stevew Posted 26 July , 2003 Share Posted 26 July , 2003 Does anyone know how many French and German veterans there are still survivng. As we in Britain are 'officially' down to the last 33 veterans, I was wondering if it was similar number of verterans for the French and Germans, and Belgium come to that................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 27 July , 2003 Share Posted 27 July , 2003 The last I heard was also less than 50 in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 27 July , 2003 Share Posted 27 July , 2003 I have often wondered about this point. Also how many Russians survive? I assume that the Russian and German armies were probably significantly larger than our own. It strikes me that the last survivor of the Great War may well eventually be an unknown peasant somewhere out on the Russian steppes! Simon Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derwisj Posted 27 July , 2003 Share Posted 27 July , 2003 Hello, last year there was an article in a Belgian newspaper, that the last Belgian veteran died; but some days later there was a new article, that there was one survivor discovered; so the last I heard was 1 living veteran in Belgium. pascal bastiaens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_East Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 Regarding the Russians serving in the Great War.Combatants just disappeared.I do not think there was an organisation responsible for notifing the NOK that a combatant had died either in battle or from other causes.He just did not arrive home after hostilities ceased and after a time it was assumed he was dead. In the Great War, Russia apart from the collapse of the Tsarist Army,Russia also had to contend with the October 1917 revolution and the complete failure of the civil administration. Russian Great War veterans might still exist but they will be drinking their vodka unacclaimed.On the other hand veterans of the Great Patriotic War are seen as the real heroes while the Tsarist veterans would be remembered as being on a losing side.It remains to be seen if the Putkin regime acknowledges any surviving Great War veteran.The country seems to have too many more important priorities at the present time. Regards Frank East Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CASSQUINN Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 As someone who has long held a deep interest in WW1, [enjoyment seems so totally an inappropriate phrase],it is surely the constant passing of veterans that is the most depressing part of our studies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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