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Old 23rd Apr 2006, 19:28
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November4
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
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I see the Wikipedia page has been updated to show that there are 9 veterans still living the UK. They have put those that emigrated to Australia under Australians still surviving.

But it also throws up a new question - what if the last person did not see action?

5 of the surviving people saw no action. 2 of them were still in training when the war ended. Should these 2 be included in the list?

To my mind and using the qualifying dates that were used by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for war graves treatment - 4 Aug 1914 - 31 August 1921, if you were in the forces whether you saw action or not then you are included in the list of surviving veterans. That last date was the official date that the war ended.

I have carried out research into the names inscribed on a number of war memorials - a humbling experience to see the ages that these men were when they died compared to what they could have lived to. My own personal feeling is that 11 November should be restored as the official Remembrance day and become a public holiday as soon as possible so that those who survived are still around to see it happen.
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