapolis-disaster ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:17, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the 7th Armored Division UK (aka Desert Rats)
Jimmy Sinclair. (August 18th, 1912 - May 27th, 2020)
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/2222459/jimmy-sinclair-the-last-of-the-desert-rats-who-fought-rommel-dies-aged-107/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:08, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving crewmen of the ill-fated PT 109
Gerard Zinser. (May 31st, 1918 - August 21st, 2001)
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2001/08/25/gerard-zinser-last-pt-109-survivor-dies-at-82/
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/29/us/gerard-zinser-last-surviving-pt-109-crewman-dies-at-82.html
https://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/gezinser.htm ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:39, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving participant of the Iwo Jima flag raising
Charles W. Lindberg. (June 26th, 1920 - June 24th, 2007)
https://www.foxnews.com/story/charles-lindberg-last-survivor-of-iwo-jima-flag-raising-dies-at-age-86
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19414896
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/06/25/lindbergobit ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:52, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Seminole Code Talker of WW2
Edmond Harjo. (November 24th, 1917 - March 31st, 2014)
https://www.indianz.com/News/2014/013200.asp
https://www.foxnews.com/us/edmond-harjo-one-of-last-remaining-native-american-code-talkers-dies-at-96-in-oklahoma ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:14, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry aka Gateshead Gurkhas
John Frederick Forster. (July 20th, 1920 - November 12th, 2021)
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/wwii-veteran-last-surviving-gateshead-18667587
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Last+of+the+%27Gateshead+Gurkhas%27+is+laid+to+rest.-a0683217230
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-chronicle/20211120/281526524313912 ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:35, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the Long Range Desert Group
Jack Mann. (1925-)
https://www.slow-travel.uk/post/jack-mann-the-sas-veteran
https://greenlit.com/project/mann-documentary ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:32, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving submarine commander of the 10th Submarine Flotilla (aka the fighting 10th)
Michael Lindsay Coulton Crawford. (June 27th, 1917 - June 28th, 2017)
http://rnsubs.co.uk/crew/biographies/crawford.html
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/captain-michael-tubby-crawford-obituary-r95nl9wxw ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:57, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Polish fighter squadron commander from WW2
Franciszek Kornicki. (December 28th, 1916 - November 26th, 2017)
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetimes-uk/obituary.aspx?pid=187319434
https://tvpworld.com/45361080/polish-hero-pilot-battle-of-britain-veteran-remembered ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:39, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving convicted Nazi war criminal involved in the 1944 Ardeatine Massacre in Italy
Erich Priebke. (July 29th, 1913 - October 11th, 2013)
https://www.newsmax.com/World/Europe/nazi-war-criminal-dies/2013/10/11/id/530574/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-priebke-idUKBRE99A0FH20131011
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24493079 ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:29, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving US general officer to serve in WW2
Ralph C. Smith. (November 27th, 1893 - January 21st, 1998)
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-24-mn-11614-story.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/26/us/gen-ralph-c-smith-honored-for-war-bravery-dies-at-104.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:56, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. I read all three obituaries, and none say he was the last surviving general. (Two say he was the oldest living general at the time of his death.) pburka (talk) 21:44, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the original women's reserve directors who served during World War II
Dorothy C. Stratton. (March 24th, 1899 - September 17th, 2006)
https://www.purdue.edu/uns/html3month/2006/060918StrattonObit.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/us/25stratton.html
https://www.tributes.com/obituary/show/Dorothy-C.-STRATTON-93601955 ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:06, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. She was the director of SPARS from its formation in 1942 until 1946. It seems, therefore, that she was the only director of the reserve during WW2, and not the last of any group of veterans (except in the degenerate sense of a singleton). pburka (talk) 21:34, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving commander of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Sun Yuanliang. (March 17th, 1904 - May 25th, 2007)
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/06/12/2003364885
https://inf.news/ne/history/d0f3f13f47bf705d1a820fff297076bd.html
https://wikimili.com/en/Sun_Yuanliang ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:21, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. Not mentioned as the last survivor in the first two sources. wikimili.com is not reliable as per WP:CIRCULAR. Renewal6 (talk) 22:03, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living veteran of the Thailand formation of the Indian National Army
Shital Tiwari. (1926-)
https://theprint.in/ani-press-releases/janmitr-felicitates-arrival-of-shital-tiwari-the-only-living-veteran-of-indian-national-army-ina-from-thailand/908300/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:55, 11 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving submarine commander who served during WW2
Michael Hickie. (October 17th, 1922-)
https://headtopics.com/au/australia-s-last-world-war-two-submarine-commander-22431276
https://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2021/11/13/veteran-submariner-honoured-on-99th-birthday/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:14, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. See the discussion from earlier this year above. More reliable sources describe him as "one of the last living submarine commanders", e.g. https://www.smh.com.au/national/arctic-dives-sinking-ships-and-enemy-collisions-the-last-surviving-wwii-sub-commander-20211105-p596au.html pburka (talk) 04:05, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Partisan of the Rome Uprising
Mario Fiorentini. (November 7th, 1918 - August 9th, 2022)
https://jacobin.com/2022/08/mario-fiorentini-italy-partisan-resistance-anti-fascism-obituary
