Last World War I combat veteran laid to rest in Australia

[News_Editor]

Last World War I combat veteran laid to rest in Australia

2011-05-20 14:12:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

SYDNEY (BNO NEWS) -- Claude Choules, the last known World War I combat veteran, was laid to rest during a funeral in western Australia on Friday. He died earlier this month at the age of 110.

The Naval funeral in Fremantle, a port city near Perth, honored the life and service of Choules with traditions such as gunfire salute and a naval uniformed procession, while also providing an opportunity for the Choules family to celebrate his life.

"By gathering here to remember, we are also gathering to mark the passing of the Great War into history as the last links break between those who were there and we who remember them," said Vice Admiral Russ Crane, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, during the public service.

"As the last known combat veteran of the 'war to end all wars,' Claude's was among our last living memories of those momentous days when the German High Seas Fleet surrendered in 1918 and later was scuttled at Scapa Flow," Crane added.

After the public church service, Choules was cremated at a private family ceremony.

A former Royal Navy World War I and Royal Australian Navy World War II veteran, Claude's life has spanned the existence of the Australian Navy, which came into being on 1 March 1901, only two days before his birth.

Born in Pershore, England on March 3, 1901, Choules joined the Royal Navy as a boy in 1916 and served in the Naval Training Ship HMS Impregnable situated at Devonport dockyard. The Impregnable had been a 140 gun square-rigged wooden battleship prior to becoming a training ship.

In 1917, Claude joined the battleship HMS Revenge, Flagship of the First Battle Squadron. While serving in Revenge, Claude witnessed the surrender of the German Fleet at Firth of Forth in 1918, ten days after the Armistice and later the scuttling of the German Fleet, by the Germans, at Scapa Flow.

A 'big ships man', Claude served in the battleship Valiant with the Mediterranean Fleet between 1920 and 1923. A subsequent posting saw him stand by the construction of the RN’s first purpose built aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, which was followed by a two year posting as a Petty Officer onboard Eagle, again in the Mediterranean Fleet.

In 1926 along with eleven other RN senior sailors, Claude came to Australia on loan as an Instructor at Flinders Naval Depot. Taking a liking to the Australian way of life, Claude decided to transfer permanently to the Royal Australian Navy.

After courses in the UK for Chief Torpedo and Anti Submarine Instructor, Claude stood by the building of the Royal Australian Navy's heavy cruisers Australia and Canberra. Claude was a commissioning crew member of the HMAS Canberra and served in her until 1931.

Claude took his discharge from the Royal Australian Navy in 1931, however he remained in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve and rejoined the Royal Australian Navy in 1932 as a Chief Petty Officer Torpedo and Anti Submarine Instructor.

During World War II, Claude was the Acting Torpedo Officer, Fremantle and also the Chief Demolition Officer on the western side of the Australian Continent. Early in the war, Claude was flown to Esperance, on Western Australia's southern coast, to identify a mine washed ashore nearby. Eventually the mine was identified as German and Claude then disposed of the first mine to wash up on Australian soil during WWII.

As the Chief Demolition Officer, Claude had the task of destroying facilities and oil storage tanks in Fremantle harbor rendering them useless in the advent of a Japanese invasion.

For a number of weeks during the dark days of 1942, explosive charges were in place to carry out this task. Claude had depth charges placed in ships that had been unable to sail from Fremantle for safe harbor in Albany during this period, with the intent of sinking them should the Japanese invade.

Claude remained in the Royal Australian Navy after WWII and transferred to the Naval Dockyard Police (NDP) to allow him to remain in the service until 1956, as retirement from the Royal Austrian Navy for ratings in those days was at 50 years, while personnel could serve until 55 years old in the Naval Dockyard Police.

After retirement from the Naval Dockyard Police, Claude purchased a Cray fishing boat and spent ten years fishing off the Western Australia coast.

After Claude's death earlier this month, his daughter spoke on behalf of the family. "Dad was always proud of his Navy service and considered it his other family," said Anne. "We are grateful for the Navy's continued association with the family and their recognition of our father's life."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-20