https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/mario-fiorentini-the-last-surviving-partisan-of-rome-uprising-dies/ar-AA10AOpE ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:29, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last Spanish anti-fascist survivor of the Mauthausen concentration camp
Juan Romero. (April 21st, 1919 - October 4th, 2020)
https://www.mauthausen-memorial.org/en/News/We-mourn-the-death-of-Juan-Romero
https://tekdeeps.com/farewell-to-the-last-spanish-survivor-of-the-nazi-concentration-camps/
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2020/10/05/long-read-tributes-roll-in-as-last-surviving-spanish-nazi-concentration-camp-prisoner-dies-aged-101/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:43, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Polish inmate from first transport to Auschwitz
Kazimierz Albin. (August 30th, 1922 - July 23rd, 2019)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/kazimierz-albin-early-auschwitz-prisoner-dies-at-96/
https://www.foxnews.com/world/last-polish-inmate-from-first-transport-to-auschwitz-dies
https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/kazimierz-albin-last-remaining-survivor-of-first-convoy-to-auschwitz-passes-away-at-96-7-4-2019 ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:53, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. Victims of Auschwitz (mostly) weren't veterans. pburka (talk) 17:56, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last Surviving Member Of The Legendary Avengers Partisan Group
Benjamin Levin. (April 11th, 1927 - April 13th, 2020)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/avenger-benjamin-levin-a-young-hero-of-jewish-vilna-succumbs-to-covid-19/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:01, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the Chindits
Arthur Rollins. (1917/1918 - October 29/30 2021)
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16579450/last-surviving-member-chindits-104-funeral/
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1514119/Chindit-jungle-dies-age-104-military-veteran
https://headtopics.com/uk/last-surviving-chindits-special-forces-hero-laid-to-rest-after-dying-aged-104-22332280 ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:17, 12 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Polish pilot to have fought in the Battle of Britain
Tadeusz Sawicz. (February 13th, 1914 - October 19th, 2011)
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/obituaries/tadeusz-sawicz-polish-wwii-airman-dies-n80298
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/26/polish-battle-britain-pilot-dies
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054013/Last-Polish-pilot-Battle-Britain-dies-aged-97.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:17, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. Please remember to check the notes. He's already mentioned. pburka (talk) 00:32, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living OSS Special Maritime Unit frogman operative of UDT-10
Henry Hank Weldon. (May 29th, 1923 - October 5th, 2018)
https://www.insider.com/one-of-the-pioneers-of-the-navy-seals-just-died-2018-10
https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/hank-weldon-navy-seal-pioneer/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:30, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. He's been removed previously, as there appear to be other survivors. See https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-stealth-swimmers-whose-wwii-scouting-laid-the-groundwork-for-the-navy-seals-180980427. pburka (talk) 16:37, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Estonian SS veteran to have received the Knight's Cross
Harald Nugiseks. (October 22nd, 1921 - January 2nd, 2014)
https://defendinghistory.com/last-knights-cross-waffen-ss-veteran-buried-in-estonia/62614
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/01/15/russian-official-condemns-estonias-honored-burial-for-nazi-ss-veteran-a31089 ButlerAlexander (talk) 12:13, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Buchenwald airman
A couple of days ago a Lansing newspaper published an article reporting that Russell Hilding (1921-2021) had been the last of the Allied airmen at Buchenwald concentration camp. However Squadron Leader Stanley Booker MBE was alive as of May 2022 according to SSAFA. I found a couple of newspaper articles describing Booker as the last survivor[8][9], but I'm reluctant to use them as they were published before Hilding's November 2021 death. If anyone can find a more recent source, I think Booker should be added. pburka (talk) 17:22, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/wwii-vet-prisoner-of-war-buchenwald-obit-russell-hilding/8879682002/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:29, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
https://stewross.com/stanley-booker-mbe/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:33, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Well i thought that Russell Hilding was the last, but he died November 7th, 2021, according to many sources, but Stanley Booker is not mentioned as passing away at all, ig just says he was recently awarded the French Legion of Honour, according to BBC News ButlerAlexander (talk) 17:47, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
- Yes, that matches what I wrote above. I also provided a link to an article showing Booker was alive in May of this year. We need a reliable source from after November 2021 describing Booker as the last survivor. pburka (talk) 17:51, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
https://books.apple.com/us/book/destination-buchenwald/id1614667175 ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:06, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
- Does that book say something helpful? Could you share a quote and relevant page number? pburka (talk) 18:09, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
It's the most recent source that i could find that states he is the last survivor, but other than that, I got nothing ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:16, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
- Can you share a quotation and a page number where it states that he's the last survivor? pburka (talk) 18:38, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the 97th Field Regiment Royal Artillery
Jim Mitchell. (1921-)
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/memories-recorded-history-last-last-24816665 ButlerAlexander (talk) 20:43, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living D-Day Pathfinder pilot
David Hamilton. (1922-)
https://commemorativeairforce.org/news/d-day-pathfinder-pilot-turning-100
https://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/last-living-d-day-pathfinder-pilot-100th-birthday-celebrations.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:02, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Combine top Nazi officers?
Ferdinand Schörner and Karl Dönitz were of equivalent rank, just in different services (army and navy), so we should only list Dönitz in the main list with a note for Schörner, whom he outlived by 7 years. (Especially since there were only two Großadmirals). However for correctness we really ought to note the last surviving top officers of the SS and Luftwaffe, too. It would be helpful if someone could suggest an English or German word or phrase that describes all Generalfeldmarschalls, Großadmirals and Reichsführers-SS, much like five-star officer encompasses fleet admiral, general of the army, and general of the air force in the United States. pburka (talk) 00:06, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
In the Imperial German Navy, and later in the Kriegsmarine, the rank Großadmiral was the equivalent of a British admiral of the fleet or a United States fleet admiral; as a five-star rank (OF-10). Like field marshals it's holders were authorised to carry a baton, much as the case with Dönitz
In Schörner's case he was the final person to live with the rank of Generalfeldmarschall, which was the equivalent to Großadmiral (English: Grand Admiral) in the Kaiserliche Marine and Kriegsmarine, a five-star rank, comparable to OF-10 in today's NATO naval forces. He was also the last Oberkommando des Heeres, which the High Command of the German Army. ButlerAlexander (talk) 02:25, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
- Yes. That all matches my understanding. Is there a English or German word or phrase that describes all Generalfeldmarschalls, Großadmirals and Reichsführers-SS, much like five-star officer encompasses fleet admiral, general of the army, and general of the air force in the United States? pburka (talk) 17:18, 4 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living commander of any SS Division
Michael Karkoc. (March 6th, 1919 - December 14th, 2019) ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:54, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS, also the last surviving Waffen-SS holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Otto Kumm. (November 1st, 1909 - March 23rd, 2004)
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/kumm-otto/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53726603/otto-kumm ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:01, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Kriegsmarine recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Erich Topp. (July 2nd, 1914 - December 26th, 2005) ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:08, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Heere recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Waldemar von Gazen. (December 6th, 1917 - January 13th, 2014) ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:12, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Luftwaffe recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Erich Rudorffer. (November 1st, 1917 - April 8th, 2016)
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/top-10-luftwaffe-aces-of-wwii.html?andro=1&chrome=1
https://www.flying-tigers.co.uk/2018/erich-rudorffer-luftwaffe-ace-hobbymaster-jc-wings-military-airfix-inflight-and-gemini-200-updates/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:25, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the 2/40th Battalion
Lloyd Harding. (1922 - February 5th, 2021)
https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/7118338/end-of-an-era-last-member-of-tassie-battalion-dies/
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7118247/end-of-an-era-last-member-of-tassie-battalion-dies/
https://www.abc.net.au/hobart/programs/your-afternoon/dallas-harding/13133060 ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:41, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
- @ButlerAlexander: nice find. Adding each of these is quite a bit of work. Do you think you might have a go at drafting entries for each of the required columns for the veterans whom you think have clear notability and solid, reliable sources onto this talk page after your suggestions? e.g. add wiki code like this:
*Veteran: {{sortname|Lloyd|Harding}}
*Birth: {{dts|1922}}
*Death: {{dts|2021-02-09|format=hide}}{{death date and given age|2021|02|02|99|df=y}}
*Notability: Last surviving member of [[Tasmania]]'s [[2/40th Battalion]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/hobart/programs/your-afternoon/dallas-harding/13133060 |title=Last living member of Tasmania’s 2/40th Battalion dies at 99 |work=ABC Hobart |date=7 February 2021 |access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref>
*Service: [[Australian Army]]
*Allegiance: {{flagu|Australia}}
I tried drafting before, but wasn't really good at it, still learning everything, but thank you for this suggestion ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:44, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
- Tables are some of the more complicated wiki syntax, and this one uses a lot of templates, too, so you definitely jumped into the deep end. Don't get discouraged! If you can format the necessary info on the talk page like I showed above, we can more easily help copy it into the table, and it will be good practice for you, too. And if you have any questions about what all the templates do, don't hesitate to ask. pburka (talk) 21:57, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Wow this is all very interesting to remember, thank you, & I won't hesitate ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:42, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Danish recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Søren Kam. (November 2nd, 1921 - March 23rd, 2015) ButlerAlexander (talk) 23:36, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of destroyer HMCS Huron
Alex Polowin. (April 15th, 1924 - August 16th, 2022)
https://www.junobeach.org/farewell-alex-polowin-1924-2022/
https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/alex-polowin-1925-2022-second-world-war-veteran-met-royalty-had-ottawa-street-named-for-him/wcm/c95e677e-2eec-4f89-8ca6-27bd1f7d195b ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:28, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving British member of the Warsaw Air Bridge
Jim Auton. (1925 - January 18th, 2020)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-51389580
https://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/news/hundreds-pay-respects-to-second-world-war-hero-9098875/
https://rafa.org.uk/blog/2020/02/04/raf-association-arranges-funeral-of-war-veteran-and-true-friend-of-poland/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 13:54, 19 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Australian fighter ace of WW2
Bob Cowper. (June 24th, 1922 - July 10th, 2016)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/squadron-leader-bob-cowper-one-of-the-last-australian-fighter-aces-of-ww2-20160711-gq2uc8.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 02:37, 22 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving squadron pilot of Fighter Squadron 2/30 Normandie-Niemen
Gaël Taburet. (November 12th, 1919 - February 10th, 2017)
https://www.key.aero/article/normandie-niemen-yak-flies-again
https://tass.com/world/930674 ButlerAlexander (talk) 09:32, 22 October 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Hungarian pilot of the 101st Puma Home Air Defense Fighter Division
Endre Frankó. (September 2nd, 1923 - December 30th, 2020)
https://hungarianspectrum.org/tag/endre-franko/
https://hungarytoday.hu/passing-last-hungarian-puma-war-pilot-endre-franko-army-orban/
https://www.miniszterelnok.hu/last-hungarian-pilot-deployed-in-action-endre-franko-bidden-final-farewell/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 10:34, 22 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living fighter pilot of the 349th Belgian RAF Squadron
Joseph Moureau. (April 13th, 1921 - October 28th, 2020)
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2020/11/03/tribute-to-belgiums-last-spitfire-pilot/
https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/10/29/joseph-jeff-moureau-the-last-belgian-pilot-to-fight-on-d-day-has-passed-away/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 12:42, 22 October 2022 (UTC)
Last living Night Fighter of WW2
Freddie C. Kight. (July 5th, 1919 - April 18th, 2017)
https://www.kent-forestlawn.com/tributes/Freddie-Kight ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:47, 1 November 2022 (UTC)
- Not done. That's a funeral home notice, probably written by his family. Definitely not a reliable source for him being the last surviving member. pburka (talk) 19:01, 1 November 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the 39th Battalion of the Australian Army that fought in the Kokoda Track campaign
Les Arnel. (January 10th, 1924 - October 19th, 2019)
https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/kokoda-veteran-les-arnel-dies-he-was-the-last-remaining-south-australian-from-world-war-iis-legendary-39th-battalion/news-story/a2145624aff07e601330d9ad0c1b21d9 ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:17, 5 November 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the Merville Raid in 1944
Fred Milward. (January 16th, 1924 - July 23rd, 2017)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4765972/War-veteran-deadly-D-Day-raid-died.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/08/28/sergeant-fred-milward-paratrooper-d-day-raid-merville-gun-battery/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 18:46, 5 November 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving assistant chaplain of WW2
Phil Crenshaw. (September 13th, 1922)
https://www.kcbd.com/2022/09/14/beloved-veteran-celebrates-100-years/
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/98-year-old-world-war-ii-vet-survives-covid-19
https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/local/2013/10/20/last-surviving-wwii-chaplain-returns-honor-flight/15069984007/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 22:55, 5 November 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the WW2 Sacred Band
Konstantinos Korkas. (January 7th, 1921 - May 29th, 2022)
https://defence247gr.com/general-korkas-went-to-the-pantheon-of-the-heroes-of-the-nation/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 19:47, 10 November 2022 (UTC)
Last living member of the No. 320 Netherlands RAF Squadron
André Hissink. (June 26th, 1919)
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/05/wwii-veteran-102-gets-back-dutch-nationality-after-70-years/
https://www.newsy-today.com/the-wish-of-the-102-year-old-veteran-has-come-true-he-is-dutch-again-2/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 01:23, 14 November 2022 (UTC)
WW2 death
Albert Kunyuku, who was the last Congolese veteran of WW2, died just recently https://acpcongo.com/index.php/2022/11/27/death-in-kinshasa-of-the-centenary-corporal-albert-kunyuku/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 05:09, 2 December 2022 (UTC)
The official last member of Squadron 201 (Aztec Eagles)
Horacio Castilleja Albarrán. (1924 - December 1st, 2022)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexicos-world-war-ii-veterans-dies-age-98-94310535 ButlerAlexander (talk) 05:13, 2 December 2022 (UTC)
Last Mexican veteran of WW2
Horacio Castilleja Albarrán. (1924 - November 30th, 2022)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexicos-world-war-ii-veterans-dies-age-98-94310535
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-last-world-war-veteran-dies/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 04:40, 20 December 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the Merrill's Marauders
Russell Hamler. (June 24th, 1924-)
https://alabamatimes.org/alabama/it-still-hurts-one-of-merrills-last-marauders-dies-at-101-in-alabama-16637.html ButlerAlexander (talk) 05:01, 27 December 2022 (UTC)
Last surviving Italian officer to have had the rank of five star
Ettore Bastico. (April 9th, 1876 - December 2nd, 1972) ButlerAlexander (talk) 16:48, 2 January 2023 (UTC)
- Reminder: please include reliable sources with these claims. pburka (talk) 18:07, 2 January 2023 (UTC)
Nazi SS
Martin Sandberger. (August 17th, 1911 - March 30th, 2010)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/interview-death-nazi-officer-martin-sandberger/story?id=10380750 ButlerAlexander (talk) 00:38, 4 January 2023 (UTC)
- What do you propose this entry should say? What is the "last surviving" claim? pburka (talk) 15:18, 4 January 2023 (UTC)
Last living Bahamian veteran of WW2
Vernon Pinder. (1925-)
https://ournews.bs/bahamian-world-war-ii-veteran-honored-at-97/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 03:29, 5 January 2023 (UTC)
Greek WW2 Veteran
Konstantinos Chatzilakos is not the very last living Greek veteran, as Aris Poulianos (born July 24th, 1924) is still living at age 98, and fought in the Greek People's Liberation Army or more known as Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós [ELAS] against Nazi forces in Greece during WW2. ButlerAlexander (talk) 12:51, 11 January 2023 (UTC)
Last surviving member of the Castners Cutthroats who fought the Japanese during the Aleutian Islands Campaign]
Earl C. Acuff. (July 24th, 1918 - February 13th, 2013)
https://blog.togetherweserved.com/2022/04/04/1st-alaska-combat-intelligence-platoon-world-war-ii/ ButlerAlexander (talk) 21:14, 24 January 2023 (UTC)
Dutch resistance
My father, Antonius Nicolaas Bennik was in the Dutch resistance. He was born 1 Dec 1926. He is still alive. Could he be the last still alive of the Dutch Resistance? Clearasmud01 (talk) 09:02, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
- @Clearasmud01: He very well could be! However one of Wikipedia's core policies is "no original research." To be included in this list, veterans must have been identified as last survivors by reliable sources such as newspapers or books. pburka (talk) 03:49, 23 March 2023 (UTC)
Last Bataan Death March survivor
Kerchum may not be the last survivor it looks as if Jim Bollich is still alive. Feickus (talk) 15:28, 15 February 2023 (UTC)
Surviving RAF World War II Veteran
William (Bill) Thomas Ambrose, Born 01/03/1922 in Abridge, Essex, UK (still resides in the same house he was born in / signed up from), served Royal Air Force 1942-1947, was a Corporal in India and a Lead Aircraft Man. Deca82 (talk) 22:47, 22 March 2023 (UTC)